The 4th industrial Revolutions and technological age come with a whole lot of great perspectives, insights, and approaches to traditional ways of performing tasks. However, these came with a lot more distractions.
Let’s run through some scary statistics. For instance, statistically proven, an average person can only work in front of a computer for an average of 40 seconds without interruption.
Statistically speaking also, the average worker is only productive for an average of 3 hours (give or take), in an eight-hour workday. Hence, the need to be able to remain focused in this period should be at the top essentials of every organization.
Keep your Mobile devices out of reach
As numerous as the list for not doing this might seem, it is the first and boldest step to take in the right direction. Many are now addicted to these little devices that they can hardly be found without using one for 20 minutes.
Couple with its colorfulness and constant alerts. Your alternative is to make your device less appealing while you are at work (HOW TO Android and IOS). Another way to achieve this is through the “Do Not Disturb” mode available on your device. Once activated you can restrict certain persons from contacting you, and easily available to reach by other; thereby, helping you filter out the unimportant notifications.
Avoid Multi-Tasking
It is very easy to get lost in work without any actual results as evidence of productivity as a result of multi-tasking. As much as you convince yourself of making progress on each task or project you are working on, you would agree that the time spent getting to catch up on what to do, over and over again every time you pick up the task is “Time consuming”.
Thus, it is better to wrap up on sending that email, developing that content, analyzing the data, instead of all three at the same time.
Be fully present
Easier said than done. Many a time, in meetings you would find out that many in attendance are already zoned out of the meeting or lost in another world in their head.
It takes practice to actively listen and more of this to focus or pay attention. You can try making eye contact with who is speaking as a way of being in the presence of mind.
However, the best way to be focused in meetings is to develop an interest in what is being discussed.
Plan ahead
Parkinson’s Law applied to productivity states that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion”. This implies that if you have 8 hours to complete a task of about 4-5 hours, you probably will spend the whole eight hours on the task, then wish you had more time to attend to other tasks. This is the truth of someone who does not plan ahead of time. Planning ahead implies that you must have allocated a time block that is achievable for each task. Giving yourself ample time to get started on other projects.
Rest (Sleep)
Sleep disruption leads to anxiety, depression; leading to suicidal thoughts. An adequate block of time allocated to sleep should be nothing less than 8 hours in a day (Let’s not get into the rich don’t sleep 8 hours a day argument). Any day you get less than 8 hours sleep, it drastically impacts the brain’s ability to function at full capacity. Hence, even the rich need to sleep.
At KloverHarris Limited, we encourage you to start your day strong, as the freshness of our mind gives us the self-control we tend to lack as the day dwindles away. We also encourage our team to challenge themselves, as opposed to getting used to the comfort zone. This is an environment you need to create for yourself as an individual regardless of the company culture in which you find yourself