Don’t let a case of the Mondays take over your day. Embrace the week and all it has to offer with these 5 tips on how to have a productive workday.
Clear Your Workspace
Though Martha Stewart may have a gorgeously curated desktop, the reality is that busy people often have piles of papers cluttering their desks. Try making “sort-of-neat” piles of your in-progress work and reference materials in the top left and right corners of your workspace. Always leave yourself enough space for your computer and any loose papers you need to have at hand to get things done.
Start A Morning Ritual
Coffee, headlines, music, and then settle to work. Rinse and repeat. Once you have found the morning routine that works to get you in the mood to produce, then make a point to follow exactly the same steps each and every work day. After a few days of routine, your mind and your body will be anticipating each step, making it easier for you to get down to business quickly and intently.
Have A Plan
Always start your day with a list of three or four things that need to be accomplished. But the trick is not to spend the first part of your day making that list. In fact, the best time to make that list of daily tasks, is at the end of your previous work day, so that you know exactly what needs to be accomplished when you arrive at work in the morning.
Turn Off Screens (Except The One You Are Actively Working On)
The average person checks their smartphone every four minutes to see if they have messages. Having more than one electronic device switched on while trying to complete any work is a recipe for distraction. Consider turning off your phone, or better yet, putting it in a drawer if you are working on papers, or on your computer, thereby reducing temptation.
Shut Out Visitors
A closed door sends the message to your coworkers that you are busy, and probably doing something important enough that you require privacy in order to maximize concentration. If you work in a cubicle, try tacking up a “Please Do Not Disturb” sign right outside. It also helps to seem highly and sympathetically ‘sorry’ when you tell the office gossip that ‘wish you could talk, but that you’re just too busy today to chat’. Pretty soon, word will get out that you indeed are busy and not to be interrupted.