Plan Your Tasks Productively

Many of you may believe that hard work is important for success and some of you may have no choice but to work very hard, due to the pressures in your firm. To be as productive as possible in the shortest period of time is the goal all of us want during the working day. Total Performance Psychologist Amanda Owens recommends people plan their working day, and the micro tasks within it quite clearly before starting each morning.

Treat the planning phase as your 10 minute warm up to the day. Plan which tasks you will tackle, plan when, how long and what you will do in your breaks, plan when and what you will eat. Make sure you have plenty of water by your desk at all times so you can keep sipping regularly.

If you do not stick to your timed goals, revise your plan as you go, but still take breaks, even if they are shorter. I often hear people say "I was too busy to have lunch", which is probably because they are working so slowly due to poor concentration from low blood sugar levels they were not doing any effective work. You will be surprised how much work you achieve by adopting short intense bursts compared to one long slog at your desk.

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