6 Life and Work Hacks for Higher Productivity

With vacation hours spent and back-to-school traffic bogging down our commutes, lots of us are looking for a post-summer boost in productivity.

That third cup of coffee isn’t the answer—well it’s not the only answer. Before you pour number four, take a moment to evaluate how you’re getting (and not getting) things done. From silencing your mobile alerts to making meetings shorter, here are our favorite hacks for accomplishing more, with or without caffeine.

1. Knock out the two-minute tasks – To keep your to-do list from turning into an inventory of never-got-to-its, try the two-minute rule. Whenever something that’s a quick fix pops up, handle it immediately. For a larger task, block out a larger chunk of time on your calendar so you can devote yourself to completing it. This system will keep your to-do list short and your stress level down.
2. Hide – Some tasks take teamwork but sometimes there’s no productivity substitute for solitude. To complete the larger tasks, silence your notifications and email, turn off ‘Accept Calls’ in CTM, and lock yourself away somewhere quiet. The amount of time is up to you, but keep in mind that it might take a while get in the zone, so set aside enough time to really dig into whatever’s on your plate—at least an hour, maybe two.
3. Time-saving Technology – Use the right tools for the job. Consider adding a second monitor to your workstation to help you multitask without effort, and exploring leading sales and marketing tools to help automate processes and increase efficiency. Making sure all of your technology platforms integrate and communicate properly will also help streamline operations.  
4. Chop meetings in half – Don’t assume everything takes an hour—or even half an hour for that matter. Odds are that your team will use up however much time they’re given and be more prone to getting sidetracked if meetings aren’t kept to a minimum. Spending five or ten minutes and having a clear agenda can keep meetings moving and save time in the long run.
5. Get moving – Sitting all day doesn’t excite, encourage, or inspire productivity. A little exercise, on the other hand, can work wonders on both energy levels and engagement. Something as simple as a fifteen-minute walk during lunch, or forgoing the elevator for a flight of stairs, can boost productivity—not to mention your health. If you’re having trouble getting motivated to leave your desk, try drinking more water throughout the day. They might not seem like much, but a couple of extra trips to the restroom can at least get you on your feet. And proper hydration has been shown to increase energy levels and mental acuity.
6. Repurpose your downtime – Spending too much time in traffic or in a holding pattern while waiting for coworkers to respond? Even time stuck in a car can be made more productive. Dictate notes into your phone, route calls to your mobile—or listen to an industry podcast or the audio of a webinar. And even if you aren’t doing something specifically task-oriented, downtime can be a great opportunity to think, plan, and learn—all of which will contribute to greater productivity further down the road.

Even if you gain just 30 minutes for each of these hacks every week, that adds up to three extra hours—a significant chunk of time—and more accomplishment than you would have thought possible. Want to learn how CallTrackingMetrics is helping businesses increase productivity and sales performance? Schedule a demo with our team.