One of the best ways to enhance productivity is to make sure that you are regularly experimenting with new ideas. All too often we can become complacent and set in our routines regarding our working habits.
But one way to shake us out of these routines is to try to work in an entirely new way: we call these “Productivity Models.”
These are methods of working through your high-priority tasks, but with an emphasis on unorthodox strategies that work surprisingly well.
So we’ve compiled a list of the most successful productivity models from businesses around the world. Take a look and watch your productivity skyrocket!
Productivity Model #1: “Swallow The Frog”
“Swallow the frog” certainty sounds like a bit of a joke, but make no mistake: this method is first-class in breaking through procrastination and tasks that you are dreading.
This model is quite simple: do your most undesirable task first thing in the morning.
Find the task that you least want to do today, this week, or this month. Typically this is a large task that you’ve been putting off. It doesn’t need to be your biggest task, just the thing you are actively dreading.
Now that you have that task in front of you, follow the “Swallow The Frog” method by focusing only on completing that task. You are not allowed to deviate or become distracted until you have finished it.
The reason this model works is because once you finish the “Frog” task, you will gain a tremendous amount of momentum and confidence.
Every further task you need to complete in your day will seem noticeably easier in comparison to the frog.
In addition, this method is exceptionally good at cutting out procrastination. The reason we procrastinate in the first place is because we are putting something off that we don’t want to do.
By not allowing yourself to be distracted by anything until you finish your hardest task, you will blaze through it rather than making your day miserable in anticipation.
Productivity Model #2: “Deep Work”
You may have seen the phrase “Deep Work” trending these last few months. Podcast hosts and Inspirational videos aside, there’s a reason this model is so fantastic at boosting productivity.
It involves setting aside a significant portion of time – at least three hours – to dive into just one task with singular focus.
The large amount of time you set aside will let you focus “deeply” and distraction-free.
In turn, this will lead to you gaining a better understanding of the problems you are attempting to overcome. The longer you spend on a task distraction-free, the more productive you are likely to be.
Our brains switch from being disinterested into problem-solving mode. Many people have referred to this phenomenon as getting “into the flow.”
It may seem difficult to set aside such a large portion of time during your work day – almost half! – but when you really want to get something done right, this is the best model for you.
Productivity Model #3: Work In Short Bursts With Emails Scheduled For Later
This mental model is particularly well-suited for people who prefer to work in short windows of high productivity as opposed to a consistent slog throughout the day.
For this model to work, you will spend anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour focusing on a task and completing it quickly, before taking a scheduled ten or twenty minute break.
The benefit of this model is two-fold:
- The very short window of time forces you to be hyper-productive in order to get your tasks done, rather than dragging it out over a few hours or the whole day. You will be much less likely to procrastinate this way
- Once your scheduled break is over, you can re-engage your next task with reimbursed vigor and mental clarity. This is a great method for avoiding burnout
The key to this model however is to make sure that your short window of productivity is not interrupted by pesky emails.
Therefore, you’ll want to schedule to check your emails at regular intervals, but only check outside of your productivity window. Our best advice is to only check your emails before lunch and just before the day ends.
Productivity Model #3: Time Your Tasks & Organize Your Day In A Calendar
This productivity model is for those of us who love a good organizing session and detailed spreadsheets!
You will start by writing out a list of your top priorities for the day. Then, you’ll split your eight or nine hour day among them.
Lastly, you’ll schedule all tasks into your digital calendar in the order that you will complete them. The key here is to include how much time you estimate each task will take. In a way, you’re planning out your perfect work day!
This strategy works so well because it cuts off that pesky Parkinson’s Law – the theory that work will fill however much time you give it – because you know you’ll only have a certain amount of time to finish each task.
Lastly, you can share this digital calendar with your employees so that they’ll know when not to disturb you during important tasks.
Don’t Forget About This Not-So-New-Financial Boost, Too!
Now that you know how to boost your productivity in the office, it’s time to learn how to boost your business profits!
Luckily, our accounting and bookkeeping teams are here to help with over one hundred and fifty years combined experience.
Call The A Firm today to book your free meet and greet, where we’ll go over our tried and true business growth strategies, as well as analyzing how we can save you money come tax time!