Productivity hacks are quick techniques that increase your productivity in no time at all. Unlike popular productivity hacks that help you increase productivity in weeks or more, these hacks would help increase your productivity immediately.

This is not to say that there aren’t other strategies that boost productivity in 2 weeks, but if you need an immediate fix, you’ve come to the right place. Chances are, as you are reading this, you have pending deadlines that you need to complete. But, you have no idea how to focus or put your productivity at 100%.

So without much further ado, let’s look into 5 quick productivity hacks that you can use in under 3 minutes.

Here Are 5 Quick Productivity Hacks You Can Do In Under 3 minutes: 

1. Stop trying to be perfect.
2. Remove distractions
3. Delegate tasks
4. Focus on important tasks using the Eisenhower matrix
5. Break up your work into smaller tasks

1.  Stop Trying To Be Perfect 

Perfectionism kills productivity fast. Especially when there is a need for speed. When we are trying to be perfect, we restrict our creativity and productivity. Similar to this suggestion for boosting creativity, you have to let your ideas flow, bad or good.

This doesn’t mean you should create work you aren’t proud of, but it ensures that the barrier to idea flow is eliminated. You stop being hung up on the tiny mistakes you have made. Then just before you conclude or save that file, you can review your work to eliminate any possible mistakes. At that time, because you have accomplished a task, you would be able to see an increase in your productivity.

2. Remove Distractions 

Focus is the number one thing you need to be productive. That means you need to eliminate every and all distraction you might have. This includes social media, emails and even a cluttered desk. Even if you need to go to work immediately, taking two minutes to clear up your desk or to put off your social media notifications makes a lifetime of indifference.

All you need is 2 minutes. It doesn’t have to be perfect or squeaky clean, as in the case of your work environment, but it needs to be better. This major improvement is one of the best productivity hacks you can use anywhere. Because there are fewer distractions present, you can now focus on your work.

 3. Delegate Tasks 

Getting worked up over the numerous tasks you have to complete doesn’t have to be part of your day. If there aren’t any tasks that need to specifically be done by you, you can delegate them. This is especially helpful when working for a team.

You can delegate tasks on your plate that don’t necessarily need your skill set. They can be easily done by another person, maybe even faster. If you can, automate those processes and you will never have to bother about them as much again. This frees up time to work on your most important tasks.

The important thing about this productivity hack is that you ask for help and reduce your workload.

 4. Focus On Important Tasks By Using The Eisenhower Matrix 

When productivity is low, it can get confusing having to do so many things at once. Multitasking is one of the hindrances to productivity. However, you can focus on more important tasks by using the Eisenhower matrix.

This helps you prioritise your task into 4 key segments: urgent and important, important and not urgent, urgent and not important, and not important and not urgent. This is mentioned in terms of priority. Now, you can put all of your focus into that first segment and try to delegate the last 3 ones.

Productivity hacks like this can be done in 3 minutes, allowing you to quickly go back to your work and focus on one thing at a time.

 5. Break Up Your Work Into Smaller Tasks

This might seem like the direct opposite of a productivity hack, but it’s one of the best things to do.

This requires the skills of being able to visualise the end product and make a plan for it. While it might seem better to schedule a task for 1 hour, it’s also daunting to start. Again, this productivity hack removes that barrier. Break into smaller tasks then add them to your calendar. Then you can promise yourself to only work on the smaller task for 3 minutes. The intense focus needed for those few minutes is easier to summon. Usually, once you have started, there’s momentum to finish giving you that boost of productivity.

This also has a plus. Because the task has been broken down, these sub-tasks take significantly less time to accomplish and as the day proceeds, there is that dopamine hit from seeing check marks in your task folder. Making you see that you have accomplished something. With many productivity hacks, this is a sure one that gives you the highest return because the more you work, the higher your motivation and the higher your productivity.

Key Takeaway 

The fastest way to increase your productivity as a creative is by using these 5 quick productivity hacks. As promised, these hacks take less than 3 minutes to implement. So go back to work now and get your productivity brimming.

About the Author

ANGEL UMEZ

Brand Marketing Executive

• LinkedIn

With an aim to be a top gun in the marketing world, Angel creates diverse forms of content to connect brands with their customers. She is also adept at creating content strategies, especially for creative, marketing, product and tech brands. Known as the “Fashionable Parrot”, she’s an avid reader and a SDG advocate.