We’re all about increasing productivity through technology.
The right technology solutions can increase your output, allowing you to get more done in the day.
Here’s 38 easy to action tips, some involving technology, that you can implement in order to get more from your work day.
To-do Lists and Tasks
Limit your to-do list to 5 items
Rewrite your to-do list every day
Only have one big task per day
Write your to-do list by hand
Keep a rough pad for scribbles and notes you need to jot down (like phone messages) so you don’t contaminate your important daily list
Invest in a good quality planner that you’ll want to use and stay committed to
Learn how to write tasks properly so they’re actionable
Break things down into action steps so you can make a start on big daunting projects
Set your “most important task” and don’t work on anything else that morning
Try the pomodoro technique (focus for 25 minute blocks separated by 5 minute breaks)
Plan your day the evening before in terms of the one task you want to get done, and 3 or 4 additional, smaller tasks
Plan your week in the same way with 5 important things, and up to 10 additional things
Review each day and week compared to the plan. Did you get it all done, did you go off list, or did you procrastinate?
Email management
Clear emails at set times in the day and ignore it at other times
Get in the habit of reaching inbox zero and not hoarding emails
Make decisions on emails the first time you touch them
If email conversations go beyond 3 replies, pick up the phone or talk face to face
Treat everything like a project - clear noise from your multiple inboxes and separate everything else into action items, references and backburner items (Scott Belsky)
Interruptions, Distractions and Meetings
Get comfortable saying no to people - say yes to your important work instead
Don't sit in meetings needlessly just because someone wants to keep you in the loop
Set a weekly "no meeting day"
Set a weekly "internal meeting day" and don't waiver from this day
Schedule fake meetings so people can't book time with you in the middle of the day - allowing you uninterrupted work time
Always set a purpose and agenda for every meeting, including weekly/monthly meetings
Try not to have "staff meetings" or "sales meetings" with no purpose or outcome
Energy, Momentum and Recovery
Take breaks, eat away from your desk, go outside - it helps you be more productive when you come back
Exercise regularly - particularly in the morning before work - it does wonders for your energy
Limit yourself from distracting sites
Automate repetitive tasks with Zapier or IFTTT to remove mundane tasks that sap energy and repetition
Take yourself away to an empty meeting room and work on a laptop when you need to limit distractions
Integrate Calendly with your calendar to reduce back and forth emails to set meetings/calls with external contacts
Set up templates as signatures in your email client for frequently sent responses
Learn some more advanced excel formulas to save yourself time and avoid doing things manually
Pre-order your coffee or lunch so you don't waste time waiting (Starbucks and other places do this)
Sales and Marketing
Use Sidekick (or Hubspot Sales) to get notifications when contacts open/click emails or return to your site, so you can call at the right time
Use pre-written emails in automated workflows to nuture and touch base with leads automatically based on rules or certain events
Schedule social media messages in bulk with Hootsuite, or connect platforms with Zapier or IFTTT. Alternatively, have an auto post to social media when you publish a post on a blog
Schedule your Google Adwords and Google Analytics reports to arrive on one set day per week, then use them to update an ongoing report where you can quickly analyse performance and see trends
Improve Website Performance
If you're using Google Analytics, think twice about the data it gives you. Are all 'bounces' bad? What about users who spend 10 minutes on one page and then leave?
'Time on site' is completely misleading too, as it's just the difference between the timestamp when the first and last page is loaded. If they spend 5 minutes on the last page, that won't be reported.
Don't make decisions based solely on Google Analytics! Click the button below and register for our webinar to learn about tools that will give you much more actionable data!