Everyone goes through a phase in life when they feel they’re running on slippery ice. It is a feeling where you try and hurry to reach very far but end up staying at the same place.
You must have experienced days when you had been sitting at your desk for 4 hours straight, but you haven’t really completed any of those important tasks on your list. All this while you have been busy, yet all you could manage to do is finish some petty tasks that could have been delayed.
Being productive at work is what all strive for, but how many actually have one full day that went entirely productive at work? If we tell you that you can actually take out 15 minutes of your day, that will be the most productive minutes of your day. Well, being productive depends more on the intention than the requirement.
There are four ways by which you can spend just 15 minutes of your day and do the most productive tasks. Let’s see how you can plan for it;
Block out a 15-minute chunk of time.
Don’t we all have a specific window in our day when we can work with full concentration and no interruptions? That is precisely what you need to figure out about yourself and your day. Choose a 15-minute window; it does not matter if it is morning, afternoon, or evening. In addition to the time slot, you need to find a quiet spot where there are no interruptions; avoid all phone calls, messages, and emails in this window.
When you sit in a quiet spot with zero interruptions, you can complete more work than you could think of finishing in your entire shift.
Find the best way to use those 15 minutes effectively.
Once you have settled with space and time, you must look for tasks that are important but don’t need urgent attention. Stephen Covey’s idea of picking “Quadrant II” tasks (important but not urgent) is very effective.
How do you shortlist the tasks you need to perform? Well, you need to look for a job that makes a difference to your job responsibilities and achievements but does not need immediate attention. This is the task that you might have been delaying due to the same reasons.
Make that productive time holy.
What do we mean by holy here, you ask? It means that you have to be completely dedicated to this task with all your concentration. To ensure this happens, you need to block your phone calls, emails, social media, and all other things around that can serve as a distraction to you.
But how do you block yourself entirely for 15 minutes? You need to put your phone notifications on silent and inform all your coworkers that you will not be available in the so-and-so timeframe. Add a do-not-disturb signboard where you sit, the sign could say, “I can’t be disturbed. If you knock, it’s gotta be really important.”
Put your head down and power through.
Some people usually let their minds wander to thoughts that are unimportant and distract the work they are in progress on. Tell your mind that you will be working on an important task for 15 minutes, and it should not let you wander to dreams of life. Make sure you put all your energy into the task that you’re doing and concentrate as much as possible.
Once you are finished with the task, you will be surprised to see that you can achieve more than you always thought of. This little part of your day is the most productive, and you work more effectively. Always ensure to add this 15-minute window in your work plan you make before the next.