7 ways to improve your productivity

In 1915, Albert Einstein presented his brilliant and revolutionary theory of relativity. Over the three years prior to that, he devoted himself entirely to the creation of this theory, without being distracted to anything else.

I do not encourage you to spend three years on the creation of a single project, but that the focus method is really effective.

It was a small excursion into the past, and now we turn to today's realities today has become quite a popular trend of "do less". As the name suggests, this line encompasses technology, with which you can achieve great results with less effort.

Today I want to share with you some of these techniques. I hope that they will help you achieve the best results in the shortest possible time.

1. Pareto's law, or the principle of 20/80

In general terms, this principle is formulated as follows: 20% effort gives 80% of the results, while the remaining 80% of the effort - only 20% of the results. Law 20/80 is applicable in almost all spheres of life. For example, according to this law, the 20% to 80% of criminals commit crimes.

If you know how to use Pareto's Law properly, it will help you not only professional, but also in everyday life. This handy little trick that could help predict the outcome. For example, if you are a sociable person, then you are likely to have many friends. Think of these people come to you for help in a difficult situation. Probably, there will be little, just something about those notorious 20%. Should take note of this and try to maintain contact with those 20%, instead of wasting time on virtual friends.

How it works

According to Pareto law, should do everything unimportant tasks when your productivity is low. For example, many people who once came in the morning to work, can not immediately involved in the workflow. They need to communicate with colleagues, drink a cup of coffee or do something else that will help them to tune into a working harmony.

Only in this case they will be able to work productively. It is important to prioritize between work tasks. Try to perform important tasks at a time of the day, when your performance is at a high level.

2. Three important tasks

Many up-do list, it allows you to make your workflow more organized. Of course, in the 21st century, we have moved away from being able to write the next case on paper, for this we have smart phones and computers.

I suggest you follow one simple rule: every morning, spend five minutes to write down the three most important tasks for the day. Then focus all its efforts on this short list.

This is a great alternative to the infinitely long list of tasks that we usually like to be. Who are we kidding, because they are not enough for a week, not to mention one day. Focus on these three main objectives, and if you have time to implement them ahead of time, you can take up something else.

This simple but powerful habit can really boost your productivity.

3. The philosophy of "do less"

The philosophy of "do less" is very popular in today's realities. Different authors suggest different approaches. For example, Mark Loesser wrote the book "Achieve more by doing less"Based on Zen Buddhism.

His manifesto "do less" begins with a refutation of the allegation that the decrease of the load makes the staff lazy and have a negative impact on their performance. When we perform a smaller number of problems, we can enjoy their achievements.

Marc Lesser recommends to find a few minutes during the working day to meditate. This aligns your breath, you will come to his senses, get rid of stress and can concentrate better on the task at hand.

Do not forget about prioritization. First of all perform an important task, and then go to low priority. Do not overload yourself a lot of problems: it is better to do less, but the quality and fun, the more, but without enthusiasm.

4. Tomato machinery

Tomato technique suggested by Francesco Cirillo. Technique is called tomato due to the fact that its author was originally used as a kitchen timer to measure the time the tomato.

The method is based on the principle of work 25 minutes on a specific task without interruption, but then be sure to take a break.

How it works

1. Look at your list of tasks and select from it the highest priority task.
2. Then, set the timer for 25 minutes and start working on what not distracted until you hear the timer signal. Each 25-minute period of time called "tomato".
3. Then make a five-minute break and start the timer again.
4. After four "tomato" make a longer break in the 15 (that is, every two hours)–20 minutes.
5. If your job takes more than five "tomatoes", it can be divided into several parts.

This technique helps to work on higher priority tasks, improves attention and helps to concentrate better.

5. The Myth of Multitasking

Multitasking does not make us more productive, it is a myth. In fact, when we focus on many tasks at the same time, it has a negative impact on our performance and concentration.

No matter how well you adapt himself to multitask, your the performance will be much less than if you choose to focus from beginning to end on performing the same task.
David Meyer, a professor at the University of Michigan

Effectively perform multiple tasks is possible only in some special cases. For example, when you are doing something automatically, for example you're going and talking at the same time. Walking - is an activity on the machine, it does not require you to focus on it. Well illustrates this well-known proverb:

Once an ant met on the forest path centipede, who cheerfully and calmly ran to meet him. Ant centipede asked: "How are you so deftly rearranges all of its 40 legs? How do you manage so easily and quickly move around? "Centipede for a moment and wondered... could no longer budge!

If you want to perform tasks more efficiently, better focus on one task, do it from start to finish and only then move on to another.

6. Information diet

Nowadays, information overload your brain is as simple as get heat stroke in the Sahara desert. And even similar symptoms: disturbed sleep, attention and delayed reaction. Our brains are overloaded with information noise. In today's world, people are constantly looking for news, even though they are the same everywhere around us.

In this case, Tim Ferriss, author of "How to work four hours a week and do not hang around in the office "from bell to bell" live anywhere and prosper"Advises people to" sit on an information diet. " Think is really important to you all e-mails, blogs, newspapers and magazines that you read? You really need to spend so much time on social networks and the TV?

Try to get as little as possible entirely unnecessary for you information at least for a week and make sure how it will affect your productivity.

7. Live on schedule

Ask any successful person, when he or she wakes up and is likely to hear that this man gets up early. It is quite simple: in the morning, not so many distractions, so we can focus on priority matters.

Remember that there is a time to relax and have time to work. Spend a clear border between the two. Start with the fact that the stop to engage in business as soon as you feel that you need a break.

It is better to live with the plan than without it.

Parkinson's Law states that "The work fills the time allotted to it." This means that if you, for example, decided that he would write a report for the week, all week you're writing it. Particularly Parkinson's Law applies to cases that we do not like and which we have no desire to do. Many of us tend to stretch things as much as possible. But if you surround each task in the rigid framework, it will allow you to deal with things much more efficiently. When you have deadlines, you try to get it to perform everything in life, so this is a great motivation.