In this article on how to be efficient at work, I share with you some tips that will help you achieve at least two results.
First, you’ll become more productive. Secondly, you’ll improve your well-being at work.
If you are looking for advice on how to achieve these two results, I invite you to discover my tips now.
7 tips on how to be efficient at work
1 – Plan your day pessimistically
Instead of planning your day optimistically, thinking that everything will go well and that you can accomplish all the tasks on your to-do list, I invite you to plan more pessimistically. In other words, you’ll plan a reduced number of important tasks.
There are many advantages to doing this, but the most important is that you’ll be more likely to complete your tasks.
This will only strengthen your motivation to carry out others and help you to be even more efficient during your working day.
If, on the other hand, you organize your work schedule by planning too many activities, you’ll be more likely to fail to complete them all, and this will become a permanent source of demotivation.
As you know, it’s not uncommon to encounter unforeseen difficulties at work and be forced to reschedule your working day.
By planning less optimistically, you’ll be able to maintain good efficiency throughout the day.
To go further on the subject of planning, I invite you to read my article on how to organize your day.
Let’s move on to the next tip, which is to do what’s important first.
2 – Do what’s important first
You’re probably familiar with time management tools such as the Eisenhower Matrix, which stress the importance of doing what’s important first.
This is a good idea if you have a morning chronotype, but it is not recommended if you have a different chronotype.
In order to be able to accomplish what’s important at work, you need to plan these activities at specific times of the day.
Ideally, try to accomplish these tasks when your colleagues are not in the way. For example, you can start your working day half an hour earlier if you feel better in the morning.
On the other hand, you can stay 30 minutes longer in the evening if you have an evening chronotype. If you don’t know your chronotype, I suggest you take this test to find out yours.
Other people’s urgencies can prevent you from accomplishing what’s important. If this happens to you often, you may need a time management coach, who can help you develop a tailored strategy to improve your efficiency and become more assertive at work.
Procrastination is another obstacle to carrying out these essential activities. It can be due to the difficulty of the task, fatigue, difficulty in managing your emotions effectively, etc. If you often experience this phenomenon, I invite you to read my comprehensive article on how to stop procrastinating.
You can make a list of the reasons why you don’t finish these important activities and find solutions to help you move forward.
I’d now like to move on to the next tip, which is to plan your tasks for the following day in the evenings.
3 – Plan your tasks for tomorrow each evening
Planning your tasks for the following day in the evening has a number of advantages.
First of all, doing so saves you time at work, because you already know which activity you’re going to start with.
In addition, your brain doesn’t need to allocate mental resources to remember what you need to do, so you can reduce your mental workload.
In addition, you feel more relaxed and calm, and therefore less stressed.
Secondly, you have more mental resources to deal with other situations at work and, as a result, you become more efficient, complete more tasks and feel more motivated every day.
All these benefits put together will enable you to work better, improve your day-to-day satisfaction and achieve your professional goals more easily.
Try planning your day in the evening for a week and you’ll realize the benefits of this choice.
Let’s move on to the next tip, which is to block out time slots.
4 – Block time slots
Blocking time slots just for you is essential to improving your productivity.
This means blocking off time slots of varying lengths according to your needs so that you can get organized at work.
For example, you can use these moments to reflect and find appropriate solutions to problems you’re having trouble solving.
In this way, you’ll find solutions to important problems, allowing you to progress in your career if you’re an employee, or to develop your business if you’re a business owner.
In the latter case, you can also call on the services of a business coach to help you grow your business even faster.
You can also use this time to become aware of how you’re feeling physically and emotionally. Doing so will help you better use emotions to your advantage and avoid conflicts at work. This is especially important if you’re managing a team.
Blocking time slots is also very useful if you’re dealing with an urgent or important task and need to stay focused to get the job done.
As you can see, blocking off time for yourself is essential to improve your efficiency and protect your well-being at work.
Now let’s move on to the next tip, which is to collaborate effectively with others.
5 – Collaborate effectively with others
Collaborating effectively with others is essential for improving your effectiveness at work. This ability depends on your ability to understand their needs. One way to do this is to listen actively.
Active listening allows you to listen to understand, rather than listening to respond with your own point of view.
If you learn to use active listening, you’ll be able to comprehend the needs of those around you, and this will enable you to create quality relationships with these people.
If you’re a manager, learning to communicate effectively with your team members is essential to build your team and achieve the objectives set by the company’s leaders.
If you’re an entrepreneur, you need to understand your customers’ needs in order to grow your business.
Collaborating effectively with others also means delegating some of your tasks to colleagues or other people who can carry them out as well as you.
If you find it difficult to delegate, I suggest you read my article on how to learn to delegate.
But collaborating effectively with others also requires sharing information effectively with the people you’re working with. This requires sufficient self-confidence and self-esteem.
Let’s move on to the next tip, which is to turn off notifications.
6 – Turn off notifications
Turning off notifications on your computer and smartphone is essential if you want to perform the most demanding tasks efficiently.
If you don’t, you’re exposed to multiple interruptions that will waste time and therefore reduce your productivity.
Blocking distractions is also important when you’re collaborating with others because by focusing totally on them, you show them that they’re important. In this way, you maintain good professional relationships.
If you’re having trouble using your smartphone, I invite you to read my article on smartphone addiction.
All these distractions can lead to you wasting time on social networks and increasing your stress levels.
All these notifications, combined with unproductive habits, can have an impact on the quality of your sleep and consequently on your concentration and health. One consequence of this is that some people suffer from sleep procrastination.
I invite you to develop the habit of turning off all notifications from your electronic devices.
To help you develop a new habit, I recommend you read my article on how to change your habits.
Now I suggest you move on to the next tip, which is to plan time to meet the needs of others.
7 – Make time for others
Scheduling time to meet the needs of others is essential because by listening to their needs, you’ll increase their well-being and effectiveness.
Doing this is essential especially if you’re managing a team and have the tendency to be too focused on your tasks without perceiving the group dynamics happening around you.
Don’t just plan team meetings. On the contrary, schedule time for one-to-one discussions with each of your team members to allow them to express their feelings.
Since you’re likely to forget to organize these valuable conversations because you’re so busy with other tasks, I suggest you plan these one-to-one meetings in your agenda.
Remember, anything you plan is more likely to get done.
Conclusion on how to be effective at work
In this article, I’ve shared with you some tips that will help you improve your well-being, your productivity, as well as that of others.
If you are interested in the topic of productivity, I invite you to discover all my articles on productivity.
If you are looking for tools to improve your time management skills, I recommend you read my article on the best time management apps.
If you want to take advantage of the expertise of a time management coach, write to us now using our contact form or call us by phone or on WhatsApp at +33 6 69 46 03 79.
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Read this article in other languages
Français : Comment être efficace au travail : 7 stratégies qui font la différence
Italiano: Come essere efficaci al lavoro: 7 strategie che fanno la differenza