New Year, New Habits: 10 Ways to Make 2021 Happier and More Productive at Work
Welcome to the new year. January is always a good time to make a fresh start and think about how you can make this year better than ever.
At the very least, it can’t be worse than 2020 (we hope).
Last month we talked about all the workplace change that happened in 2020, and that’s only going to continue. But in spite of all that change, you’re still in charge of your own day. You set the agenda for what’s going to get accomplished this year. So let’s make it a big year, full of accomplishments and wins.
10 Ways to Do Better in 2021
We’ve got a few suggestions for how you can implement new habits and be more successful (and happier) in 2021.
Pair back the interruptions: If you want to be more productive, stop letting your devices dictate your day. When you settle in to do work, turn off the notifications. No email, no social media, no texts, no phone calls. All those interruptions kill your focus and leave you distracted. By shutting them off, you’ll get more done more quickly. Take just an hour free of notifications, then you can let yourself check in and see what you missed (not much).
Put it on the calendar: A to-do list is a tried and true productivity tactic. But one of its shortcomings is it doesn’t take into account how much time you have in the day. Instead, schedule your to-do items on a calendar. Now instead of a simple list, you can see how much of your day or week that list will actually take. You can move more important things earlier, and push off the less important ones.
Shortcuts: Learn some keyboard shortcuts. Brainscape calculated that the average user could save eight days per year just be learning keyboard shortcuts. Here are 60 keyboard shortcuts to get you started.
Stop switching: In the book Busy: How to Thrive in a World of Too Much, author Tony Crabbe cites the dangers of multitasking. He notes that switching tasks actually makes us 40% slower.
Sound off: Here’s an easy one—listen to music. Research has shown that 88% of people are more accurate and 81% work faster when piping the tunes.
Tiny tasks: Our schedules seem to be full of minor tasks that eat up the day. It can even feel more productive because we’re getting so many things done. But inevitably, those little projects aren’t the important work you need to be doing. If you really want to be productive, tackle the big jobs first.
Big tasks firsts: Sometimes we let those minor tasks eat up the day because the big tasks are intimidating. So we keep putting them off. Here’s a tip: Tackle one of those big projects first thing in the morning. Just suck it up and do it. You’ll discover a couple things: First, it’s not as bad as you thought. Second, you’ll get a major boost from the sense of accomplishment. Third, you’re actually getting the real work done.
Kudos collection: Start collecting compliments. Create a folder in your email program or a Google Doc or a literal file on your desk where you store all the nice things people say about you or your company. Call it the Kudos Collection or the Smile File or We’re Awesome (or whatever name works for you). Make it easy to access, and every time you get some high praise, add it to the folder. Whenever you’re feeling down, check out that folder for an instant pick me up. (Plus, it’s a good marketing practice to save positive stories.)
Let’s go!: The book Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending notes that anticipation is a powerful motivator. We like having something to look forward to. It’s why the day before you leave for vacation is peak happiness. Take advantage of this by giving yourself things to get excited about. Book that vacation now. Put your fun weekend plans on the calendar. Heck, put that fun new Netflix show on the calendar.
Take a break: If you want to be more productive and happier in your work, take a break. Seriously. We’re ridiculously overworked. Pushing yourself harder and trying to get just one more thing done isn’t going to make you more productive. It certainly won’t make you happier. But taking a break might. By letting your mind (and body) relax, you’ll come back refreshed and recharged. Take 10 minutes to walk around the office. Get away from your computer and close your eyes. Look out the window (or even better, go outside!).
What Works for You?
There’s all kinds of advice out there for how to be more productive at work. But all that really matters is what works for you. So take all that advice (including ours) with a grain of salt. Instead, experiment and find out what works best for you.
Here’s to better habits in 2021 and a happier, more productive year.