99 Ways to be Productive When Working From Home

1. Track and limit time you’re spending on tasks

Research shows that only around 17 percent of people are able to accurately estimate the passage of time. A tool like Rescue Time can help by letting you know exactly how much time you spend on daily tasks, including social media, email, word processing, and apps.

2. Take regular breaks

Taking short breaks during long tasks helps you to maintain a constant level of performance; while working at a task without breaks leads to a steady decline in performance.

3. Set self-imposed deadlines

While we usually think of a stress as a bad thing, a manageable level of self-imposed stress can actually be helpful in terms of giving us focus and helping us meet our goals. For open-ended tasks or projects, try giving yourself a deadline, and then stick to it. You may be surprised to discover just how focused and productive you can be when you’re watching the clock.

4.  Follow the “two-minute rule”

Entrepreneur Steve Olenski recommends implementing the “two-minute rule” to make the most of small windows of time that you have at work. The idea is this: If you see a task or action that you know can be done in two minutes or less, do it immediately. Completing the task right away actually takes less time than having to get back to it later.

5. Say No to meetings

Meetings are one of the biggest time-sucks around, yet somehow, we continue to unquestioningly book them, attend them and, inevitably, complain about them. Before booking your next meeting, ask yourself whether you can accomplish the same goals or tasks via email, phone, or Web-based meeting (which may be slightly more productive).

6. Stand during meetings

If you absolutely must have a meeting, there’s some evidence that standing meetings (they’re just what they sound like—everyone stands) can result in increased group arousal, decreased territoriality, and improved group performance.

7.  Quit multitasking

While we tend to think of the ability to multitask as an important skill for increasing efficiency, the opposite may, in fact, be true. Psychologists have found attempting to do several tasks at once can result in lost time and productivity. Instead, make a habit of committing to a single task before moving on to your next project.

8. Take advantage while others commute

This goes for any unexpected “bonus” time you may find on your hands suggests author Miranda Marquit. Instead of Candy-Crushing or Facebooking, use that time to pound out some emails, create your daily to-do list, or to do some brainstorming.

9. Give up on the illusion of perfection.

It’s common for entrepreneurs to get hung up on attempting to perfect a task–the reality is nothing is ever perfect. Rather than wasting time chasing after this illusion, bang out your task to the best of your ability and move on. It’s better to complete the task and move it off your plate; if need be, you can always come back and adjust or improve it later.

10.  Take exercise breaks

Using work time to exercise may actually help improve productivity. If possible, build in set times during the week for taking a walk or going to the gym. Getting your blood pumping could be just what’s needed to clear your head and get your focus back.

11. Be proactive, not reactive

Allowing incoming phone calls and emails to dictate how you spend your day will mean you do a great job of putting out fires—but that may be all you get accomplished. Set aside time for responding to emails, but don’t let them determine what your day is going to look like. Have a plan of attack at the start of each day, and then do your best to stick to it.

12.  Turn off notifications   

No one can be expected to resist the allure of an email, voicemail, or text notification. During work hours, turn off your notifications, and instead,build in time to check email and messages. This is all part of being proactive rather than reactive.

13. Work in 90-minute intervals

Researchers at Florida State University have found elite performers (athletes, chess players, musicians, etc.) who work in intervals of no more than 90 minutes are more productive than those who work 90 minutes-plus. They also found that top-performing subjects tend to work no more than 4.5 hours per day.

14. Give yourself something nice to look at

It may sound unlikely, but some research shows outfitting your home office with aesthetically pleasing elements like plants can increase productivity by up to 15 percent. Jazz up your home office with pictures, candles, flowers, or anything else that puts a smile on your face.

15. Minimize interruptions to the best of your ability

Minimizing interruptions may mean setting office hours or keeping your home office door closed for time-sensitive projects. If you feel the need to increase your productivity at work, resist the temptation put in longer hours or pack more into your already-full calendar. Instead, take a step back, and think about ways you can work smarter, not harder.

16. Set small goals

Sometimes, looking at our goals can be overwhelming. Seeing a handful of big projects on our calendar can be stressful, but if you break it up into smaller tasks, you’ll feel more in control and will be much more productive. Rather than writing down “finish project,” break that into all the tasks,it will take. This will keep you on track in your day-to-day and make the bigger projects seem less daunting.

17. Take care of the biggest tasks when you’re most alert

We all sometimes push aside big goals because we’re not confident we’ll accomplish them and by the time we get to them, we’re too burned out from our day to give it the attention it needs. Understanding when and how you work best is key to getting those big projects done on time. There’s no set schedule that works for everyone, if you’re a morning person, tackle the big tasks first thing in your day.

18.  Keep your vision in mind

Know what your job gives you beyond a paycheck and stay tuned in to whether your job is giving you as much back as you are putting into it.

Know what kind of job you want next after this one, whether it is a job in your current organization or somewhere far away. Your career is yours to drive — but you have to pick up the keys and drive it!

19. Acknowledge yourself

Never take your hard work for granted or beat up on yourself for not accomplishing more than you do. No one but you knows how hard you work or how much you care about your job. Other people might not recognize you for your hard work and accomplishments – they may not see you each day —so don’t forget to recognize yourself!

20. Avoid heavy foods

Heavy, calorie-ridden foods like hamburgers and fries will make you sleepy and slow you down at work. Stick to leafy greens and foods that are optimum for sustainable energy, like whole grains and natural sugars like fruit, which help with memory and motor coordination.

21. Exercise

Everyone of any age is told that exercise is extremely important for our health, but did you know that it also boosts your productivity and work output? A healthy body promotes a healthy brain, and a healthy brain is the most valuable on-the-job asset.

22. Get enough sleep

In a 2012 study by the Centers for Disease Control , 30% of US adults report sleeping six or fewer hours per night, less than the recommended seven to nine hours. This has had serious consequences in our work-first society. Besides the decreased level of productivity, lack of sleep can lead to serious accidents either in the workplace or while driving. Even small amounts of sleep deprivation take a significant toll on our health, our mood, our cognitive capacity and our productivity.

23.  Make use of aromatherapy

Scents can trigger a memory and can help at increasing productivity at work. By filling your cubicle or office with these smells (like vanilla, citrus, peppermint, cinnamon and rosemary) or investing in a new perfume, your productivity can increase dramatically.

24. Avoid alcohol

It’s a common misconception that alcohol is beneficial to a good night’s sleep. In fact, alcohol disrupts sleep patterns and contributes to waking up a night. The effects of too much alcohol on the next day’s hangover is definitely not conducive to productivity. So, skip the nightcap for something healthier like warm milk.

25.  Quantify Diligence

The difficulty in most areas of work is in how to quantify performance. For some types of work, this is easy. Sales are expected to hit a certain quota every month. Accountants are supposed to find ways to minimize taxes or reduce costs, along with those in Finance. But the other types of work where it isn’t so easy to figure out what exactly the employee is supposed to strive for in terms of goals, diligence comes into play. By measuring your diligence, you can quantify your productivity. Diligence simply means to persevere, pay attention and be careful.

26. Productivity tools

Working from home has never been easier. The bevvy of tools to communicate and collaborate ensures that all employees, no matter where they are in the world, can stay in close touch. And through a productivity measurement tool like MySammy, you can illistrate your productivity. Telecommuting boosts productivity, performance, job satisfaction and overall life satisfaction.

27. Positive Environment

It’s a rare occasion that someone finds their dream job and they never dread going into the office. However, for most of us in jobs that we do because, well, we have to, a positive work environment can make going to work a lot easier. The more dissatisfied you are at work, the less productive you will be. According to the New York Times and Gallup, employee dissatisfaction costs employers $300 billion  each year in lost productivity. Creating fun events once a month to inspire creativity and teamwork equals more satisfied employees.

28. Get Feedback

Everyone likes to know when they have been doing a good job. Most companies offer their employees feedback along the way. Feedback in the corporate culture is the good old performance review. It’s important to learn to take constructive criticism.  If you don’t take offence to everything that is said to you, it makes the process of feedback go a lot more smoothly.

29. Risk Taking

Sometimes in life, you have to take risks. Often times, risks can equate to personal successes. Without taking risks in the workplace, we would not have some of the inventions that we have today. Google even pays their employees to take risks and create new innovations. From an organizational standpoint, not taking risks can lead to a slow (or fast) death, especially in an industry with rapid product cycles.

30.  Have the Right Tools and Equipment

Providing employees with the right tools and equipment is important so they can perform their duties efficiently and on time. There’s nothing more counterproductive than spending time waiting for paperwork to print because you haven’t got a fast printing device. High-quality, modern programs and equipment make a massive difference not only to the workforce but also to how your company is perceived.

31.  Put your phone away

There are times when your phone is an essential business tool, and there are times when it’s a huge time suck. If you are having trouble regulating your phone use and it is sucking up your productive time in non-productive tasks, just put the thing away. If you can’t do that, go ahead and delete all applications from your phone which suck up your productivity.

32. Physically move

How long have you been sitting/standing at your desk? If it’s more than 20 minutes, go get a coffee, go for a walk, get some water something. Set a time to remind yourself to get up and move around. Even a little gets the blood flowing and your brain started.

33. Learn to say No

Every time someone asks you to do something stop and think. Do you really have the time to do this new thing well? If not, just say so. If you can’t say no, then at least give an honest assessment of when you might be able to complete the task. If you told people that you won’t be able to look at things for at least for the time being when you are in a crunch time. Typically, they will be ok with it and book the time. But if not, at least you have given them an honest answer.

34. Stop complaining

How much time do you spend complaining about something that did not go your way? Since we cannot change the past, spending time complaining about wrongs, be they justified or unjustified, will not change what has happened. There is little upside to complaining, and much downside in lowered mental states, time lost in complaining, and instead of a focus on how one can improve, the focus is on nothing that can be changed. Stop complaining, and do something productive instead.

35. Declutter

We spend a lot of our time moving objects from place to place and looking for them. Unless you have a perfect photographic memory, without a way to organize things, you will always spend an inordinate time looking for things. In fact, a great organizational system can easily shave off a ton of searching time. Additionally, a cluttered desk can also cause you a certain level of cognitive stress. You can try the “throw everything on the lawn” tactic and only bring back into the house what you truly need.

36.  Always have an agenda and stick to the agenda

Always have an agenda for every meeting which you circulate at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Give people enough information so that they can decide to determine if it is worth their while to attend. Feel free to cancel the meeting if you aren’t able to pull in the key personnel you need. During the meeting, constantly look for this – is a discussion is off topic but is still adding value – let it go and guide it to a conclusion – or if it’s going off track – book another meeting with a subset to discuss.

37. Use an electronic planner

While a paper planner is great, you also need an electronic planner (Google Calendar, Calendly and other tools) one which you can use to book calls and meetings with others. Calendly can be used in order to send people your availability dates so that you can book meetings. Always book meetings. Even if your meeting attendees do not use Google Calendar, their own systems should readily convert a Google Calendar invite to whatever system they use.

38. Use a site blocker

How many minutes/hours/days do we waste fooling around on sites that do not help us at all? When we have a spare moment, do we use that productively, helping us get to our goals, or do we just goof around on YouTube. If you find that there are certain sites which really suck up your time, buy and use a site blocker which will keep you from going to those sites. Don’t waste your precious time.

39. Delete that app

Everyone has that one app which they use whenever they have a few spare moments to kill. You learn nothing from it, it just wastes your time. Although many may say that almost any game or app is good for something, are you really willing to give up those precious moments and get nothing in return? Make it much harder to use the app – just delete it. If you really need it back, you can always download it again, but while it’s not on your phone, it’s just a little bit harder to use. And that is a good thing if you want to be more productive.

40.  Distract yourself

When you are really finding it hard to not do something that is really bad for you (or your productivity) then use the trick parents do to try and get their kids to stop doing something: distract them with something else. In the Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg states that habits exist in our dinosaur brain – ancient areas of the brain which is a bit like a permanent memory space – once you have a habit it’s almost impossible to break – unless you overwrite it with some other habit. So, if you are doing something that’s bad for your productivity, distract yourself with something else.

41. Bike to Work – even when working from home

Not only is this a good way to get the energy and blood flowing in the AM, but it’s also good for the environment! Riding your bike to work is the easiest change you can make that will benefit not only yourself but everyone around you. Stress levels will decreas, since you won’t be swearing and yelling sitting in traffic, you can enjoy the fresh air, and the exercise aspect will get the blood flowing to the brain for better productivity throughout the day.

42. Avoid websites that causes a distraction

Since the invention of the Internet, workplace productivity has been in the spotlight.  We have an infinite amount of resources available at our fingertips, and not all of them are beneficial during the workday.  Some may seem like common knowledge, but others are shocking productivity sucks. Therefore, to increase productivity avoid websites like online games, shopping websites, youtube and other social media websites.

43. Drink water

Ah, good old-fashioned H2O. You can never go wrong with downing a glass of cold water. Did you know that drinking cold water helps burn more calories than drinking room temperature? Not only does proper water intake replace the fluids in your body, it helps maintain proper bowel function and muscles energized. What does that all mean? The better your body is performing, the better you perform.

44. Balancing solitary and group activities

In today’s day and age of constant meetings, conference calls and the never-ending drumbeat of “collaboration”, something that often gets lost in the conversation is the benefit of working alone. For all the hype that outgoing, extroverted risk takers get, maybe we should also consider the fact that just as many people are introverted and prefer solo tasks versus constant group interaction. The trendy push for “open” office work spaces sounds very progressive and hip, but in fact are associated withreduced concentration and productivity, impaired memory, higher turnover and even increased illness. Decide which types of tasks are best suited for group collaboration, but also carve out enough time for employees to spend on their own, free of distraction, to dedicate a period of time and really think things through.

45. Set times for email

Just as we’re getting into the swing of a particular task, the ding of an email notification jars us out of our rhythm and we see the pop up in the lower right-hand corner. Unable to resist, we click to read and respond to the message. That leads us down a completely different path, and pretty soon any rhythm you had is lost. Switching back and forth between several tasks actually wastes productivity because your attention is expended on the act of switching gears and you never get fully in the zone for either activity. Set specific times to email and close your program during the rest of the time. Depending on your job duties, pick the right times of days that fit your needs the best.

46. Find the right place to work

Finding what level of activity works best for you will help you to stay productive. If you work better alone, but cannot find a quiet place, try using noise cancelling headphones. If you work better with noise, but find yourself in a quiet place, plugging in your headphones and listening to music may help you to create background noise as you work.  Check out Brain.fmapp on your mobile device.  The best productivity tool I’ve ever used.

47. Ritualizing a work environment

A ritual can be coming to the same space to work or starting every workday with your special Starbucks order. Visiting a particular space, that is allocated as work environment, will keep you focused and productive. Consistency is key to establishing your workspace and separating it from your home or recreational time. These rituals can help to separate work time and your work environment from any other space within your daily routines.

48. Personalizing your space

Different from ‘ritualizing your work environment’, personalizing your space includes placing familiar objects around you, to increase your connection to your work and work environment. If you feel alienated from what you are doing or simply want to improve the comfort of your work environment, bring a picture frame, change your screensaver, and make your work environment feel more like your own.

49. Brightness and lighting- open windows and natural light

If you are stuck in an office with fluorescent lights, it can be stuffy and make you feel trapped. Some studiesprove that natural lighting promotes productivity, improves your health, and can have positive effects on your behavior and mood. We all know that blissful moment of feeling the warmth of natural sunlight on our skin. The natural light and slight breeze through a cracked window can really open up the room and make you feel happier.

50. Start every work day with the same task

Even in the most unpredictable jobs, predictability is key to keeping some sort of order within the chaos of your day-to-day activities. Keep a structure and start every day the same. This may help keep you on track as your tasks may vary throughout the day. Starting off each day by checking emails or responding to voicemails and missed messages can get you ready for your day ahead, no matter what curveballs come at you.

51. Write summaries

After attending work-related meetings, write a brief summary of what was discussed. This will help you remember what was said in case you need to reference anything that was discussed in the future. Organize these notes using labels and folders with straightforward titles. Apps like Time Doctor keep all of your notes in one place, to tell you exactly where to go when looking up this information. Writing summaries and using tools helps to accomplish a task with more ease, efficiency, and improve communication and productivity within the work environment.

52. Socialize

Make sure you plug yourself back in when your work is over. Being social is healthy. This is so important for you. As a remote worker, it can be easy to fall into a place of isolation. Remind yourself that you are part of a team or a larger industry with other people. Make going to work a team-based effort, whether it is getting to know your clients, your employees, or your coworkers. It is important to create a work environment that both uplifts your attitude, while also fostering a place for you to be productive.

53. Plan your day the night before

Take half an hour the night before to plan your day. When you plan ahead, you’ll know what and how you will be doing your tasks the next day. This also helps ensure you get proper sleep, as your mind is not restless thinking about the next day. When you wake up, you’ll be all set for the day ahead.

54. Take an hour to prepare your mind and body

Dedicate an hour first thing in the morning to prepare your mind and body for the day ahead. During this hour, read an inspirational book for a few minutes, go through your to-do lists and practice positive affirmations. Make it a daily routine.

55. Visualize your workday

Try to visualize your workday. Imagine a successful and productive day ahead. Make your subconscious mind believe your success story by rehearsing and practicing what you will be doing in your workday and how you will tackle challenging tasks. This will prepare you for the day and when the actual time arrives to tackle the task, you will find it much easier to do so.

56. Get to your desk 15 minutes early

Report to work early. This will enable you to start your day in a calm and composed frame of mind. Use the extra time to prepare for the day. Write down a to-do list. This will help you stay focused throughout the day.

57. Review the previous day’s work

Instead of jumping into a task right away, warm yourself up by reviewing the previous day’s work. It will remind you where you left off and give you direction as to where to head next.

58. Identify the three most important tasks for the day

Do not allow yourself to get lost in too many things. Identify the top three priorities for the day. This will prevent you from too much multitasking and will help you stay focused.

59. Make a weekly plan

Lay out a plan for the week. Go through your list of tasks, browse through your schedule and try to make every day of each week productive. When you follow a plan, you spend your time more wisely.

60. Do fewer things and do them well

Your work is judged on the basis of what you do best. So, do fewer things, but be good at them. If you have too many things to do, you will never have enough time to get everything done. Say no to tasks for which you cannot provide much value.

61. Focus on work that uses your talent

Avoid spending your time on shallow work – checking emails, passing on information, arranging meetings, etc. These are things that don’t use your talent but are very time consuming. Work on things that require your maximum abilities and push you to produce high-value results. Take on the kind of work that improves your skills. If your workdays are full of shallow tasks, you will end up getting work that is of less significance.

62. Keep a productivity card handy

Write a productive statement on a note card and carry it with you all the time. It will help you stay focused and motivated. The statement can be something like, “I am the most productive person in my company. I utilize most of my day to accomplish things that matter most and also improves my skills.” When you find yourself unmotivated or lagging behind, glance at your productivity card and get back to work.

63. Accept that perfection is just an illusion

It’s common for people to obsessively attempt to perfect a task. Know that nothing is ever perfect. Rather than wasting your time chasing perfection, get each task done to the best of your ability and move on to other tasks. If needed, you can usually go back and improve it later.

64. Change your location once in a while

If your work allows you to switch locations, try working in some other location or environment from time to time. A change of scenery can boost your productivity. Find a place in your home that provides natural light or, if possible, go to an open space, library, outside or coffee shop. This will recharge your mind and help you come up with new ideas or find new ways to tackle a problem.

65. Optimize your down times

You usually have down times, when you are waiting for someone. Utilize this time to the maximum. Always have an activity ready to do during these times. Meditate for 5 minutes to increase your concentration and focus, listen to a refreshing piece of music or plan for your next day. You can actually get a lot done during these short periods of down time.  Check out Brain.fm app on your mobile device.  The app has meditation and recovery music.

66. Eat your lunch away from your home office

Instead of eating lunch at your desk, eat in your kitchen, dining room or outside. This will also allow you to take a lunchtime stroll. Getting away from your regular workplace will help you clear your mind. A lunch break will recharge you, and you’ll return to work with renewed energy and focus.

67. Be professional

When you are working, limit your personal phone calls and emails. It will help you focus more on your work. If you need to make any important personal phone calls, use your break time to get it done.

68. Hang out a “Do not disturb” sign

When you’re working, you often get interrupted throughout the day by people messaging, texts, emails and phone calls. When you are working on an important project, put up a “Do not disturb” sign. Let others know the best time to contact you. If possible, move your phone away from you to reduce distractions.

69. Take a deep breath before you start your day

Pause for a moment and take a deep breath before starting your day. This provides oxygen to your brain and helps you think clearly, so you can make decisions with a calm and composed mind.

70. Check yourself

Constantly check in with yourself to assess if what you are doing is productive. To be clear, productivity levels can always be improved. While multitasking is the holy grail of many an office culture, some psychologists advocate that attempting to manage several tasks at once may decrease performance levels. Don’t sweat it if your style is focusing on one task at a time. Find your unique grove and work it.

71. Get a jump on minor daily decisions

A thousand tiny decisions add up day to day. Get a jump on the day ahead by taking care of menial tasks ahead of time. Select your outfit for work the evening before, prepare your lunch in advance, set the coffee timer. A calm, cool, collected morning will have you arriving to the office with your head squarely in the game.

72. Delegate like a boss

Asking for help and passing off tasks to increase productivity is crucial. Two primary factors when collaborating with coworkers are communication and trust. Be a team player and know when to call for reinforcements. Make sure you have properly informed coworkers of relevant deadlines in addition to making sure they have all the tools and deliverables necessary to complete work. Few projects ever suffer from over-communication.

73. Motivation and Rewards

While it may sound like common sense, many employers fail to give workers recognition for a job well done — which can result in employee morale dropping. Rewarding hardworking employees with monetary bonuses clearly shows how much their work is valued and will motivate them to continue doing their best for the company.

74.  Listen to calming sounds to help you concentrate

Sometimes a bit of music in the background can help enhance your focus. Studies showthat music without lyrics works best for repetitive tasks. Outside of the variable effects, music can also have an impact on shutting on the sounds and distractions of a noisy workplace.

75. Be optimistic

Train your brain to be more optimistic about overwhelming tasks you’re avoiding by breaking them down and boosting confidence in your ability to actually complete them. As you complete each sub-task you’ve created, celebrate your progress. Experts sayacknowledging progress is one of the most powerful ways to inspire motivation and focusing on progress instead of dwelling on setbacks is the perfect way to keep optimism alive through a project’s completion.

76. Channel the science-backed secrets of willpower

Willpower isn’t just about rejecting things that are bad for you; it’s also about resiliently pursuing goals and desires you know will benefit you. Forgive yourself for the shortcomings. So, if you’ve procrastinated an afternoon away, reboot your productivity by accepting what you’ve done, forgiving yourself, and moving forward with renewed willpower.

77. Trust the small increments

You can’t expect to change years of working habits overnight. Small changes in how you work can gradually add up to big changes in productivity. Try one tip to start and keep adding more as you find the strategies that work best for you.

78. Be accountable

Whether it’s weekly check-ins with a co-worker or setting your own deadlines and announcing them to others, having to answer to someone else can often force you to get the job done.

79. Try to take a nap

It’s pretty common to feel a “post-lunch dip” in the midafternoon. Your body naturally wants to go to sleep about seven hours after waking, and this is amplified by the effects of digestion. Unfortunately, this biological reality collides with an economic one: Take a 20-minute “power nap” after lunch.  Don’t take a nap after 2pm as it may impact your night’s sleep.

80. Change your position

It’s better to change your position throughout the day, in a regular cycle of sitting, standing and moving around. Among other things, this variety helps bring more blood to your brain, improving your cognition and therefore your productivity.

81. Pay attention to posture

When you feel stressed, you may start to lift your shoulders up toward your ears, clench your face or tense up all over. Over time, these actions become so habitual that you become unaware of them. The purpose of good posture is to expand our bodies rather than to compress them. Good posture allows you to breathe more fully, prevent chronic pain and think more clearly.

82. Know your computer

Not understanding the capabilities of your computer can be a serious hindrance to your productivity. Some people fear that asking for tech help will make them look incompetent, but in fact,the opposite is true. Ask for technology advice when you think a computer or online task is taking longer than it should. It could be that you don’t know how to use a particular type of technology efficiently, or you don’t know what a company’s past practices have been in a certain area. Try to seek out the people who can fill in your knowledge gaps, while being respectful of their time and responsibilities.

83. Encourage hobbies at work

Everyone has a hobby they’re passionate about so why not let your team take a half-hour out to work on their hobby? It’s a great way to relieve stress, recharge your batteries and offers your team the chance to bond over common interests.

84.  Find out your productive hours

Everyone has a certain time of the day in which they are more productive than others. For me, it’s the morning. Find out when your prime time is for productivity and optimize your work schedule accordingly.

85.  Write a blog to chronicle your own personal development and achievements

The blog keeps you accountable and always working towards self-improvement and personal growth. When you write down all the small achievements you’ve been having, you’re also more motivated to move forward.

86. Reflect on your productivity constantly

As you go throughout your day, repeatedly ask yourself: Am I currently making the best possible use of my time? This one simple question can be an excellent boost to your productivity.

87. Listen to podcasts

Listen to educational podcasts or audiobooks while you’re driving to work, cleaning the house, exercising, or cooking dinner. Audio learning has the power to add hours to your day. Not to mention, your cranium is sure to thank you for it.

88. Go on an information diet

Most of the world lives on information overload. We must eliminate mindless Internet surfing. Stop reading three different newspapers a day and checking your RSS feeds multiple times a day. Otherwise, you’ll never get anything done. The key is to limit yourself only to information that you can immediately act on.

89. Learn keyboard shortcuts

With technology’s help, you can double your work efficiency. Even better, you learn all the shortcuts when using technology, for example, keyboard shortcuts. When you use keyboard shortcuts, you gain 64 hours every year. Learning keyboard shortcuts will help you with being more productive at your workplace and even save a lot of your time.

90. Improve your typing speed to save time

Do you know you can save 21 days per year just by typing fast? You don’t really need to take some serious courses to type faster, online games like barracuda, fingerjigand bubblescan help you with your typing.

91. Keep up the speed of your computer

If you’re a Windows user, use Windows hibernation feature to avoid the slowdown of exiting and restarting Windows. Or maybe, consider switching to Mac as there’re plenty of advantages you probably don’t know about switching to Mac from PC. This will really help to save up plenty of your time.

92. Celebrate your victories

To stay motivated for whatever you do, reward yourself every now and then. Keep track of your small wins and milestones and celebrate them. So, whenever you struggle about your progress, you see how far you’ve come!

93. Keep a notebook and pen on hand at all times

This way, you can write down your thoughts, to-dos and ideas at any time. The key is to get everything out of your head and onto paper. Your subconscious mind won’t be reminding you about it every other second.  Research has shown that writing things down on paper creates better memories than typing into an electronic device.

94. Set realistic targets

If you feel completely overloaded, this will often lead to procrastination and putting things off due to the overwhelming and unrealistic nature of the task. You need to set achievable goals so that you feel motivated, with a sense of accomplishment.

95. Use time saving apps

Every day there’s a new app on the market which allows you to cut a corner you thought impossible to avoid. There are apps for creating to-do lists, apps that correct your grammar, and even apps that collect your dry-cleaning. Do some research into which ones would be personally valuable to your work.

96. Team Work

Team work always helps in increasing workplace productivity since there is more input in the form of more ideas and minds at work. Working alone is not always the happiest situation either, especially in the field. Successful team building and working together is bound to bring out the best.

97. Communicate effectively

Poor communication skills can affect productivity in the workplace. Lost productivity can occur when instructions and messages are unclear. Unclear messages can lead to confusion, frustration and wastage of time in repeating work that has been done the wrong way. Poor communication can cause misaligned priorities, unclear decisions, processes and expectations, unclear roles and responsibilities and a lack of understanding.

98. Keep your goals in sight at all times

After setting extremely big and exciting goals that you want to accomplish, keep them in sight at all times. The main objective is to keep your goals in a place where you will end up seeing them many times throughout your day.  Start to picture yourself as the most productive person in your field. How does it feel? What tasks are you spending the majority of your time on? What is your philosophy on personal performance? Be in competition with yourself to see how much you can get done. Have fun with it. Make it a game.

99. Work from home and avoid the daily commute – You’re already doing it!!!

If your job is a flexible one, consider working from home. This saves you the commute time and you’ll find yourself more energetic throughout the day as you have saved the long ride.