Giving your all at work when you’re also a parent can be challenging, and it’s commonplace to feel like your productivity isn’t what it should be.
When you need to be entirely present and switched off from work after office hours, it’s important that you’re as productive as possible during your 9-5. One of the most important factors of productivity is the act of planning for it. As the saying goes, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail!
Here’s how to prepare yourself for a productive day at work.
Comfort is Key
First of all, you need to make sure that you’re comfortable, and this can mean something different for everyone. If you work in an office, prioritizing comfort might mean opting for slacks over a pencil skirt. However, if you work from home, you might develop a ‘uniform’ of comfy leggings and slippers.
Brands like KEY Apparel are a good option to look into, because they cater for all sorts of workers, and you’ll be able to find high-quality, comfortable clothes for your whole family.
Setting Goals is Essential
Throwing yourself into your workday without a clue what you need to achieve is a recipe for failure, which is why you need to set goals.
Setting goals for your work is essential because they will help you to stay focused. You need to do this on both a large scale of annual and quarterly goals, as well as smaller daily goals. Once you have your big work goals set, you can make sure that you align your small daily goals to ensure you’re doing what’s necessary to reach your main targets.
Embrace Time Management Techniques
One of the corner pillars of productivity is effective time management. We all have the same 24 hours in a day, and how we choose to use them is what will dictate the outcomes of our lives.
Figure out the time management techniques that work for you. You can try methods like calendar blocking, task batching, and the pomodoro technique. All of these (and there are more out there) are designed to help you stay focused and get things done with the time you have available to you.
You Need a Dedicated Workspace
If you work in an office, this one is easy. However, work-from-home moms know the struggle of never being able to separate your work life from your home life. This is why having a dedicated workspace is essential.
If you have an extra room available to convert into a home office, this is the ideal scenario. However, you might need to select another space in your home such as a desk in the living room, or the kitchen countertop, as your work area. Browse the internet for some ideas for your at-home workspace.
Minimize Distractions
Whether you’re at home or in the office, there will always be endless distractions just waiting for you to be tempted enough to indulge them. It might be your kids calling your name, the TV in the background, a gossiping co-worker, or just the allure of social media and the notifications on your phone.
Whatever your distractions might be, you need to devise a plan to deal with them. For you, this might look like big, obnoxious noise-canceling headphones that let everyone know you’re busy, or simply using an app-blocker on your phone.
Delegate When Necessary
No matter who you are or who you think you are, nobody can do it all, which is why sometimes you need to let the task fall to someone else.
Delegating and outsourcing are important parts of productivity because they allow you to focus on what truly matters. If you work for yourself, you might need to outsource some of your business activities or invest in automation software. Otherwise, perhaps you need to delegate some of your more tedious tasks to someone who works under you. Remember to do what is necessary so you can focus on your most important tasks.
Practice Self-Care
Finally, remember not to fall down the rabbit hole of “toxic productivity”. Being productive and having a full, satisfying day of work can feel great and will drive you closer to your goals. But keep in mind that nobody can be “on” all the time.
Self-care and rest are productive too, because they allow you to recharge and continue giving your best at work on a constant basis. Make sure to finish working at a reasonable hour and take care of your personal needs too.
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