Are you easily distracted at work? Do you feel like you don’t have time to manage all your responsibilities? Do you find it difficult to say “no” to the different tasks that are proposed to you and then you do not manage to execute them all on time?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, your productivity may be in danger.
In theory, the more we “produce” in the shortest amount of time possible, the greater our productivity will be We could say that productivity is a concept that is easy to understand but difficult to achieve. The Spanish situation is the perfect example to illustrate this point: according to Adecco Outsourcing (2022), only 6 out of 10 Spanish companies adhere to policies that improve productivity. Unfortunately, we cannot solve a national or business problem in the blink of an eye. What we can do is establish and maintain good habits that help us be more productive.
Implement good habits: the key to being more productive
A habit is an action that we repeat frequently and automatically without having to think about it Every human being has habits that they do daily. A large part of the population reads the news in the morning, while others watch the news religiously in the afternoon; some tend to shower early and with cold water, while others prefer a hot bath right before bed, and so on.
When we have already internalized these behavioral patterns into our routine, they do not require effort or sacrifice on our part, since they have become automatic actions that we do naturally. The problem lies not in maintaining the habit, but in building it in the first place.
For a long time it was believed that, to adopt a new habit, we would need to perform a certain action consciously and repeatedly for a period of no less than 21 days. This theory was born from the observations of Dr. Maxwell Maltz, author of the famous book “Psycho-Cybernetics” (1960), in which he established that his patients took a minimum of 21 days to adopt a change in their routine. The truth is that creating habits is not such a simple or exact matter.
The psychologist Phillippa Lally (2010, 2022), for her part, established that, On average, it takes us more than two months to automate a new habit , and the exact number of days depends significantly on the action itself, the person, and the circumstances under which the habit develops. Another finding of this research is that repeating an activity as many times as possible under the same circumstances will make it easier for this action to become a habit.
Thus, To successfully create habits, we must first be disciplined, constant and specific It will be much easier to internalize a habit that we do every day, at the same time and in the same place, than one that we do from time to time, at different times and in different places.
What habits could boost our productivity at work?
Stephen Covey, author of the biggest bestseller in the history of self-help, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” (1989), establishes that creating habits “involves a tremendous process and commitment,” since it involves an intersection between knowledge (define and establish “what” habit we want to implement and “why”), capacity (determine “how” to achieve it) and desire (the motivation to execute it). If we put this paradigm into practice, our motivation (desire) is to be more productive in the workplace. Below, we present what habits to implement in your work to improve your productivity and why (knowledge), and how to achieve them (ability):
1. Optimize your time
If a juggler does not time his timing correctly, all the balls he managed to keep in the air will fall. Likewise, realistic and specific planning at work is essential. Plan your itinerary and prioritize pending tasks It will ensure that you manage your time correctly. To do this, we recommend that you make a list of all the tasks you want to finish during your work day. Make this list at the same time every day (either the night before or first thing in the morning). We suggest you always prioritize important tasks due to their urgency and value.
It is important that you manage one activity at a time and determine a realistic amount of time to carry it out. Focus on said action and dedicate all your attention to it. Eliminate distractions and interruptions. Do you usually check emails constantly? Allocate an hour or several to this task within your daily planning. Do you have to manage calls or meetings with the team? Schedule them. If you make sure that everything has its time and place, you will stop feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. There will be no lack of time for something, since you will give time to everything.
In order to organize a trip, it is essential to know the destination and the date of the trip. Knowing where we are going and when we want to arrive is the driving force that motivates us to continue. Many times we manage projects without establishing these parameters. If we do not define these factors, it is impossible to know how to prioritize the task. This will cause endless responsibilities to accumulate and will cause a snowball effect in which the workload will grow without us being able to stop or reduce it.
For this, we suggest determine the final result we want to achieve for each project , the number of steps to be performed and the corresponding amount of time for each step, in order to establish a tentative completion date. If we make a correct breakdown of the activity, into objectives and sub-objectives, we organize it correctly and then we are consistent and disciplined when developing each step, we will be able to achieve our objectives efficiently.
3. Assertiveness above all
Being assertive means express ourselves clearly and concisely, firmly but without hostility According to psychologist John M. Gottman, communicating effectively is extremely difficult in a relationship of any kind. One of the ways we fail to be assertive at work or with the team is when we avoid saying “no” for fear of repercussion or someone’s disappointment. We accept request after request, and when we are unable to keep our word, not only does individual and team productivity suffer, but our credibility and professionalism diminishes. Saying no denotes maturity and honesty. Saying no is a complete sentence that needs no justifications.
Other ways to be assertive are by being simple and direct when speaking, stating what you need without apologizing, and keeping control of your emotions. This habit will take a lot of practice and patience, but it will do wonders for boosting your productivity.
4. Prioritize your well-being
If you do not charge the computer, it will eventually turn off and will not be able to perform its functions. In the same way, human beings are rechargeable batteries, and We need disconnection and rest to continue producing results Routines that promote rest and digital disconnection are of vital importance so that we can be productive in our jobs. For this, we recommend being rigorous with your bedtime, allowing adequate time (about 8 hours), respecting work breaks and disconnecting from work as soon as our day ends.
Other activities that promote general well-being (and, therefore, our productivity) are good nutrition, physical activity and meditation or relaxation. We recommend incorporating these activities into your daily routine and assigning them a time and place, to facilitate the automation of the habit.
5. Create physical harmony
If there is chaos in the environment, there is chaos in the mind. Thus, It is extremely important that you maintain a functional and clean space , as it will help you be more productive and efficient. This way, you will reduce the likelihood of misplacing an important document or losing a file with sensitive information.
You will not waste time on a problem, but you will be able to deal with it directly. For this, we recommend that you assign a functional place to everything that you consider essential when managing your work. As soon as you stop using it, return it to its place. You can also apply this to your online space: classify the emails you receive and organize the folders on your computer. Leave everything in its place, in its own place.
6. Practice self-reflection
Achieving results is vital, but even more valuable is reflecting on the way in which we have achieved our goals. Through self-assessment we can determine which habits do not work and which aspects we should continue to improve To develop this habit, you could answer the following questions on a weekly basis: “Has the final result been as I imagined?” What would have changed? What do I want to replicate?¨. By pointing out the positive and the negative, we will perfect the methodology that will lead us to success.
In short, to be more productive we must create habits that enhance our performance. Creating habits is a process that requires us to be disciplined and constant with our actions in order to automate them. These habits that we have told you about are mere brushstrokes of how you can improve your productivity, but they are sure ways to produce results. Do you dare to implement them?
