What is productivity really about? It essentially refers to doing more and more things in less time. Productivity is very important in this contemporary age of hectic work schedules. As we all know, time management is the most important and most talked about aspect of increasing productivity. As unexpected and unimportant tasks consume time, it is good to abstain from them by all possible means. Tips on productivity help an individual to maintain healthy balance between professional life and personal life. The following tips will make a person equipped with explosive productivity in office, home or virtual workplace. As big goals need huge amount of energy, it is important to stay healthy and focused 24/7/365. Good physical condition will renew focus and energy.  “Procrastination is the thief of time” is applicable in the context of productivity too. Hence, we should never ever procrastinate anything, be it personal or professional.

Start the Day with Structured Time

Scheduling bigger tasks and deleting unimportant tasks is the well known simple step for organizing work life. As soon as a person wakes up, he should go through email and social media updates that have been piled up overnight.

Use Travel Time to Complete Coordination Tasks

Utilizing commuting time for completing coordination tasks is an innovative productivity concept. We have seen professionals gazing at their laptops during train or bus journeys to their offices and they will be probably conducting a roundup of external company consultants. By the time these workaholic folks reach their offices, they will have an accurate picture about project status.

Reduce Meeting Times by 25 Percent

Even if all the meeting times are reduced by twenty five percent, the same amount of work gets done. Many business organizations and educational institutions waste lots of precious time for setting up conference calls. If one hour meeting is cut down to forty five minutes, then it will be possible to gain twenty five hours of work per month.

Take Regular Breaks during Work Time

Taking regular short breaks will definitely increase productivity and keep a professional organized. If an individual is forced to work continuously for long hours, he or she will get tired and lose focus on work. Many corporate employees take a short nap of ten to twenty minutes after lunch.

Work Offsite during Appropriate Occasions

The workspace is often cited as an important element for increasing work productivity. Sitting and working from the same cubicle the entire year will be a frustrating experience. Lots of companies, including multinational giants, are offering work from home as an option for their employees. Working from home has a few advantages like reduced commute time, shorter lunch times and few sick days.

Consolidate Number of Resources We Need to Go for Info

A modern day professional will have to use many email applications, micro blogging tools, chat utilities, social media vehicles and operational systems. It is necessary to make notifications from each application appear consolidated in one place.

Switch Off Pop-up Notifications on Mobile and Desktop

Annoying popup messages will interrupt concentration of working professionals and we should keep them shut off. It is advised to check email only few times during the day.

Converse Instead of Emailing

According to new age management gurus, directly talking to colleagues is far better than sending numerous emails. Chat utilities like GTalk and Skype can be used to converse with colleagues or clients located in far flung areas. Person-to-person communication will give precise directions and it will clear up misunderstandings very quickly. The amount of time used for sending emails can be saved using other Internet-enabled communication alternatives.

Break Big Tasks into Smaller Ones

Feeling of work overload and procrastination associated with taking on big jobs and agile techniques are the best way to manage workloads. With information technology, we can break-up voluminous tasks into shorter ones. The anxiety of tackling big jobs can be eliminated through the implementation of innovative digital tools.

Use Checklists for Repetitive Tasks

If an employee is reeling under time constraints, checklists will keep them on track. Atul Gawande’s book The Checklist Manifesto (http://atulgawande.com/book/the-checklist-manifesto/) is an excellent guide for using checklists.

One more tip for being extra productive-stay focused and select right project management tool. Some of the best project management tools with stellar reputation are Trello and Primavera.