As creatives, we’ve often began work only to sit down and realize that an entire eight hours has passed by. Not only that but have you also had the feeling of not accomplishing nearly enough? While the day has seemed to escape you, there are ways to accomplish more in less time that won’t leave you with an out-of-body experience at the end of the day.
Here are three tips for accomplishing more in your workday in less time.
1. Plan Ahead of Time
Planning your workday ahead of time and creating a comprehensive checklist to follow can help you see exactly what you accomplish each day. Even if you aren’t able to finish everything on the list, seeing checked-off boxes will help you see that you didn’t “accomplish nothing” during the day.
This idea also helps ensure you don’t forget any important tasks you need to get done each day. You can prioritize each thing by order of importance and work your way down the list. After all, accomplishing one major task is going to feel far more rewarding than a group of smaller tasks.
For example, if you’re on a deadline and you need to submit a major project proposal by the end of the day, that needs to be done first. Accomplishing that time-sensitive task is going to feel more rewarding than if you decided to clean your office space or reply to secondary emails instead.
2. Don’t Overextend Yourself
This tip may seem counterproductive, but hear us out. Have you ever felt completely burnt out during the workday? Compare how you felt during that time to a day where you were completely determined and motivated to get work done. Which of those two days did you accomplish more?
We’re going to take a wild guess and say it was when you felt motivated. If you refrain from completely filling your work docket, you’re going to be far less likely to burn yourself out. Allow time to complete each task to avoid a rush job and space out your assignments as best you can. This way, you can accomplish everything you need to in a tighter timeframe.
3. Follow Your Internal Body-Clock
Are you a day or night person? Maybe you prefer afternoons instead? Regardless of your preferred time of day, you should plan to get the most work done during that time. Generally, these preferred times are when we’re the most alert, therefore, they’re the best time to get the most work completed.
