Every person possesses the potential to fulfill his/her dreams but only a chosen few can do so. This is because only a chosen few understand the ultimate key to success and that is simply being productive.
Being productive is being able to yield good results. This simply means that whenever you are given a task, you can fulfill it in the sense that you are exceeding the expectations set for you. You achieve things by going beyond what you are supposed to, and that is an innate trait that not everybody has.
To become successful, you must make sure that you first understand what it takes to become productive. If you think being busy is productive, you are wrong. Being productive does not have anything to do with doing a lot of things all at once. What is the sense of doing so many when you can only accomplish a few? It is therefore important that you understand that being productive values quality, not quantity.
A productive person understands that there is no need to rush. When you set goals for yourself, you should create a step-by-step procedure of how you can accomplish them and that will require hard work, as well as time. You also must understand that in all that you do, you do not just get the job done but, you make sure you give your all to it. You are always at your best and once the work is done, you are sure to give out great results.
Several individuals are not always productive at work, they try to get some things done and leave out vital tasks owning to a term called Procrastination. This is the number one killer of productivity right behind disorganization and social loafing. How then do we remedy this situation?
The following points below will help you overcome procrastination and become productive.
Organization and Planning
To become more productive at work, organization is key. A literal step-by-step plan put in place will increase productivity if the plan is adhered to. Setting up a daily diary to track how much time is spent on tasks is a good learning tool and can help improve productivity. The diary should also note how much time you spend away from your work. You will be surprised to see how many trips to the water dispenser or the bathroom you make a day. By keeping track of how many minutes are spent on a specific task, the workday can be planned more effectively.
There will be times when all the planning in the world cannot account for the unexpected, but even if the unexpected happens you can take care of it and return to the plan. Planning is key to productivity. A plan organizes time into blocks that can be assigned to specific tasks, also an organized work area keeps an employee from feeling overwhelmed, and there is nothing worse than feeling like you are drowning in piles of files.
A lot of times when items are disorganized it is easier to ignore them than to have to sort through files and documents, of course ignoring it does not make it go away but still it gets ignored.
Prioritize
Once you get that planner in place and review your work diary to see what tasks it is that you spend most of your time on, you must prioritize. This seems simple enough, but often multiple tasks are of equal importance. If you can get someone to help you, if you do not have the luxury, determine which task is the most important and start with that, do not stop until you are finished.
Then on to the next task and so on. Take breaks, stretch, and walk outside for a minute if you can, but stay focused. Remember you are at work to work, and there is always room to increase your productivity even if you are on the top of the heap right now. Producers get noticed and your work will not go unnoticed.