Go crazy with efficiency

Well, get this. Most of your productivity drains because of your own doing. You give in to social media distraction because you crave a quick fix for attention. You waste ridiculous amounts of time doing things that don't really matter because you choose to do them, and you decide to do all these while you are working. What's the point of complaining about productive hours when you are wasting so much of it trying to distract yourself?

You know what you need to do: Work. Of course there are other things like spending time with family and friends, going to places, keeping in touch with old friends. So do all that. Don't do all of it while working or, at least separate them so you're aware that you've chosen to waste your time.

Here are some ideas to help you get started:

1. Social network is the worst

Social media diminishes your efficiency more than you'd think it does. Do your tweeting, blogging, posting, status updating after work. Your facebook notifications can wait till you are done; your ultra-creative tweet can wait till evening. Don't mix social networking with your work life.

2. Avoid useless organising

Some people give an awful lot of importance to organising.  There are all these different ways of organising stuff such as your emails and files, right? Forget about it completely. Don't bother at all. Okay, maybe a little, but the absolute minimal amount. Get a gmail! You think you have the biggest email inbox ever and it bothers you? Big deal! There is always the search option. Finding something is just a click away.

3. Work in a deadline

One of my friends procrastinates whatever she needs to do till the time it is absolutely necessary.  I bet that happens to most of us. This one time, I told her I needed something done within two hours and you know what? She finished it in two yours! It's called a deadline. Deadlines force discipline. That's why deadlines work. Use them.

4. Set priorities

Prioritisation can save you a lot of trouble and time. Whenever you have your boss getting on your nerves with a lot of work, try setting priorities. Learn to classify. Make a priority list when there's tons of work on your table. You can always classify the work by making a list of urgent, important, and everything-else-that-can-be-taken-care-of-later. When the urgent work is done, you move to the important ones. By the time you finish the important work and you don't always have time to do the rest. Give it a break.

5. Saying "no" is always an option

Some people find it difficult to say "no". It used to be one of my major problems with life. So, eventually I had to take care of much unnecessary work on my part only because I was too polite to say the word. Eventually I leant. Don't know what to say no to? If it's not a goal, a priority, say no. And never say "maybe". Maybe is for people who are confused. You don't want to give your boss or colleagues that impression.

6. Silence your devices

Try muting your computer, phone, even e-mail notifications when you're supposed to be working and getting things done. That way, you don't hear a distracting chime. If you really want to do it right, set aside a small chunk of time the same time every day to email. Also, never answer a call unless you're expecting it or have time for it, even if it's your boss. Being productive is your and only your responsibility. This boss of yours won't leave an opportunity to yell at you even if he wasted a lot of your time with phone calls, unnecessary chat. Get your work done first.  

Here's the thing. When you have to be dynamic and constructive, avoid distractions and later, you can do all of the other things. A diversion, indecision to decide what to do can actually do more damage to our creative self than we realise. You set the priorities. You make the choices. You have way more control than you realise.