Skip to main contentA logo with &quat;the muse&quat; in dark blue text.
Advice / Succeeding at Work / Productivity

9 Tiny Changes That Will Have a Huge Impact on Your Productivity

With so many hacks and tricks for efficiency out there, the idea of being a perfectly productive professional all the time can seem daunting. (Download these 10 apps! Shuffle your whole workday around with this new technique!)

However, being more productive doesn’t mean you have to completely rearrange your schedule. Just using one of these simple tricks can add that little extra productivity boost you need to finish your to-do list.

  1. The basic productivity concept of “do it now” might seem overwhelming, so here’s a different way to think about it: Only deal with something once. (Zen Habits)
  2. Similarly, make it a rule that you’ll do any task that can be done in one minute or less immediately. (LinkedIn)
  3. Figure out the difference between what’s important and what’s urgent, as well as what is and isn’t actually urgent. (Marie Forleo)
  4. Don’t want to have to juggle so many things in the first place? Learn how to say no the right way. (Buffer)
  5. Spend a chunk of time making a concerted effort to not multitask. You’ll be surprised how much more you get done. (Forbes)
  6. Making small changes to your office environment (changing the temperature, making your workspace cleaner) can make a gigantic difference in your productivity levels. (Lifehacker)
  7. Here’s the most fun one on the list: Cute YouTube videos can actually boost your willpower to help you get things done. (Psychology Today)
  8. It sounds counterintuitive, but slowing down several things during your workday will actually make you way more productive. (Tiny Buddha)
  9. It’s time to get arrogant about your time to force you to prioritize how you spend your days. (The Daily Muse)