How to Make the Most of Your Workday - The New York Times

We'll outline productivity techniques that can be adapted to your ... Three Basics of Productivity ... Try this exercise to improve your work posture. TheBasicsMultitaskingProcrastinatingAtYourDeskComputersBody&MindMythsHowtoMaketheMostofYourWorkdayByPhyllisKorkkiIllustrationsbyAntoineCorbineauShareonFacebookShareonTwitterShareinanemailBookmarkthepageDoyouoftenfindyourworkdayspiralingoutofcontrol?Youstarteachdaywithaplantogetsomuchdone,butsoonfindyourselfbecomingdistracted,focusingonlow-prioritytasksand,simply,procrastinating.Sohowcanyouregaincontrolofyourtime?One-size-fits-alllistsonhowtobemoreproductivedon'twork;we’lloutlineproductivitytechniquesthatcanbeadaptedtoyourpersonalityandworkingstyle.ThreeBasicsofProductivityUsetheseprinciplestohelpguideyouthroughyourworkday.Allworkersandworkdaysareunique.Withfewercompaniesandemployeesadheringtoatraditional9-to-5day,thedifferencesinourworkdaysarebecomingmorepronounced.Butputtingthosedifferencesaside,threeoverarchingideasapplytoallourproductivitytips: 1.Trustthesmallincrements.Youcan’texpecttochangeyearsofworkinghabitsovernight.Smallchangesinhowyouworkcangraduallyadduptobigchangesinproductivity.Tryonetiptostart,andkeepaddingmoreasyoufindthestrategiesthatworkbestforyou. 2.Beaccountable.Whetherit’sweeklycheck-inswithaco-workerorsettingyourowndeadlinesandannouncingthemtoothers,havingtoanswertosomeoneelsecanoftenforceyoutogetthejobdone. 3.Forgiveyourself.Youarehuman:Acceptthatyouaresometimesgoingtoslipup,becomedistractedandhaveabadday.It’smoreimportanttomoveonthantodwellonyourmistakes. FortheMultitaskerIfyou’retryingtodothreethingsatonce,you’reoftenaccomplishingverylittle.ABiologicalImpossibilityThinkyoucangetmoredonebyjugglingmultipletasksatthesametime?Trycallingyourco-workerwhiletypingane-mailandcheckingyourFacebookpage.Youmayfeelasifyou’rebeingproductive,butyou’reprobablynotgettinganyofthosetasksdoneefficiently. Weallhavealimitedamountofcognitivebandwidth—thenumberofthoughtsandmemorieswecanholdinourmindsatanygiventime.Yourbrainmaydeludeitselfintothinkingthatithasmorecapacitythanitreallydoes,butit’sreallyworkingextrahardtohandlemultiplethoughtsatoncewhenyouareswitchingbackandforthbetweentasks.Yourabilitytogetthingsdonedependsonhowwellyoucanfocusononetaskatatime,whetherit’sforfiveminutesoranhour. “Multitaskingisnothumanlypossible,”saidEarlK.Miller,aneuroscienceprofessoratthePicowerInstituteforLearningandMemoryattheMassachusettsInstituteofTechnology.MoreErrorsandLessCreativityWhenyoumultitask,youtendtomakemoremistakes.Whenyoutogglebackandforthbetweentasks,theneuralnetworksofyourbrainmustbacktracktofigureoutwheretheyleftoffandthenreconfigure,Dr.Millersaid.Thatextraactivitycausesyoutoslowdown,anderrorsbecomemorelikely. “Peoplearemuchmoreefficientiftheymonotask,”hesaid. Tryingtomultitaskalsoimpedescreativity,hesaid.Trulyinnovativethinkingariseswhenweallowourbrainstofollowalogicalpathofassociatedthoughtsandideas,andthisismorelikelywhenwecanfocusonasinglementalpathwayforanextendedperiod. Thebrainislikeamuscle:Itbecomesstrongerwithuse,Dr.Millersaid.Aswithphysicalexercise,themorewestrengthenourmentalconnectionsbyfocusingononetasktotheexclusionofallothers,thebetterwecanperform.HowtoMonotaskTothebestofyourability,setupaworkenvironmentthatencouragestheperformingofonetaskatatime.It’sprobablynotrealistictothinkthatwecanblockoffhoursatatimeforasingletask,butevencommittingtomonotaskforfiveminutescanyieldproductivitybenefits. Hereareafewsmallchangesyoucanmake: Removetemptation:Activelyresisttheurgetocheckunrelatedsocialmediawhileyouareworkingonatask.Someworkersmayneedtogosofarastoinstallanti-distractionprogramslikeSelfControl,Freedom,StayFocusdandAnti-Social,whichblockaccesstothemostaddictivepartsoftheinternetforspecifiedperiods. Workonjustonescreen:Putawayyourcellphoneandturnoffyoursecondmonitor. Move:Ifyoufindyourselflosingfocus–readingthesamesentenceoverandoverorifyourmindcontinuallywandersofftopic–getupandbrieflywalkaround,Dr.Millersaid.Abriefwalkaroundyourofficecanliftyourmood,reducehungerandhelpyourefocus. Workinintervals:Setatimerforfiveor10minutesandcommittofocusingonyourassignmentforthatamountoftime.Thenallowyourselfaminuteofdistraction,aslongasyougetbackonyourtaskforanotherfiveor10minutes.​WhenDistractionsTakeOverThetendencytobecomedistractedisprimal,soforgiveyourselfifyoudo.Itaroseinourearliestdaysashumans,whenweneededtorespondinstantlytolions,tigersandotherpredatorsthatthreatenedus,saidDr.Miller.Everysensoryinputwasdeeplyinteresting,andourresponsetoitwassometimesamatteroflifeordeath.Ourbrainhasnotletgoofthisancientsurvivalmechanism;westillcravethatinformationaltapontheshoulder,hesaid. Fortunately,themoreweworkonfocusingononetaskatatimeandignoringdistractions,themoreweexercisetheprefrontalcortex–themoreevolvedpartofourbrains.Thenitbecomeseasiertofocus.MoreAboutManagingDistractionsLookingatProductivityasaStateofMindSeptember27,2014ReadThisStoryWithoutDistraction(CanYou?)April29,2016HowtoStopTimeSeptember26,2014Data-CrunchingIsComingtoHelpYourBossManageYourTimeAugust17,2015FortheProcrastinatorAccountability–whetherit’stoyourselfortoanotherperson–canbecrucialtoyourproductivity.BeAccountableTocombatprocrastination,findanaccountabilitypartner.Thiscanbeacolleagueoramanager,whoseroleistoreceiveregularprogressreportsonyourproject.Thepersonyouchoosewillhavetotakehisorherroleseriously,expressingdisappointmentifyouhavenotachievedyourgoal,andappreciationifyouhave.Someinveterateprocrastinatorsevenagreeonasetofrewardsorpunishmentstogoalongwiththeirdeadlines,dependingonwhatmotivatesthemthemost.Arewardcouldbeafreelunch;apunishmentcouldbeanemailtothedepartmentannouncingthatadeadlinewasnotme.StayonTrackTo-dolistsworktokeepyouaccountablebecausetheyhelpyoustayonthepathtogettingyourmostimportantworkdone–ifyouusethemeffectively,thatis. Beforeyouleaveworkfortheday,makealistoffivetoeightgoalsthatyouwouldliketoaccomplishthefollowingday,saidJulieMorgenstern,atimemanagementexpertbasedinNewYork.Onaseparatelistaddanypersonalerrandsthatneedtobedonethatday—likebookingaflightforavacationorbuyingabirthdaygift.Thatlistshouldcontainnomorethantwoorthreeitems.Berealisticaboutwhatyoucanaccomplishinadayofwork,andresisttheurgetomakeato-dolistforthewholeweek,whichcanleaveyoufeelingstressedandoverwhelmed. Maketheitemsonyourto-dolistspecific,realisticandsimple—don’tsecretlypackeightor10tasksinsideonehugeitem,like“finishproject.”Instead,breakyourprojectintosmall,discretecomponents. To-DoListDownsidesBecauseourprimalmindcravesdistraction,theclassicto-dolistcanpreventinterruptionsfromtakingoveryourday.Buthumansarealsovulnerabletoso-called“structuredprocrastination,”whereinordertoavoidworkingonahardtask,theyspendtimeonamucheasierone.AnsweringanemailorlikingapostonFacebookcanbeaformofstructuredprocrastination.Writingyourto-dolistcanalsobeaformofstructuredprocrastination.So,giveyourselffiveminutesorlesstowriteato-dolisteachmorning.Keepitfocusedandshort,soyou’renotspendingmoretimecheckingoffitemsthanactuallycompletingthem.ListKeepersSomepeopleliketokeeptheirlistsonpaper–makingemphaticandsatisfyingcheckmarkswhenevertheycompleteatask.Otherspreferthecomputerroute.Ifthat’sthecase,manyappsareavailable,includingthese: Todoist:Thisappworkswellacrossmanyplatformsandisrichwithfeatureslikereminders,notesandtheabilitytosyncyourlistswithyourdevices. RemembertheMilk:Thisoneincludesafeaturethatallowuserstosharetaskswithothers,likecoworkersandfamilymembers. Evernote:Thisnote-takingappallowsyoutocreateto-dolistsintheformofpersonalnotebooks. Toavoidconfusion,pickeitherpaperordigitalforyourlists,asitcanbehardtomanageboth. AtYourDeskWhereyouworkcanbejustasimportantashowyouwork.WhatYourDeskSaysAboutYouThere’snoonerightwaytoorganizeadesk.Butyourphysicalworkspacecanhaveabigeffectonproductivity.It“caneitherenergizeyouordepleteyourenergy,”saidMs.Morgenstern,thetimemanagementexpert. Ingeneral,only25percentofadesk’smessinessisrelatedtoorganizationalskills,Ms.Morgensternmaintains–therestistiedtotimemanagement.“Everypaperonyourdeskhasataskassociatedwithit,andthattaskisgoingtotaketime.”Haveyoufactoredinenoughtimetogetitalldone?Out-of-controlpilesofpapermaybeasignthatyouneedtodelegate,shesaid. Askyourself:Arethepilesonyourdeskthesameonesthatweretherethreeweeksago,oraretheymoving?Aslongasthey’renotstagnant,you’reprobablydoingO.K.withsomeclutter,Ms.Morgensternsaid. Inmostcases,keepyourdeskclearexceptfortheprojectyouaretacklingatthemoment,alongwiththeequipmentyouneedtocompleteit,shesaid.Youshouldalsocreateaspaceforan“inzone”–brandnewthingsthathavejustcomein–andan“outzone”forthingsthatarefinishedandneedtobedistributed. Oneoftheeasiestwaystostarttochangeyourworkspaceistospendthelast10minutesofyourworkdayreadyingyourdeskforthenextday.Thenyouwon’thavetostartyourdaywithyesterday’smess,Ms.Morgensternsaid.Startingoutwithadeskpreparedforthedayaheadcouldhaveapowerfuleffectonyourmind-setandproductivity.Getthelatestindustryupdates,delivereddaily.SignupfortheDealBookNewsletter,deliveredeverymorningandafternoon,andreceiveindustrynewsthroughouttheday.YouremailaddressSignUpSeesample|PrivacyPolicy|OptoutorcontactusanytimeForComputerUsers(Everyone)Asmuchastheyspeedupthepaceofwork,computerscanslowthingsdown,too.KnowYourComputerNotunderstandingthecapabilitiesofyourcomputercanbeaserioushindrancetoyourproductivity.Somepeoplefearthataskingfortechhelpwillmakethemlookincompetent,butinfacttheoppositeistrue,accordingtoresearch. Askfortechnologyadvicewhenyouthinkacomputeroronlinetaskistakinglongerthanitshould.Itcouldbethatyoudon’tknowhowtouseaparticulartypeoftechnologyefficiently,oryoudon’tknowwhatacompany’spastpracticeshavebeeninacertainarea.Makeanefforttoseekoutthepeoplewhocanfillinyourknowledgegaps,whilebeingrespectfuloftheirtimeandresponsibilities. Managerscanassistinthisprocessbyofferingregularinformationsessionsandcompany-specificmanualsrelatedtotechnologylikeemail,Excel,MicrosoftWord,Slackandothers.Amentorshipprogramisanotheroption.TakeControlofYourInboxDoyoufindyourselfconstantlystoppingtocheckyouremail?Emailisanidealwaytopracticestructuredprocrastination—whenyouworkonaneasy,unimportanttaskratherthantackleaharder,importantone. Emailislikelife:Itismessy,imperfect,fullofsurprises,andeverybodyhandlesitdifferently.Thereisnoperfectemailsystem.Expertsmaypromotethevalueoftechniqueslike“InboxZero,”whereyoutrytoclearyourinboxeveryday,butevenifyourinboxisempty,yourworklife–withallitsunansweredquestions,incompleteprojectsandchallengingproblems–willremainfull.Embracethedailychallengeofkeepingyourworklifeundercontrolbyusingemailasyourallyratherthanyournemesis. Hereareafewtechniquesthatcanhelpmakeyouremailworkforyou: Setasidededicatedtimeseverydaytoprocessemail.Thiscouldbeafewtimesadayorfiveminuteseveryhour,Ms.Morgenstern,thetimemanagementexpertsaid.“Giveemailyourundividedattentionwhenyou’reworkingonit,”shesaid. Divideemailintogroups.Asyouscanyouremail,sortthemessagesintotwogroups:thoserequiringquickresponsesandthoseneedingthoughtfulones.Trythe“two-minuterule,”aspopularizedbyDavidAllen,authorof“GettingThingsDone.”Ifyoucandispensewithanemailintwominutes,doitnow;ifnot,doitlateratascheduledtime.Ifemailsaregoingtorequireafewdaysofthought,buyyourselfsometimebyacknowledgingreceiptthatdayandsayingyouwillrespondlater.Makeitapointtofollowthrough. Trytoidentifytheemailsyouareactivelyavoiding.Oftenthereisanemotionalcomponenttoemailsyouavoid,Ms.Morgensternsaid,becausetheyinvolvesaying“no”tosomeoneormakingadifficultdecision.Insteadofprocrastinatingonreplying,youwilllikelysavetimebyrespondinginpersonoronthephone,whereyourtoneandpersonalitywillcomethroughmorereadily,ratherthantryingtowritetheperfectdiplomaticresponseinanemail. Turnoffnotifications.Someemailexpertsadvisecheckingemailonlytwoorthreetimesaday,butinmanyworkenvironmentsthisisnotrealistic–anall-importantmessagefromthebossoraclientmayneedaquickresponse.Butalmostanythingcanwaitfor20minutes.So,turnoffyouremailnotificationsfor20to30minuteswhenyouneedtofocusonsomethingelse. RelatedGuideHowtoRunaMoreEffectiveMeetingAnothermeeting-filledday?Meetingsdon'thavetofeelliketime-sucks.Withthesetipsandstrategies,theycanbeefficientandproductive.GetHelpSpendaweekortwoidentifyingtheemailissuesthatconsistentlyfrustrateyouorslowyoudown.Then,findan“emailguru”inyourcompanyandseeifthatpersonwouldbewillingtositdownwithyouforahalf-hourtoexplainthevariouscapabilitiesofyouremailsystem.Yourgurucouldbeasuper-efficientco-workerorsomeonefromtechsupport,butitshouldbesomeonewhocanshowyouhowtousebuilt-infeaturesthatyoumaynotbeawareof,likefiltersthatcanblockunimportantmessagesandsendthemtospam.Askabouthowyoucanuselabels,folders,filters,archives,starredmessages,unsubscribelistsandotherfeaturestohelpyouspendlesstimeonemail. Noemailguruinyouroffice?Thereareplentyofonlineresourcesforemailmanagementtips.Butifaparticulartechniquedoesn’tworkforyou,abandonit.MoreonCreatingaProductiveWorkspaceWhataMessyDeskSaysAboutYouSeptember19,2013OrganizetheDesk,andtheMindFollowsJune22,2013AmericanWorkersSayInternetMakesThemMoreProductiveDecember30,2014DoesKeepingaMessyDeskMakePeopleMoreCreative?September16,2013ForThoseWhoPowerThroughIt’snosurprisethatthewayyoutreatyourbodycanaffectthewayyourmindworks.MoveMoreWorkingcontinuouslyandforlonghoursdoesnotmeanyou’regettingmoredone.Sometimesthebestwaytogetsomethingdoneisnottoworkonitforawhile. Sittingforlongperiodsoftimeisjustplainbadforyou,butit’salsobadforyourabilitytobeproductive.Standingupandmovingaroundimprovesbloodflowtothebrain,whichenhancescognition.AlanHedge,anergonomicsprofessoratCornell,suggeststhatworkerstryacombinationofsitting,standingandwalkingtokeepalteringtheirbodypositionandgivetheirmindsabreakfromwork. HowtoMakeDeskWorkMoreProductive Atimedcombinationofsitting,standingandwalkingcanhelpyouworkatyourbest. Sitfor20minutesandwork. Standforeightminutesandwork. Stopworkingandtakeawalkfortwominutes. Repeat. TakeLongBreaksWherewereyouthelasttimeyouhadagreatidea?Yourdesk?Orwasitwhenyouwereintheshower,whileyouwerewalkingyourdogordrivingyourkidstoschool? Workinga10-to12-hourdaymayearnyoupointswithsomebosses,butit’snotgreatforcreativity.Insteadofpoweringthrough,considerintentionallytakingabreakfromalargeprojectforupto10hours.Thatwillallownewideastomarinateinyoursubconscious,causingyourneuronstomakenewconnections. Sleepisoneofthemosteffectivewaystotakealongbreak,sotrynottogiveitshortshrift.Researchshowsthatsleepallowsourbrainstomakenewandunexpectedconnections,leadingtoinsightsandbreakthroughs—whichexplainswhywesooftenhavebrilliantideasduringourmorningshower. Learntoidentifythesignsofmentalfatigue,likereadingthesamesentenceoverandoverwebsitesorwritingemailswithnorealgoalsorprioritiesinmind.Don’tfeelguiltyabouttakingabreak,orleavingforthedaywhenyoucanthinkthatyourbrainneedstimetorecharge.TryaNapIt’sprettycommontofeela“post-lunchdip”inthemidafternoon.Yourbodynaturallywantstogotosleepaboutsevenhoursafterwaking,andthisisamplifiedbytheeffectsofdigestion.Unfortunately,thisbiologicalrealitycollideswithaneconomicone:Mostofficesfrownonnapping. Ifit’spossibletotakea20-minute“powernap”atwork(forexampleifyouworkathome),byallmeansdoso.Tobestincreaseyourenergy,itmaybeagoodideatodrinkacupofcoffeebeforeyournap.Researchhasshownthatthismethodlikelyworksbecausetheshortpowernaphelpsclearthebrainofthesleep-inducingcompoundadenosine.Caffeine,meanwhile,takesabout20minutestohaveitsphysiologicaleffect—kickinginjustasthenapperisawakening. Ifanapisoutofthequestion,however,trainyourselftoquicklyrecognizethesignsofthepost-lunchdip:drowsinessandaninabilitytoconcentrate.Then,getupandwalkaround,talktoacolleagueatanotherdeskorworkonsomethinglessdemandingofyourbrainpoweruntilthesleepinesspasses.FightStressWhenwefeeloverwhelmedatwork,ourfight-or-flightresponsetendstocomeintoplay,leadingustotakequick,shallowbreaths.Thissendslessoxygentothebrain,causingustobecomeevenmorestressedandtothinklessclearly.Counteracttheeffectsofstressbybreathingmoreefficiently. Mostpeopleareverticalbreathers,inthattheirshouldersmoveupwhentheyinhale,accordingtoBelisaVranich,aclinicalpsychologistandbreathinstructor.Manypeoplealsobreathefromtheirupperchest,whereasthebiggestpartofthelungsisinthemiddleofthebody. Horizontalbreathingmayseemunnaturalatfirst,butitisactuallythewayanimalsandsmallchildrenbreathe.Workingwithyourbodyratherthanagainstit,youwillmaximizethebloodflowtoyourbrain–andyourmentalcapacity.HowtoBreatheHorizontallyThistechniquecanhelpyoufightstressbytakingdeeperbreaths. Tryit!PayAttentiontoPostureWhenyoufeelstressed,youmaystarttoliftyourshouldersuptowardyourears,clenchyourfaceortenseupallover.Overtime,theseactionsbecomesohabitualthatyoubecomeunawareofthem.Thepurposeofgoodpostureistoexpandourbodiesratherthantocompressthem.Goodpostureallowsyoutobreathemorefully,preventchronicpainandthinkmoreclearly. Asyoudoyourwork,trytobeawareofanyexcesstensionyouareholdinginyourbody.Forexample,youmaytenseupyourhandsfarmorethannecessarywhenyoutypeoruseamouse.Ifyoustarttofeelanytension,trytostretchthatareaofyourbody.HowtoBeMindfulofYourPostureTrythisexercisetoimproveyourworkposture. Tryit!ThisexerciseisacomponentoftheAlexanderTechnique,awayoflearningabouthowtoridyourbodyofharmfultension.AccordingtoLindsayNewitter,ownerofthePosturePoliceinNewYork,thistechniquewarnsofapracticecalled“endgaining,”wherepeopletrytogetaheadofthemselvesandlosesightofthepresent.Whenyouseepeoplehunchedforwardinfrontoftheirscreens,chancesaretheyareendgaining.Goodpostureenablesyoutomeetyourworkinthepresentmoment,andthereforegetitdonemoreefficiently.MoreonYourBodyandProductivityAchievingMindfulnessatWork,NoMeditationCushionRequiredApril23,2016WhyITaughtMyselftoProcrastinateJanuary16,2016WhenEmployeeEngagementTurnsIntoEmployeeBurnoutMarch13,2015CommonProductivityMythsHere’sthetruthbehindcommonmisconceptionsaboutworkingsmart.Myth:Peoplewhoaregoodmultitaskersgetmoredone. Fact:Multitaskingisanillusion.Researchshowsthatpeoplegetmoredoneiftheyconcentrateononetaskatatime.Switchingfrequentlybetweentasks–orbelievingthatyouareactuallydoingmorethanonethingatonce–willactuallyslowyoudown. Myth:It’simportanttohavezeroemailsinyourinboxbytheendoftheday. Fact:Thegoalof“inboxzero”worksforsomepeoplebutnotforothers.Thekeytomanagingemailistodesignatespecifictimesofthedayforreadingandrespondingtoit,todifferentiatebetweenemailsthatcanbehandledquicklyandthosethatrequiremoretime,andtolearnhowtouseallofyouremailsoftware’sfeatures(folders,filtersandarchives)inwaysthatworkbestforyou. Myth:It’sbesttostandwhileyouwork. Fact:It’sbettertochangeyourpositionthroughouttheday,inaregularcycleofsitting,standingandmovingaround.Amongotherthings,thisvarietyhelpsbringmorebloodtoyourbrain,improvingyourcognitionandthereforeyourproductivity. Myth:Themorehoursyouwork,themoreyougetdone. Fact:Itisimportanttotakebreaksthroughouttheworkday.Evenafive-minutewalkaroundtheofficecanboostyourmoodwithnoimpactonyourabilitytofocus.Gettingenoughrestandsleepcanserveyoubetterthanworkinglongerhours.Walkingawayfromyourworkforalongerperiod–overnight,overtheweekendoronvacation–givesyourideasachancetomarinateinyoursubconsciousmind,allowingfornewburstsofproductivitywhenyoureturn. Myth:Thesecrettoimprovingproductivityistofindtherightsystemandstickwithit. Fact:Everypersonandeveryworkdayisdifferent.Whilewemaybeabletodevelopnewstrategiesandhabitsthatworkforusmostofthetime,ourjobsandliveswillalwaysthrowuscurveballsthatleadtoless-than-perfectresults.Weneedtoacceptthisimperfectreality,forgiveourselvesandtryagaintomorrow.AbouttheAuthorPhyllisKorkkiisanassignmenteditorfortheBusinesssectionofTheNewYorkTimesandtheauthorof"TheBigThing:HowtoCompleteYourCreativeProjectEvenifYou'reaLazy,Self-DoubtingProcrastinatorLikeMe"(HarperCollins).Twitter:@phylliskorkki