As the business environment is evolving, one of the most prominent shifts in work dynamics is the hours that people are working and where they are working from.
The reality is that many people are no longer confined to a nine to five, or even to the office space anymore.
Whether working in corporate environments such as financial institutions and car insurance companies, or freelancing from home or co-working spaces, or are part of the small-business community, one thing for certain is that having to fulfil a set amount of working hours in your working week is becoming a thing of the past.
More and more work environments are allowing for flexible working hours, and some from remote locations too. In most cases, the extra freedom allows people to excel at what they are good at when they are at their most productive. But how do you manage that?
Do The Import Things Early On
The majority of people are at their most productive earlier in the day. Give yourself a chance to wake up, grab your first cup of coffee and answer any important emails. From there get stuck into the important stuff.
If you tackle the core tasks that require your attention earlier in the day you will still be fresh and able to give the tasks your full attention. If you leave it until later in the day you may feel tired and not be able to effectively carry out what is required of you. Leave the easier tasks that do not require as much thought and effort to later in the day so that you do not compromise your productivity.
Create A To Do List
This way you will know what is important and needs to be done early on when you are your most productive, and what can wait until later. The to-do list is not only confined to a daily basis, you can also make yourself a weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly one too if there are a stipulated amount of work tasks that you need to accomplish within those time frames.
The benefit of having a to-do list is that because it is all written down for you, there is no need to try and remember everything. Trying to remember everything you need to do can keep you up at night and prevent you from getting enough sleep to be able to function effectively the next day. So write it all down, and clear it all out of your memory to optimise your productivity.
Get Enough Sleep
This may seem obvious, but when faced with the freedom of being able to figure out your own working hours, some people tend to work longer hours because they feel more motivated. It is important to balance this though and make sure that you get enough personal time and sleeping hours in order to function effectively. The freedom has been granted so that you can work smarter, and not harder.
Single-Task
You might be super efficient and feel compelled to multi-task in order to get more done. This often just proves to be distracting you from what is important though, and it is best to focus on one task at a time so that it has your full attention and you can put your all into it. If you try to answer emails to clients with product information, whilst partaking in a Skype meeting to discuss strategy with your boss, you might get something wrong. Make a conscious decision to focus on one task, and do it well.
Get Some Fresh Air From Time To Time
If you spend the bulk of your day in front of a computer or on the phone, then remember to take the odd break to get some fresh air and move away from the screen. Stretch your legs for a few minutes by taking a walk to the café down the street to grab a cup of coffee. You will get your dose of fresh air and arrive back at your computer feeling energised with a clear head to take on the next task and the rest of your day.