How to Work Faster and Do Better Work Online?

If there was a way to work faster and get everything done, you would have time for everything. You could always spend more time with your family, and you will still have time to go out with your friends. And you’ll feel more satisfied knowing that you are doing great work every day. Well, there is a way. And it’s not that hard as it may sound. You only need to change a few things to go in a completely different direction. This way you will do better work, you will do more, and in less time. It already sounds good, doesn’t it?

Find Your Most Productive Time

This is different for everyone. There is no universal way everyone should go. If you read self-development books, you probably know a few things about this topic. And the best advice you can ever have when it comes to those books is not to trust them. As confusing as I may sound, you will most likely agree. Those are really good books. But don’t follow their advice blindly.

Let’s take Robin Sharma for example. He’s one of the greatest writers when it comes to personal development. If you follow his journey on social media, you know that all the information in his books is valid. But what is the problem? Let’s take one of his latest books, for example, The 5 AM Club. All of a sudden, everyone started waking up at 5 AM and practicing techniques. And that’s good. He found a way to influence people in a very good way. But most of them don’t have the result they were hoping to get. Why is that?

If you’re a night person by nature, you won’t be doing your best work if you wake up at 5 AM. You will do your best work when the sun goes down. If you’re the kind of person that wakes up at 10 AM, the same rule applies. It won’t be natural for you. Now the book says that you need 63 days to make it a habit, but it may not work for you anyway. You may do exactly as the book says and get the result. But what happens if you suddenly start waking up at 10 AM again. You will probably get back to your old way because that’s your nature. So, instead of fighting it, use it to your advantage. Find the most optimal time for you.

Know Your Goals

You should always have your goals written down. Daily goals, monthly goals, and yearly goals. There are great books on goals by Jack Canfield and Brian Tracy. You can find some great information there. And don’t overthink them. You can change them down the road. But always have something to work on. You will know what direction you are going. And once you start going in that direction, it’s not a goal anymore. It’s a plan.

This is important to have to structure your daily schedule better. This way you will always know what you have to do next. You will have monthly, weekly, and daily schedules. And it’s very important to have a daily schedule before the day begins. This will probably save you a lot of time. You will start your day and focus on what’s important.

Attack the Lion

Imagine this. You’re walking through the jungle. All of a sudden, you’re surrounded by aggressive animals. There is a lion, a kangaroo, a crane, a giraffe, and a monkey. You have a weapon, but you only have one bullet. Which animal do you choose to shoot? The fastest and the strongest one of course. The one that would be hard to defeat without a weapon.

The same goes for your daily tasks. You should always do the hardest ones first, while you’re still full of energy. This way you will work more efficiently. Indeed, some people start their day by doing the most enjoyable task first. That can be a problem if you don’t have enough time to finish the hard one in the end. But if it motivates you to stop procrastinating, then do it. Experiment to see what works for you.

Schedule Time Blocks

We were already talking about making a daily schedule. But that’s only the first part of the strategy. Scheduling time blocks can double your productivity while working on your daily tasks. You would schedule a 45-minute time block to focus on your work, and take a 15-minute break. This is called a Pomodoro technique. You would spend every hour like this. If you need more time to work, and a shorter break, then do it. Do the work for 50 minutes, and take a good 10-minute break. Or work 90 minutes and take a good 30-minute break. It will most likely be different for everyone.

A Few Rules

There are a few rules you should consider introducing to your schedule. Introducing these rules will help you to stop procrastinating and skipping important things. One of them is a 5-minute rule. This is something you should use when you have trouble starting with your work. Sometimes that will happen because it’s a boring project, or because it’s something you don’t like. Your job is to start working with the intention to only work for 5 minutes. Of course, you will work much longer. But this is something that you should use to avoid procrastinating on projects that are not interesting.

Another rule you should consider is a two-day rule. Take a calendar, or use a calendar app. Write a few things that you need to do every day. Let’s use working out for example. If you have trouble making it a habit and working out regularly, use a two-day rule. This means that you will use a calendar to follow if you are working at least every second day. You are not allowed to miss a workout session for more than two days. Use this for every task that you need to include in your daily schedule. But don’t force it. Start with two habits, then add another one each month.

Find Time for Physical Activity

This is very important for your health and your productivity. If you’re constantly being lazy, you’re probably not working out. Your body needs energy. You need to work on those muscles and make them busy. You’ll feel much more energized and productive even after a quick intensive workout. Especially if you do it as soon as you wake up.

You don’t necessarily need to go to the gym if you don’t have time, or if the nearest gym is far away. Find another way to exercise. Maybe order some bars and put them in your backyard. If you live in a building, make a plan with your neighbors to invest in equipment. Make a shared gym inside of your building that you can use. It will be easier for you to follow your exercise schedule if you have a gym inside your building. And you will save money.

Make Space for Unproductive Time in Your Schedule

People usually plan their entire day until they go to bed. We all do it because we’re looking to get more done, even if we don’t get to do all the things. But why make it more complicated? Why not take some time in your schedule to do nothing? 

It may sound strange having in mind that the article is about productivity. But we all love to do nothing. Entrepreneurship has become popular nowadays, and all of a sudden it’s cool to look busy. Bud what’s the point of being busy if you know you want to do something else. Making space for unproductive hours doesn’t mean that you have to do nothing. It means that you leave some free time in case something else happens. You’ll have birthdays, weddings, lunches, concerts, etc. At the end of the day, even if you don’t have anywhere to go, take a rest. We are human beings after all. It’s ok to have a few unproductive hours and do nothing.

Optimize Your Environment for Work

The last but not least, and probably the best thing you should invest in. Having the right environment that is optimized for work can drastically increase your focus. Once you start working in the same place every day, it will be easier to concentrate. Your brain will make a habit because it will remember the environment. Especially if you optimize it to be easy for you to start. So avoid having anything that’s not related to your work or your goals.

Start with cleaning your space. Always have a clean desk. Your work environment should be something like a little holy place that will bring you peace. And if you’re already doing all the things above, you’ll enjoy your work even if you didn’t like it. Make sure to have a few plants or an Ionizer so you’ll always have fresh air. Having a lot of green color in your office can also reduce stress. Add some essential oils for a nice smell. Have more natural light and big windows if you can. Combining all these things will make everything we were talking about work even better for you.