4 Productivity Hacks for Your Workday

4 Productivity Hacks for Your Workday

4 Productivity Hacks for Your Workday

With limited hours in the day, it is imperative that you make the most of your time in the office. It can be easy to get distracted online, in your inbox, and at your desk. To better manage your time and increase efficiency, we’ve curated a list of four of our favorite productivity hacks.

1. Clear Out Clutter

First and foremost, you’ve got to declutter your workspace. According to Susan Whitbourne, Professor of Psychology, “Piles of stuff accumulating on your office desk and the floor of your bedroom has a psychological affect.” So whether it’s a stack of papers, empty wrappers, or scattered sticky notes, this clutter can act as both a physical and mental distraction.

By decreasing clutter in your computer, not only can you increase your productivity levels, but you can increase your computer’s performance as well. To get started, you can delete old files, uninstall unused programs, and implement a new filing system. And if you want to go even further, reorganize your email using files and priority/spam filters!

2. Track Your Time

At PalmTech, each employee tracks their time in tickets, whether it’s 5 minutes or 5 hours, every second is accounted for. Tracking our time allows us to accurately bill clients, plan future projects, and better organize our priorities.

Practice tracking your time either with pen and paper or a program like RescueTime. You’ll be able to see a detailed log of how you spend your time at work and you’ll be more conscious of your distractions.

3. Block Distracting Websites

If you tracked your time and noticed that you visit a lot of non-work-related websites throughout the day, it could be a good idea to block access to specific websites using URL filters.

Another option could be to limit how much time you can spend on these websites and how many times you can visit them rather than blocking them entirely. Google Chrome Extensions like StayFocusd and Strict Workflow specialize in these types of services.

4. Prioritize Your Tasks

Whether you want to accomplish 3 projects or a list of 300, you have to compile and organize each of your tasks based on their level of importance.

Once you’ve got a list of your most important projects, you can break them down into smaller, more manageable tasks. Using a handwritten or virtual to do list, such as Google Tasks or Trello, you’ll be able to track your progress as you cross each item off of your list giving you a sense of accomplishment and motivating you to stay productive!



If you’re interested in any of the free resources we mentioned above, here’s a quick breakdown with links for your convenience:

  • RescueTime - A personal analytics service that shows you how you spend your time and provides tools to help you be more productive.
  • StayFocusd - A productivity extension for Google Chrome that lets you restrict the amount of time you can spend per day on time-wasting websites.
  • Strict Workflow – A free browser plug-in loosely based on the Pomodoro Technique of working in focused bursts, followed by short breaks.
  • Google Tasks - Google Tasks lets you create a to-do list within your desktop Gmail or the Google Tasks app. When you add a task, you can integrate it into your Gmail calendar, and add details or subtasks.
  • Trello - Trello’s boards, lists, and cards enable you to organize and prioritize your projects in a fun, flexible and rewarding way.