Part 22. Work Less Accomplish More

Conclusion
As you can see from all the tips given here, being more productivity at work does not always mean making drastic changes. Everything you learned here requires small changes on your part. These are things you can certainly do.
Different these tips may be, all of them have one thing in common. These tips will only work as long as you act on them. That is, if you start including these in your work habit, you are bound to see the results you are looking for. Reading and learning about it is just one part of the equation.
With this in mind, you want to start improving your productivity and boosting your performance as soon as possible. Keep in mind that it is up to you to make the difference. So what are you waiting for? Work better and start to impress your boss, client or coworkers. You will never know when you are next in line for a promotion. 

Part 21. Work Less Accomplish More

91 Outsource some of the work.
Business owners who find it difficult to fit everything needed into an already hectic schedule. Most business people make the mistake of thinking they can do something themselves to cut costs. On the other hand, the time wasted is really not worth it. With this in mind, you are better off hiring a messenger, virtual assistant, bookkeeper and others to do the job for you. Automate as much of your process as possible so you do not have to worry much. This frees up your mind from mundane tasks so you can have more brilliant ideas.

92 Buddy up and check on each other.
Some people just do not have enough self-discipline to keep them working. If you are like that, you are better off getting a work buddy to check on you from time to time. Ideally, this should be someone who tracks your progress and gives suggestions on how to improve your productivity. Collaborate with a friend online and help each other out. Essentially, you are asking him or her to act like your boss. As much as possible, ask help from someone who works from home as well.

93 Invest in sound and reliable technology.
Working from home means less in-person meetings for you. Still, the importance of such meetings is present. As such, most of your work is conducted over the phone and/or online. Investing in the best technology money can buy is a good idea then. Some printers can now double as a photocopy and even a fax machine so do look into those. It may cost more but it will give off better benefits in the long run. Simple services such as voice mail and call waiting are a huge help as well.

94 Modern conveniences are your best friends.
In relation to the previous tip, the home-based worker also needs to be aware of modern technologies that can make life easier. A smartphone is ideal for entrepreneurs on the go where you can check your email and make and receive phone calls anytime, anywhere. The latest high-performance laptops have enough computing power for applications needed by graphic designers. A fast broadband connection lets you finish your tasks quickly and without delay. Consider what you need to get the job done and invest your money accordingly. Your clients will only thank you with their continued patronage.

95 Take frequent and short breaks.
Just like working in the office, working at home also requires short breaks in between. Be sure to at least close your eyes for at least five minutes every hour. This reduces the strain caused by staring at the computer all day. You can also try walking around to stretch your legs a bit. Grab a quick snack to help replenish your energy and keep your mind sharp and active. You can even lie down for a while to get your bearing straight. Just be careful not to doze off completely!

96 Dress for the occasion.
Just because you are working at home does not mean you get to wear your pajamas to work. Well you can but that is not a good idea. Working in your pajamas just encourages you to slack off and doze off. Continue your routine as you would when you were still going to the office. Wake up, shower, brush your teeth, get dressed and eat breakfast as you normally would. You do not have to change in that respect in the first place. In other words, continue behaving like the model employee that you are.

97 If you are not up to it, STOP.
This may seem counter-productive but consider this: you have been staring at a blinking cursor for hours but no words seem to come to mind. Take this as a sign that you are not ready to work yet. When this happens, find something else to do until you feel like working again. Just do not over indulge yourself. The point here is to refresh your mind in an effort to jumpstart it to work mode. Be sure that you are still meeting the deadlines you have set though.

98 Quantity or quality?
Another thing that home-based workers should be mindful of is the quality of their work. With no one else to check and proofread, it is easy for quality to get left behind the dust. Combine this with procrastination and cramming and you have a recipe for disaster. While you are working, it is best to check for the quality of your article, design or whatever it is you are working on. At the end of the day ask yourself one important question, “Is this the kind of work I want my clients to think I am capable of?”

99 Do not burn yourself out.
At the extreme end of procrastination is working your self too hard. Just because you can work 12 to 14 hours in a day does not mean you should. It may be tempting to “do tomorrow’s work today for a free day after” but it must be avoided. Over time, the quality of your work begins to deteriorate resulting in poor results. Working long hours is only bad for productivity. So do yourself a favor and take a break every now and then. Work within your capabilities and avoid overstretching yourself.\

100 Get a change of scenery.
Working and living in the same location can drive someone mad. This is the most common problem that home-based workers face on a daily basis which is often bad for productivity. The best way to address this problem is to get out of the house and find a nice place to work in. Coffee shops are your best bet but libraries might be better because of the environment. Alternatively, you can try relaxing on the beach while you work. Nothing beats the warm ocean breeze and fresh air as you write your article or come up with a new design.

101 Suit yourself.
The beauty of working at home is that you can adapt your environment as you see fit. Want music? Turn on the radio or your iPod. Want to be more comfortable? Sit on the couch and type away with your laptop on hand. Want to eat while working? Head on to the kitchen and make yourself a sandwich. It is so easy to work according to your own wishes when you work at home. Use this to your advantage and set-up an environment that encourages you to work harder and produce better results. 

Part 20. Work Less Accomplish More

81 Make yourself comfortable.
It is no secret that comfort brings the mind to a better state where concentration is at its finest. You simply cannot expect someone to come up with a breakthrough in uncomfortable situations. So get an ergonomic chair, wear a sweater vest to keep yourself warm or turn up the air conditioning. Anything that can be done to make you feel comfortable while working should be done without delay. It is for the best after all.

82 Stay “electronic.”
If you are a highly mobile worker who spends as much time working in the plane, you are much better off keeping electronic copies of all the files you need. The last thing you need is to shuffle through scores of papers while on a trip. Keeping soft copies of your paperwork also reduces the weight you have to bring along. If you must take down notes for a meeting, keep a small notebook handy. Otherwise, everything should be saved in a flash thumb drive. This may need some getting used to during the first few trips but it is well worth the adjustment you have to go through.

Things That Home-Based Workers Can Do
Modern advances in technology have created a new breed of employee – the home-based worker. As the name suggests, they work from the comforts of their own home more often than not as freelancers. New they may be but they also face a few challenges of their own – some unique, others all too familiar. This section is dedicated to tips on how to improve productivity at home offices.

83 Establish a routine.
More often than not, the main problem of working from home is procrastination. There are simply too many distractions lying about. Since you do not have a work schedule, you will have to come up with one yourself. Only by implementing a work schedule can you lessen procrastination and thus improve productivity from home. When the time for work comes, the brain can quickly shift into gear and you will feel more inclined to work. Do this everyday and you have yourself a classic work routine where everything that needs to be done is done as second nature.

84 Find out when you are most ready for work.
Home-based workers are not necessarily working in 9 to 5 shifts. There is no need to stick to this time frame either. Some choose to work in the morning while others wait until nightfall. The important thing to consider here is when you feel like working. It is one important advantage that working from home has. Use this to your own advantage by setting up your work schedule to coincide with the time frame you are most likely at your most productive. Just make sure that it is a fixed time frame you will stick to everyday.

85 Plan ahead of work.

Home-based workers often get different workloads throughout the work week. This makes it a bit more difficult to plan the day ahead. Nevertheless, it is best to work based on a schedule even a tentative one. This way, you have an idea on how to go about the day and lets you accomplish what needs to done right off the bat. This makes procrastination and confusion less likely. It also serves as your plan of action which you can always consult whenever you seem to be lost and in need of guidance.

86 Itemize your workload.
Reading off the work for the day is often daunting and makes you want to not work at all. When this happens, you can always turn to an age-old solution – the to-do list. Having a to-do list lets you organize your work load and checking items off as you go is also encouraging. Online tools that can help you create such a list do exist. Still, you have the option of coming up with one from the ground up. To-do lists have been proven effective at clearing your head and preparing it for work so do not underestimate its power. It may as well be the answer you are looking for.

87 Tell friends and family that you are on work mode.
Working from home is a relatively new phenomenon that some people still fail to grasp. As such, some friends and family tend to downplay the seriousness of your work. “You are not even in an office” as they often quip. Unfortunately, this does not distractions from friends and family which is bad when you are trying to catch up on a deadline. When this happens, it is best to make them aware that you are working and cannot afford to be distracted. Explain to them that you are not free just because you are at home.

88 Focus but not on social networking sites.
In home offices where internet access is virtually unrestricted, distraction from such sites as Facebook and Twitter is all too common. When not needed, it is best to disconnect from your router or broadband connection. Creative tasks such as designing and writing will benefit greatly from this. You will be amazed at how much time you can recover when you start focusing on the work at hand. Once you are done, you will have all the time you want to start chatting and browsing the internet once again. For now, you have to focus.

89 Track your progress.
With no boss around, it is up to you to check on your own progress. Check the actual work you have done against the current time. Did you take longer or faster than you expected? This should give you a good idea if you are being productive or not. You can track your progress manually or with help from software called RescueTime. This is an online time-tracking software which tells its user how he or she spends his or her time on the computer. It really helps time your tasks so consider it as an investment for increased productivity and better output.

90 Set-up a home office or a separate space for work.
Working out of your bedroom or in front of the TV is no good especially if you want to be productive. As such, you want to devote a separate space for work to make a distinction between work and play. As much as possible, find a quiet space in your home where there will not be so much distraction. Get all the hardware you need and put it in one convenient place for quick and easy access. Having a home office is best but any spot where you can work quietly is good enough. 

Part 19. Work Less Accomplish More

71 Get out of bed before the rest of the world.
Setting your alarm clock at least an hour earlier then everyone else’s is great for getting you to work early in the morning. Apart from keeping you from showing up late, it allows for some time alone in the office. No phone calls, no one dropping by at your desk and other such things. In other words, you have the office to yourself with virtually no distractions. Quite obviously, this boosts productivity by allowing you to concentrate on the task at hand.

72 Do not drink your stress away.
Lots of people seek relief from stress by drinking, often to excess. While the infrequent drink with friends is fine and a glass of wine with dinner is nice, drinking to get rid of problems causes more problems in itself. Alcohol is not the solution to your work stress, or any stress for that matter. Drinking is at its best when done as a social activity with discipline and moderation, at least in terms of amount consumed.

73 Perform regular maintenance on all tools and equipment.
Whether you work with socket wrenches or on a computer terminal, you should perform regular maintenance. Oil hinges. Dust air inlets and outlets. Wipe down surfaces. Run a defragmenter. Perform full system scans. Create restore points. Check for leaks. Walk around and check if everything’s safe and secure. Whatever it is that you do for a living there is something you can do to maintain good working conditions.

74 Find out if anything’s expired.
This one applies mostly to those who work in food-related or pharmaceutical jobs. Lots of consumables have expiration dates, and if you don’t go through your inventory regularly, you risk leaving expired items on the shelf for buyers to pick out and buy. This can lead to a lot of problems, so it is best to check regularly for expired items and to remove them from the shelves or avoid using them.

75 Check for discrepancies in inventory.
A regular inventory audit can reveal discrepancies in inventory and reported sales volumes. This can lead to investigations into pilferage, shoplifting, or simply bad accounting. Whatever the result may be, there is always something you can do to make it better.

76 Mix in with the right crowd.
The sad truth is that not everyone works productively. Some just lounge off and get by with the bare minimum. To really help boost your productivity, surround yourself with like-minded people who are really into what they are doing. If you can, work with people who have the same work habits and styles as you do. Laid back people are better off working with the same happy-go-lucky crowd. If you are someone who would rather be serious, find someone else who shares this ideal. This helps sync up your work habits and produces a harmonious relationship with your coworkers.

77 Perform financial audits.
Aside from possibly discovering embezzlement and pilferages, performing regular financial audits enables you to better understand your business’s performance. Productivity is also about making the most of what you have, and you can’t make the most of what you have if some of it goes missing.

78 Find time to exercise.
Regular exercise not only keeps your body fir but your mind sharp as well. You already spend eight hours of your life sitting on a chair on the weekdays. Break this routine on the weekends and start getting up more. No need to build your body here. Just spend one to hours a day at the gym to get your heart pumping and your blood flowing. Exercising on the weekend also helps break the monotony of work and helps get rid of the Monday blues when it is time to work again.

79 Get some well-deserved R & R.
There is a reason why they say “work hard, play harder.” After a rough week at the office, it is best to pat yourself on the back with some good old rest and recreation. Find time to do something you want like watching the football game or firing up the barbecue. Anything that helps clear your mind for the week ahead is a great thing to do. The main point here is to relax and free yourself from stress and you are going to need it. So put your feet up and unwind until it is time for work again.

80 Get enough sleep.
Staying up all night then going to work the next day is never a good idea. A lack of sleep will most surely decrease your attention span and your ability to concentrate. Of course this is bad news for productivity. So instead of being up all night, do not go past your bed time. It is a bit juvenile but it does help in bringing your brain to work mode the following day. This way, you are not a slave to the coffee machine anymore. Keep your mind fresh and up to the task and you will soon have better output. 

Part 18. Work Less Accomplish More

61 Don’t meet someone out of the blue.
You may not realize it but having a sudden meeting with someone can ruin your productivity and waste your time. Such meetings are only good for interrupting your train of thought and disturbing your concentration. Next time a coworker drops by at your desk and starts some chit-chat, politely suggest meeting him or her at a time that is convenient to both of you. You would be surprised to find out how much time you waste in these idle and unimportant chats.

Things To Do After Work
Your work does not really end after you finish it. As paradoxical as that statement is, there is truth in it. There are things that you can do after completing tasks to improve productivity. Yes, you may be tired already, but try to do these as much as possible, okay?

62 Put away your tools and equipment.
You might be using them again as soon as you start the next day, but that is no excuse for leaving them lying about. Putting away your tools and equipment does not just keep them organized, it also makes the work area safer, and in the case of common resources, makes it easy for others to find and use them. Also, if someone has sticky fingers, putting away your tools can secure them so you don’t lose productivity by trying to search for something which is no longer there.

63 Shut down your computer.
Some people simply put their computers into sleep mode or let them run overnight with the monitor turned off. Unless you are running some resource-heavy task that requires all night, you should shut down your computer. Putting a computer into sleep or hibernate mode does not allow it to flush its memory completely, which means that you don’t get off to a fresh start when you turn it on the next day. A full shutdown means that you can start off from the best possible state because your computer was able to clean itself with the shutdown.

64 If you need to leave your computer running, turn off the monitor and use an automatic shutdown application.
Sometimes we can’t wait for our computers to complete certain tasks, which is why we sometimes need to leave them running after hours. If you want to do so, make sure you turn off the monitor and set an automatic shutdown. Give your shutdown a little leeway in case the task takes a little longer than expected.

65 Tidy up your workspace.
When you’re done for the day, make sure to tidy up your workspace. Place papers in folders or envelopes. Pick up bits of trash and throw them into the waste bin. Wash your coffee mug. Do what you can to improve the cleanliness and orderliness of your area so you can come in the next day to a neat and conducive workplace.

66 Lock up.
Lock up what you can if it is under your jurisdiction to do so (i.e. you have the keys). Whether it is your desk drawers, a document safe, windows, or doors, you should make sure that they are locked as you leave the workplace. Security is essential to productivity, as it ensures that you won’t be set back by losses in supplies, equipment, end-products, or vital documents.

67 Review your work at the end of the day.
More specifically, take time to analyze how you did things afterwards. Maybe there is a more efficient way of finishing your report that you have yet to stumble upon. You will never know if there is a better way of doing things unless you start looking for one. If there happens to be one, throw out your old habit and adapt a better strategy. Do not be afraid to try new things especially if it might bring better results or optimize your work process. You will only thank yourself later.

68 Pat yourself on the back.
There are times when all you need is some good old encouragement. When you do well enough, your boss or supervisor is bound to take notice and compliment you for a job well done. Who says you cannot do this for yourself? At the end of a grueling day, why not pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself for finishing everything? This kind of self- encouragement is great for your self-confidence as well as your overall well- being. End your day the same way you started it – in a good mood.

Things To Do In General
This section covers the tips that don’t quite fall into any of the above categories, but are nonetheless useful in helping you achieve a higher level of productivity.

69 Find a way to unwind after work.
Everyone needs to have an outlet, preferably something constructive. Stress from our jobs makes live in general more difficult, and our jobs more dislikable. This stress builds up unless there is some way to release it. A good hobby can relieve the stress, making it easier to stick with the job. It lowers those “I hate my job” feelings, enabling you to perform your tasks more efficiently. If your hobby produces some form of product, whether physical or digital, you could also sell it for incidental income.

70 Put some good music on.
Music calms the wildest beast and the same goes true with a disorganized mind. Science has already proven the calming effects of certain kinds of music. When the opportunity allows for such, pop some earphones on and listen to good music for a change. It is certainly a welcome change and break from the usual office conversations and staccato humming of the office fax machine. Good music is great for clearing your head and helping you concentrate more. Just make sure that you are not disturbing the person next to you. He or she may not like your preference of music after all. 

Part 17. Work Less Accomplish More

51 Propagate communiqués
If there are instructions or other information that needs to be communicated to others, then it should be done as soon as possible. If it is your responsibility to do so, then make sure to take care of it right away.

52 Update your agenda or schedules as needed.
When changes occur that will have effects on schedules or your agenda, update your reminders, and if needed, communicate with the concerned parties. Do these as soon as the need arises so you don’t forget to do so. This will help you avoid situations where you forget appointments or you don’t get what you need because it was not requested beforehand, which causes stress and loss of time for everyone involved.

53 Maintain good relationships at work.
Being cordial around officemates is good not only for your productivity but the office as a whole as well. It is no secret that a harmonious relationship among coworkers promotes an efficient work process which is more likely to produce better results. Compare that to an office where a few coworkers are cold towards each other. In such extreme cases, it might even start hostilities among coworkers. Do you get why there is an annual company retreat now? If you are really not the friendly type, at least give your coworkers a smile every now and then.

Things To NOT Do During Work
Just like there are things that you should be doing during your work time, there are also things that you must avoid doing. This quite obviously includes things labeled as NSFW, but there’s quite a bite more too.

54 Don’t seek entertainment during your work time.
Unless it is your break time, you should not be doing anything that isn’t part of your work. That means that seeking entertainment, whether online, offline, or on mobile devices, is discouraged as these can interfere with your work. Even if you use them during break time, you risk lowering your productivity should the content get stuck in your head, making you anticipate the next time you can enjoy that entertainment.

55 Don’t distract yourself.
It’s too easy to get lost in all the stuff that’s online, or on your mobile devices, especially if the company you work for is not very strict about the use of the company Internet bandwidth. Sooner or later, you end up looking through LOLcats or following the adventures of webcomic characters – unless of course you have the discipline to stick to what you’re supposed to be doing. Stay focused on your work, and whatever you do, don’t click that mysterious link!

56 Don’t let others distract you.
Sometimes the mystical allure of LOLcats and viral videos comes to our attention through no fault of our own. An officemate might send you the link, or will be viewing it (and laughing like a loon) when you pass by. The point is that sometimes distractions are shown to us by other people, and though it is not their intention to make your productivity drop, it ends up doing so. That’s why you will need to stay on track and avert your eyes. When you’re done with work, then you can amuse yourself to no end, right?

57 Don’t download and install with abandon.
Practice Internet safety to avoid infection. It’s all too easy to abuse the Internet provided by your office. Downloading programs and the like, you’re basically getting them for free. Matters of piracy aside, downloading and installing programs downloaded from less-than-reputable sites can introduce viral infections to your terminal. The effects range from unnoticeable to rapid decline in performance and breakdown. If you use a computer when working and it breaks down, you lose precious time to the required repairs, and worse, you get busted for downloading and installing things that are not contributive to your work.

58 Don’t stream videos or download using the company bandwidth.
If you work in a corporate environment that does not apply bandwidth limitations per terminal, then you shouldn’t stream videos or download material from the Web. Aside from being construable as improper use of company resources, you risk slowing the network down for everyone because of the bandwidth you are consuming.

59 Don’t visit websites other than reference and work- related websites.
Banning any and all unauthorized websites is difficult in practice for companies, so they would rather apply policies by informing the employees. If you’re one such employee, you should follow those policies and not visit unauthorized websites. Leave your online shopping, sports news, or titillating images for when you are at home. Additionally, you should know that some companies monitor the websites you visit via the network nodes, so erasing your browser history usually isn’t of much help. Being caught simply visiting the wrong website can get you fired from your job.

60 Don’t socialize during work.
One of the biggest distractions during work is socializing with coworkers. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this, remember that your main focus should be your job. Any talks with people in the office should be restricted to work-related topics – not the latest office gossip. Remember that it does not take a lot to ruin your momentum. If you really want to catch up with your coworkers, do so in your own time. There is always the time after work and the weekend to fulfill all your social needs. 

Part 16. Work Less Accomplish More

41 Save regularly.
Not all programs have auto-save features, and those that do may not be set to save often enough. A sudden program freeze or crash can be troublesome, but the impact can be reduced by ensuring you save regularly. Manually saving about every five minutes (or setting the auto-save to that interval) is a good way to minimize data loss in case of unexpected program or system shutdown.

42 Ask for UPS, or get a small one for yourself.
UPS stands for Uninterruptible Power Source, which is basically a smart encased battery that automatically kicks in when the power goes out. Unlike a backup generator system, UPS activates instantly – perfect for computers which can cut out with power interruptions of mere fractions of a second. In fact, one could argue that a UPS never actually kicks in because it’s always feeding power to whatever’s plugged in – it’s just that when the electric current is on, it continuously replenishing the onboard battery. A UPS can give you enough time to save all your information and do a proper shutdown, ensuring you do not lose data and avoid potential system or program corruption.

43 Keep regular backups.
Keeping backups of your files and regularly updating those backups is one secret to productivity. It does add overhead and can be a little tedious, but you will surely not regret it when you lose the active information. Keeping multiple backups is also a vital practice for programmers, since they may want to roll back changes due to unforeseen circumstances. Your backups should be on a separate machine, remotely hosted, or on physical media that is stored properly.

44 Keep detailed information on backups.
You might know what’s currently on your active files and maybe the most recent backup, but what about the backups before that? Having lots multiple backups can make it confusing and difficult to track down the one you want, so you should maintain a readable file that details the contents and changes found in your backup files. If you have enough space, you can keep backups for years to come, and that can mean lots of duplicate files that may not necessarily be the same. Avoid wasting time on finding the right backup by keeping a summary file.

45 Keep records and store them properly.
For any kind of work, maintaining records of important daily information is very helpful. This does not just improve accountability and the ability to recover from loss, but it can also help you monitor performance and take appropriate actions. Remember to regularly relocate your records to some secure location, safe from the elements.

46 Perform regular maintenance for your work computer.
Not all the required maintenance work for your computer has to be handled by the IT Department. There are actually a few things that are simple enough that you can do them on your own. For instance, deleting unnecessary files are just a few simple clicks away. Defragging can help your computer de-clutter its hard drive and keep it running at optimum speeds. Do this regularly like once a week and you will have a reliable computer to work with. No need to keep calling the IT guys and stop working altogether.

47 Assign priorities
Know how to quickly review tasks and use your foresight to arrange them and assign priorities. Priority values rely on metrics like difficulty, time to deadline, required resources (including time), and if you play office politics, who it’s for. High-priority items should be worked on first, unless they rely on some as-yet unavailable resource. If a high-priority item cannot be worked on yet, turn to other high-priority items before taking care of low- priority items.

48 Don’t procrastinate.
Don’t put off work that you can do now. Unless something urgent that requires immediate attention comes up, you should direct your energies to completing whatever it is that can be done at this moment. Aside from lowering your overall productivity, procrastination sets you up for dangerous crunches that could be much less taxing if you completed your tasks as they came up.

49 Let yourself be seen.
This one is for supervisors and middle managers of all kinds. If you have a bit of free time on your hands, take a walk around and peek into cubicles and work stations, or at least act like it. Better yet, do it at random times. This will keep your underlings on their toes and can discourage tomfoolery in the workplace, increasing productivity.

50 Organize productivity contests
This is another one for managers and works best in companies which deal in products made or assembled by people. Organize contests with prizes and you might see an increase in overall productivity as the floor personnel get fired up trying to win that prize. Though in reality they should be putting in effort anyway, a little incentive now and then is not a bad thing.