8 Simple Strategies to Improve Your Productivity in the Next 10 Minutes

Your productivity can always be improved, and it doesn’t take years of study to make it happen. In just 10 minutes, you can use simple strategies to get more done in less time than ever before, boosting your performance at work and in life in the process. Here are 8strategies that’ll help you improve your productivity in the next 10 minutes.

Be Proactive

Not everything is within your control, but you can still take ownership of how you respond to what life throws at you. Reactive thinking goes something like If only I had done X earlier, then Y wouldn’t have happened. Proactive thinking starts with Well, Y happened, so now I will do X. It involves assessing a situation and choosing your course of action wisely.

Practice Mindfulness

This strategy helps you get a clearer picture of what your day-to-day is like, which can help you be more aware of and subsequently eliminate time wasters. Look at your calendar, consider your routine and take note of where are you spending most of your time during each day. You’ll then have a chance to see how unproductive habits may be holding you back from being as productive as possible. While developing a mindfulness practice takes time, it’s well worth it in terms of productivity gains.

Eliminate Time Wasters

The average person spends 8 hours and 21 minutes each day watching TV or some other form of screen time. (There are 168 hours in a week, so we’re talking about nearly one-third of your waking hours spent watching TV.) Considering how much time you spend watching commercials that sell products you have no intention of purchasing, I encourage you to turn off your TV and put down your phone/tablet.

Visualize your day

I’m a big fan of David Allen’s Getting Things Done productivity method. One of his tools is called a Weekly Review, and it’s incredibly helpful for planning out your time. Every Sunday night, review what you got done that week and what didn’t get done, then visualize your time (in 15-minute blocks) for next week so you can plan accordingly.

Do it Now

Procrastination is one of our biggest enemies when it comes to productivity. But we don’t have to succumb! When you feel yourself getting drowsy, or your mind wandering (as it often does), do something about it. That could mean making an action plan for whatever project you are working on, or breaking off a small chunk and doing it now.

Split tasks into more manageable chunks

One of the most effective strategies for increasing productivity is all about your mindset. Instead of working on a single large task, break it into smaller and more manageable chunks. By doing so, you’ll make yourself feel like you’re accomplishing something greater by completing each small part — giving you that boost of motivation needed to keep going.

Remove distractions from your workspace

Getting down to business often requires a distraction-free environment. Once you’ve established your workspace as an oasis of productivity, it’s up to you — and only you — to make sure that it stays that way. Set aside a specific time each day (or week) when you turn off email notifications and silence your cell phone. Then, use that time for big-picture thinking and creative output; try jotting down ideas on paper before expanding them on the computer.

Plan Your Day

We all have 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, but how we use those precious hours is what makes us more productive or less. If you’re looking for ways to improve your performance, here are ten strategies that can help you win at time management. Use them as inspiration, and see which ones work best for you.

Conclusion

Without question, time management is an essential skill to becoming more productive. But as you’ve seen, it can also be very simple. The majority of these strategies don’t require any technological advancements — just a shift in your mindset and attitude toward work. Give them a try and you’ll find yourself reaching your goals faster than ever before!