What do people like Tim Ferriss, Tony Robbins, and Marie Forleo have in common? Aside from being wealthy, all of them have the same 24 hours in each day that we all have. What sets them apart is what they do with that time.

Generally speaking, you have two ways to raise your output. You either:

• Dedicate more hours to your task; or
• Work smarter.

To help you make the most of your time, we’re going to focus on the latter. Here are several resourceful ways you can increase your productivity.

Write your tasks down

This sounds simple, but it does wonders for your output. Having a to-do list every day helps you get organised and enables you to see where your focus should go.

And when you cross an item off the to-do list, you get a sense of accomplishment, motivating you to work on what’s next.

The best time to write your to-do list is during the night before. This way, you won’t spend time in the morning trying to decide what task needs to be done first.

Shorten your to-do list

While putting together your to-do list, you’ll be tempted to add a lot of tasks that aren’t necessarily important, so make sure you don’t include everything. Why?

A lengthy to-do list will make you:

• Worried in the morning because of all the stuff you need to do; or
• Frustrated in the evening when only a few items are marked as done.

To avoid such an issue, choose 1 to 3 time-consuming tasks to finish by the next day, and then 3 to 5 tasks that aren’t as time-consuming. You can save an hour a day to deal with small tasks like returning a phone call or reading your emails.

Stop multitasking

Multitasking is a myth. It’s actually a productivity killer because it forces your brain to switch from one task to another, resulting in a decrease of up to 40% of your productivity. Studies show it also decreases intelligence.

Bottom line: Stop multitasking, focus on one task at a time, and give it your 100%.

Eliminate distractions

To focus on one task at a time, you have to avoid everything that distracts you during work. You don’t need to answer all of your emails or phone calls right away, unless of course that’s your job.

You’ll be able to focus better by switching notifications off on your phone and computer. Better yet, stop checking your social media every few minutes. For best results, put your phone on silent, then place it in a drawer in another room.

Don’t forget to ask your friends and family to avoid contacting you during your work hours – especially if you work from home.

Track how much time you’re spending on tasks

You may think you know how much time you spend on tasks, but you’d be surprised. According to a 2013 time perception study, only 17% of people can accurately estimate the passage of time.

Knowing how long you spend on daily activities (e.g. correspondence, social media, actual work) is crucial to productivity because you’ll be able to minimise busywork and instead prioritise the important tasks.

For accuracy and convenience, use time-tracking software.

Embrace technology

Don’t be afraid to use every software tool to bump up your productivity. Remember Apple’s catchy “There’s an app for that” slogan? Well, it’s true. With the right program, you can:

• Manage a project.
• Set up reminders and work-related notifications (whether for Windows, iOS or Android).
• Proofread your articles.
• Check for plagiarism.

By using the appropriate app, you can shorten the amount of time you spend for certain tasks, increase your daily output, and reduce your stress levels.

Set “SMART” goals

“SMART” is an acronym that stands for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely, and you can use it to help evaluate and add structure towards your goal of higher productivity.

Here’s a quick breakdown of each:

• Specific – Your goal needs to be specific. Otherwise, it’ll be hard to determine how long it’ll take to achieve the goal and how to measure success. Consider the difference between a goal to “be more productive” versus the goal to “write 1 additional article to your weekly total”.
  
  
• Measurable – Next, how is the goal measured? You need to define what quantity will indicate that you’re reaching your goal. For example, you want to “write 1 additional article to your weekly total”. The key is ensuring that whatever method you use to measure, it accurately reflects success.
  
  
• Attainable – What’s your action plan to achieve the goal? Do you have the resources and skills to succeed? If not, what are you lacking? You need to ensure that you can reasonably accomplish the goal you’ve set.
  
  
• Relevant – Does your goal fit into the overall reason you’re pursuing it? Ask yourself: Why do you want to produce 1 more article per week? Your goal should align with your values and long-term objectives.
  
  
• Timely – You must set a timetable for your goal to a) compel yourself to reach it by a certain date and b) to monitor your progress. If you want to write 1 more article per week by month’s end but are still far from reaching it 2 days before, you can adjust your plan.

Learn by yourself

There’s this principle called the Compound Effect that says that no matter how small your efforts to reach a goal, doing it constantly adds up. Soon enough, you’ve mastered a new skill.

Look at it this way: by allocating just 1 hour per day for learning a topic, you’re spending 7 hours per week and 365 hours in a year. In 3 to 5 years, you can become a specialist on that topic.

If you think 1 hour per day isn’t feasible, think about all the time you waste while commuting. Use that time to read or listen to an audiobook or podcast of your choice.

Develop the habit of saying “no”

You can’t be a yes-man and please everyone else’s needs while still finishing your projects on time. You should get yourself used to saying “no” to colleagues asking for help because they interrupt your flow, which kills productivity.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t help anyone. But make sure you do it after you’ve finished your own tasks. Whenever someone comes asking for a favour you don’t have time for, just refuse politely or schedule it for a time you’re less busy.

Stay away from meetings

According to Atlassian, the average employee spends 31 hours in unproductive meetings over a month.

If you can help it, avoid meetings that aren’t mandatory or propose a different way to do it – like via a messaging group where everyone can answer when they’re less busy.

If you must hold a meeting, do it while standing up. Why? Because standing for long periods is uncomfortable so participants will try to keep it brisk.

Take care of yourself

Productivity isn’t just about scheduling and sticking to a plan to be efficient in your work. It’s also about investing in all aspects of your life to be properly productive.

Take the time to:

• Go to the gym.
• Eat healthy.
• Get enough sleep

Doing so will help you feel energised, motivated, and capable of working towards your goals.

Delegate responsibility

To significantly increase your productivity, delegate your tasks to high-performing remote assistants. And if you want to hire the right people for your organisation, partner with Remote Workmate.

We do all the heavy lifting for you, including payroll and onboarding. This means finding the ideal virtual specialist becomes so much easier.

You can actually choose from our pool of top candidates right away. Simply click the button below to browse a wide range of profiles on our Hotlist page.