Looking for smart ways to counter productivity? There are numerous productivity improvement strategies floating out there. What works and what actually makes a difference, that is a bit challenging to define.
In this article, we will look at the Top 5 Productivity Improvement Strategies you can start implementing right now to see drastic changes or improvements in your life.
Be it entrepreneurship, digital marketing, tech, or design, productivity is the key to achieving your goals and turning your visions into reality.
Let’s start with the first strategy.
Strategy 1: Set Clear Goals and Priorities
Setting clear goals and priorities is the foundation of productivity. It provides you with a roadmap, helping you stay focused and motivated.
As an entrepreneur, digital marketer, or designer, consider these tips:
- Define SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals.
- Prioritize tasks using techniques like the Eisenhower Matrix.
Example: A digital marketer can set a goal to increase website traffic by 20% in the next quarter by optimizing content and social media strategies.
The goal here is to be sure in advance what task (s) you are working on. When setting priorities, there are two approaches. You can slowly ease in by taking on the easiest tasks first, or dive in headfirst with the hardest, most challenging task.
Which approach you take depends on your own mindset and comfort level. The ultimate outcome in both is to do one thing at a time, with clear expectations of the outcome.
Strategy 2: Break Down Large Tasks into Smaller Chunks
Overwhelmed by a big project? Break it down into smaller, more manageable tasks. This productivity improvement strategy boosts your confidence and helps you maintain momentum.
Entrepreneurs, digital marketers, and designers can benefit by:
- Creating task lists or checklists.
- Tackling one small task at a time.
Example: A designer can break down a website redesign project into phases, focusing on wireframes, color schemes, and content layout separately.
A bonus approach we’d recommend is to start gamifying these tasks. What that means is that once you have smaller chunks of tasks, you start assigning rewards or milestones to them. Whenever a milestone is achieved, you either take a break or reward yourself with something.
Think of gamifying as leveling up. Each chunk gives you a positive HP and helps you get to the ultimate outcome gradually.
Productivity Requires You To Eliminate Distractions
Distractions are productivity’s arch-nemesis. They are little demons that cause you to procrastinate and get lazy.
To combat them:
- Identify common distractions and address them.
- Establish a dedicated workspace.
- Switch your mobile to ‘Do Not Disturb’
- Sound-proof your room (to eliminate any external noise) or listen to binaural music to stay focused
Example: An entrepreneur can use website blockers during work hours to prevent social media distractions.
Ultimately, distractions are gonna wind up your way one way or the other so in our experience, they’re practically unavoidable, in a realistic setting. However, we can still drastically reduce how much distractions there actually are. These small adjustments can make a big difference.
Strategy 4: Take Breaks To Refresh & Reset
Contrary to the ‘always busy’ myth, taking regular breaks enhances productivity. What happens is when we are too focused, we tend to put too much strain on our eyes and minds, and this creates that sensation of ‘feeling tired’.
This is why it’s always advisable to take breaks after 25-30 minutes.
Try these tips to enhance your productivity by taking breaks:
- Use the Pomodoro Technique (we’ll discuss this in Strategy 6).
- Step outside for fresh air and a short walk.
- Do a set of pushups, squats, and some stretches to reduce stiffness and add some fun to your routine
Example: A digital marketer can take a 10-minute break after every two Pomodoro cycles to recharge and refocus.
Whatever approach you take, this approach will improve your productivity by making sure your mind gets a much-deserved reset. Just like your devices require breaks or they’ll overheat, your brain and body also requires breaks to refresh and be more effective.
Strategy 5: Use a Time Tracking Tool
A time tracking tool offers valuable insights into your daily activities. Contrary to how time-tracking tools are used, the key here is not to put a limiter on your routine or strictly audit your life.
The correct way to use the time tracker is to figure out which activities or parts of your life are taking up most of your time. This way, you can figure out where you can make certain adjustments to be more productive.
Or if it’s a certain task or project, you can identify which deliverable requires more focus and that way, you’ll be prepared in advance to tackle it head on.
Entrepreneurs, digital marketers, and designers can benefit by:
- Identifying time sinks and optimizing tasks.
- Choosing a tool that suits their needs.
Example: An entrepreneur can use a time tracker to analyze how much time is spent on client meetings versus actual work. Using this data, that entrepreneur is going to figure out ways to be more efficient with time.
Strategy 6: Pomodoro Technique
We’ve already discussed the ‘Pomodoro Technique’ in a previous article. And honestly, it’s quite helpful if used correctly.
To recap, the Pomodoro Technique is a time management method that involves focused work intervals followed by short breaks. It’s particularly effective for beating procrastination.
Here’s how you do it:
- Set a timer for 25 minutes (a “Pomodoro”).
- Work intensely during this period.
- Take a 5-minute break.
- After four Pomodoros, take a longer break.
Example: A designer can use the Pomodoro Technique to tackle a creative project by focusing on sketching for 25 minutes.
This productivity improvement strategy goes in hand with Strategy #4 which is all about giving your body space and breaks to reset and refresh.
Strategy 7: Batch Similar Tasks Together
Batching similar tasks together is a productivity powerhouse. It reduces context switching and improves efficiency. What that means is by focusing on a set of closely-related tasks and batching them together, you’re able to stay more focused and efficient.
If you keep switching between tasks of different nature and settings, your brain will get confused and lose context. You’ll spend more time preparing and planning before each task than actually working on that task.
So, batch tasks related to a project or that are related to each other. Focus on finishing those first, before moving to others.
Entrepreneurs, digital marketers, and designers can:
- Group similar tasks on their to-do lists.
- Allocate specific time slots for these tasks.
Example: A digital marketer can schedule a block of time for keyword research and combine it with some SEO-related tasks, they can also combine content creation with scheduling and get more done in less time..
Strategy 8: Automate as Much as Possible
Automation is a secret weapon for reclaiming your time. You can refer to this article where we’ve covered automation tools in great detail.
With automation, you can automate tasks so that you don’t have to manually tick them off every day. You can add an important meeting to a calendar software and get a reminder the next day. Or you can use certain tools together and get updates each day on your dashboard.
Automation is the least time-consuming way to improve your productivity:
- Automate repetitive tasks like email responses and social media posting.
- Utilize tools like email marketing automation.
- Use a tool like Akiflow to pull in all your tasks from other software
Example: An entrepreneur can use marketing automation to nurture leads and send personalized follow-up emails.
Strategy 9: Delegate Tasks
As your workload grows, delegation becomes essential. In the world of business and leadership, people like Jeff Bezoz and Elon Musk have reached the pinnacle of success not just because of their ingenuity, but also because they are master delegators.
The key with this strategy is to figure out which tasks you enjoy doing and have great control over. The rest of them, you will delegate to responsible individuals so you can focus on what matters, while having a certain degree of control over the rest.
Use delegation to:
- Identify tasks that can be outsourced.
- Hire or collaborate with freelancers when needed.
- Save time or rethink priorities
Example: A solo entrepreneur can delegate administrative tasks to a virtual assistant, freeing up time for strategic planning.
Strategy 10: Take Care of Yourself Physically and Mentally
Your well-being directly impacts your productivity. At ProductivePreneur, we’re huge proponents of prioritizing mind and body and not just focusing on work all the time.
This means you need to be taking regular breaks, exercising, reading books, and regularly walking. A healthy body and mind will enhance the rhythm of your life and help you achieve success.
Therefore, you should:
- Prioritize sleep, exercise, and nutrition.
- Practice mindfulness and stress management.
- Take regular walks or go for a run
- Work out 5 days a week (even if you’re just doing cardio)
Example: A designer can establish a daily meditation routine to enhance focus and creativity. This will not only help at work, but also make sure they’re mentally at peace which will ensure they stay focused and creative not just in the present, but also in the long run.
Strategy 11: Create a Productive Workspace
Your workspace significantly influences your productivity. Look at your favorite entrepreneurs or YouTubers, all of them have a dedicated workspace where they’re able to strategize and work.
Why don’t you do the same for yourself? Workspaces can get quite expensive if you just go for aesthetics but they don’t have to be. For essentials, have a nice keyboard and mouse, a decent display, a power brick, and a lamp by the side. This setup in itself will go a long way in enhancing your productivity.
Additionally, you need to focus on these things:
- Declutter and organize your workspace.
- Invest in ergonomic furniture.
- Go for modular equipment; these equipment are multi-functional and can be used in a variety of ways
- Prioritize function over form; there’s no need for aesthetic appeal if you’re not going to stay focused
Example: A digital marketer can set up a dual-monitor workstation for efficient multitasking. They can also have a webcam for meetings, a lamp that puts less strain on their eyes, and a pair of headphones to supplement their daily life.
Need some inspiration? We have some curated workspaces over on Pinterest, which you can check out here.
Strategy 12: Use Productivity Apps and Tools
Leverage productivity apps and tools to streamline your workflow. This is a gamechanger for anyone looking to streamline their efforts.
That being said, there are certain things you need to be mindful of when you’re choosing a tool.
- Stick with one solution initially; you can try out others as well but use one mainly
- Create less rooms or dashboards so you don’t get overwhelmed
- Go for a solution that allows you to automate
Example: A designer can use graphic design software, project management tools, and cloud storage for efficient collaboration.
Whatever tool you go for, remember to use it consistently or else it’s just one more thing cluttering your space.
Strategy 13: Find a Productivity System That Works for You
Ultimately, you’ll understand that there’s no one-size-fits-all productivity system. Productivity improvement is a cycle of trial-and-error. You need to try out a lot of things to figure out what works and what doesn’t.
Just remember to stay consistent and:
- Experiment with different methods.
- Adjust and customize strategies to suit your preferences.
- If you don’t find anything that works, stick to your current routine but make a few adjustments
Example: An entrepreneur may combine elements of the Getting Things Done (GTD) system with the Kanban method to create a personalized workflow.
Conclusion
In conclusion, productivity is not a one-time achievement but a lifelong journey. By implementing these 13 strategies, entrepreneurs, digital marketers, designers, or anyone for that matter can supercharge their productivity and make every moment count on their path to success.
Now, it’s your turn. Choose one strategy to implement today and embark on your journey toward enhanced productivity. The wisest monk atop Mount Everest started with a single step, and so can you.
Zane James is a Digital Marketer who runs a freelance marketing practice alongside growing ProductivePreneur; a free newsletter for Entrepreneurs, Marketers & Designers helping them to reach peak productivity in a realistic and mindful way.