There are a lot of ways to raise your overall daily, weekly or monthly productivity that focus on getting the most out of your day.
All of these methods (lists, working in spurts or simply getting up earlier) work very well when trying to get around to more tasks, some of which may even not have gotten done at all had you not planned your day as well as you had. But what if that is going well, but you need to get a specific task done quickly and as well as you possibly can?
What if your problem isn’t having enough hours in the day but rather speeding up certain important tasks? Let’s take a look at possible ways in which we can do jobs faster and better.
1. Tools
Before setting out to start a task, make sure you have the right tools and guarantee yourself these are the very best tools available for the job. Just like carpenters need a well balanced hammer to ram nails in all the more effectively, so do writers need up-to-date software that fully utilizes all developments made in the last few years (typewriters do not have a built in dictionary or thesaurus).
Graphic designers or people who make games want powerful computers that can run the latest graphics and a massage therapist needs a table that’s easily adjustable. It’s worth it to shell out the extra money to get good tools; the time you free up by getting things done faster is time in which you can earn back the cost of the tools.
2. Groundwork
Start work well prepared. Just like your tools need to be top-notch, so do your materials. The last thing you do in the work day is prepare next day’s work. By making sure that you don’t interrupt your work by going looking for things you need to do it, your job will be done faster and more efficiently.
Writers, for example, need to have their research articles accessible for the next piece they write, while carpenters need to have their planks together before they can put up door frames. This extends to any and all jobs, though you might need to use your imagination a little. The main thing is that you don’t get in your one way when trying to doing your work efficiently.
3. Focus
The best way to get things done well while working fast is ensuring all your concentration is on the task at hand at all times. This means no radio or TV while you work and blocking out any other sources of distraction.
Noise-canceling headphones work well here, as do regular ones piping in relaxing ambient noise; good examples of this are static or soothing music (classical works well, here). The focus should be on doing the work, nothing else. This way you’ll be done before you know it.
4. Time
This may sound counterintuitive, but it works if you set time limits. Some of the best work we do is when we’re looking down the barrel of a boss’ deadline, so try and set similar restraints on yourself.
By limiting the time you have for a task you’ll automatically start working faster, and if the preceding tips are being applied as well you’ll barely notice the time flying by. Not only are you working quickly, the pressure of a deadline grants you a great deal of focus, which means the work you’re doing will probably be of high quality as well.
So, if speed is the name of your game, try implementing these rules into your daily routine. By speeding up your tasks you’re gaining time, and that’s never a bad thing.
