8 ways to do more work in less time

Sometimes it’s true that there aren’t enough hours in the day to complete all the tasks we need to do, especially if you’re trying to achieve a better work-life balance. Writing for The Guardian, Oxford University Saïd Business School’s Mark McCartney outlined eight ways you can do more work in the shortest time.

1 Lock yourself away
It helps to get away from everything, quite literally. Find a quiet room in which you can focus all your energy on the task at hand – and don’t multitask.

2 Don’t fight distraction
Contrary to most productivity-boosting tips, McCartney says those who can get more done don’t avoid distractions – rather they work in short bursts, trying to beat the clock until the next distraction hits.

3 Keep it simple
Try to figure out which of your habits are getting in the way of your work and cut them out day by day until you’ve found your happy medium.

4 Find a rhythm
Rather than obsessing over one thing such as your emails first thing, use your morning focus to get the most important tasks done.

5 Build strength
Focus on what you’re good at so you can get it done quickly, then practise getting even better at those things and strengthen the tasks you’re not so good at.

6 Don’t get too efficient
You don’t want to turn into a robot. Instead, keep getting better at being effective at the most important tasks. Make yourself invaluable in that area.

7 Be honest
Don’t be too quick to blame poor productivity on external factors, as it’s almost always something we’re doing that holds us back. You should also be aware of trends in the business world so you can adjust your style of working.

8 Don’t get wrapped up in self-help
You’re struggling as it is to get things done in the time you’re given, so why waste more time reading self-help books? Get some quick tips and head back to work.

Read the original article at bit.ly/1UCyxjx