We’d all like to be a little more productive. Whether you’re a procrastinator avoiding your most challenging tasks, or feel like you’re spending too much time on things that don’t really matter, there’s likely room for improvement in how you’re managing your day. Here are four productivity hacks that will leave you feeling more accomplished when you sign off for the night. 

Time block your day

If you’re juggling a lot of different responsibilities, bombarded with meetings, or having trouble finding the time for bigger projects, you might find it helpful to time block, or to divide your day into certain sections of time, and dedicate those sections to specific tasks (e.g. 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.: blog writing, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. marketing outreach). Structuring your schedule can give you a framework to focus better and work more efficiently throughout your week. 

Practice the “OHIO” method

We all know how easy it is to look at an email or text, make a mental note to answer it later, and then forget about it altogether. The OHIO method is the answer to those less-than-fun mundane tasks that can build up or easily fall off your priority list. OHIO, short for “only handle it once” is a productivity hack developed by an MIT efficiency expert to help increase focus on smaller tasks. So, as soon as you open an email, respond to it. If you read a text, reply before you add it to your mind’s to-do list. When used correctly, OHIO can prevent you from overthinking and delaying, freeing up more mind space for larger projects. 

Automate what you can

Take a moment to think through some of the common, repetitive tasks that you do every day, and ask yourself (and Google) if there’s a way to streamline the steps. Do you have to send similar daily emails to multiple clients? Integrate customizable templates into your email platform so you don’t end up typing the same message over and over. Have to stay on top of industry news at your company? Set a Google alert. Responsible for your organization’s Twitter account? Batch-schedule tweets for the week on Tweetdeck. 

Stay organized

There are plenty of platforms out there with the sole mission of helping you get organized. Take advantage of them! Asana and Trello are two great options for helping you track and manage your work (especially if you enjoy the satisfaction of interactive checklists). And if you’re a job seeker looking for your next opportunity, be sure to use Altogethr’s dashboard for your one-stop-shop to manage your job search process. Save jobs you’ve applied to, and move the job through all the important stages… all the way from interest to offer. 

A few small changes are all you need to be on your way to a more productive day. Time to get started! 

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