5 tips for a 10-minute boost
Randstad Singapore staffing director Anna Clark-Hall. CAREER
What do you doin the first and last 10 minutes of your workday? Do you loiter around the coffee machine
chatting with colleagues in the morning? Does the end of a workday signal that it’s time to plan activities for the evening ahead?
These moments can have a big impact
on your productivity. Using this time wisely can significantly improve your abil- ity to get through your workload –helping you achieve better results and impress your manager. There are simple changes you can make to your routine to take advantage of this time. Here are five tips to help you get the most out of your workday...
1 Switch to “work mode” It can be helpful to identify a point in
your work commute where you switch to “work mode” and focus on the day ahead. This might be a certain metro station or landmark you pass on your way to work. It will help you to get into the work mindset before you sit down at your desk. It can also work the opposite way. We can often leave work churning the day’s activities around in our mind and it can be equally beneficial to identify a point on your way home where you “switch off”. This practice can help those who mentally take work home with them, meaning they can return to the office feeling refreshed and recharged.
2 Be prepared A simple but effective Start and end each working day in a useful way, urges
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way to start your day well is to have a clear, prioritised to-do list. It helps to prepare this at the end of the workday while the work is fresh in your mind. Ask yourself which tasks you could not complete and what deadlines lay ahead, and in which order should you tackle them? Having clarity on your tasks and deadlines as soon as you sit down at your desk in the morning will help give you a strong start – and help you stay on track throughout the day.
Know your body clock We have an internal body clock,
The important thing is to know when you are at your best
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which means there will be certain periods throughout the day when you are most pro- ductive and alert. For some it will be mornings, while others will have themselves energised after lunch. The important thing to know is when you are you at your best. Then sche dule your tasks in line with this, from those that need the most concentration to easier ones.
Diarise your achievements and progress
By keeping a brief note on what you have achieved and where you are at with the tasks will make it easier for you to track your work progress. And you can use this diary of achievements to back yourself up
when negotiating for a pay increase or promotion during your review.
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Organise your workspace We can spend as long as 40 hours a
week at our desks, they should be com- fortable and clean. At the end of each day, spend a couple of minutes filing your documents and throwing out unnecessary items. You will also find this means spend- ing less of your valuable time looking for misplaced items in the future.
Ten minutes at the beginning and the
end of the day may sound a short and insignificant amount of time. However, spending these 10 minutes wisely will help you improve your productivity at work. Follow these five tips and you will notice how much more you can accom- plish in a workday. E
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