Does it feel as if your work is in a slump?

Are you looking for a few ways to get more done in less time?

In this post, I offer a list of five things you can do right now to give your productivity a quick boost.

Describe your goals clearly.

Okay, so you want to be more productive.

That’s a good start, but let’s take things a bit further.

Just how do you want to be more productive?

The more descriptive your goals, the better off you’ll be when it comes to actually completing them.

Do you want to finish two more blog posts today, than yesterday?

How about scheduling five new client appointments next month?

What about crossing off five items from your to-do list today?

Be sure to carefully describe: what it is you want to accomplish, how much you want to accomplish, and when you’ll accomplish it by.  

Create a template.

Templates are a great way to get more done in less time. If you’ve never considered creating one, you really should! You can use templates for almost anything: emails, forms, projects, and so on.

Begin by thinking about a task or other type of work you perform on a regular basis. Now, consider what type of information you need to collect or distribute. Then, compile the information into a single reference document. All you have to do is refer to your template, and get on with your day.

No more wasting precious minutes trying to locate information, or thinking about the type of information you want to collect.

Take an active approach to your day.

Do you start your day reacting to things? That is, do you check and respond to emails, answer phone calls, open postal mail, or address queries? While it’s important to tend to these items, you don’t have to have to do so first thing in the morning.

Try starting your day by tackling more in-depth work or personal items first. Maybe you’ve been meaning to finalize an important proposal, workout at the gym, or put together a study schedule.

Not only will you get things done, you can complete other tasks without worry, or distraction.

Trim your to-do list.

You can get more done by limiting the amount of tasks you’ll perform at a given point in time.

So, instead of trying to tackle fifteen items on your to-do list in one day, select 3-5 items. Yes, you’ll complete a handful of items, but the point is these items will finally be completed. They won’t be sitting on your to-do list, staring back at you.

Try limiting your to-dos for any period of time, be it thirty minutes, forty-five minutes, or two hours, and see what you can get done.

Let others know you’re unavailable.

You’ve set a timer and have sat down to work on a project. All of a sudden, the phone rings. After you finish the call, you hear the ping of email messages arriving into your inbox. Distractions can be real mood killer when it comes to doing your work.

In addition to reducing distractions, such as turning off cell phones, and logging off of email, try setting away messages when you need to sit down and work. Let people know you are currently unavailable and at what time you will be able to get back to them.

Doing so will help you work worry-free. You won’t be needlessly distracted, or preoccupied wondering whether or not people know you are not to be disturbed.

How about you? Which of these productivity boosters are you going to try out? Do you have any of your own productivity boosts that you’d like to share? Join the conversation and leave a comment below!