By Andreas von der Heydt

Senior Executive, Marketing Expert, Leadership & Executive Coach,

LinkedIn Influencer, Author, Speaker

Today´s (business) world is more complex, ambiguous, and demanding

than ever before.

At the same time our working days have only so many hours.

Fortunately! I strongly argue that it´s not the smartest thing

to add hours in order to increase output. Instead we should ponder

about how to work more effectively and efficiently.

The good news is that everyone can apply some very powerful strategies and techniques to

increase personal productivity

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

Many people strive for the "perfect“ outcome. Bad (and good) news:

Perfectionism does not exist in an imperfect world. So, no need to over-analyze and to reflect too much. learn on the go, and constantly improve. Only

if you move you can improve and perform.

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

Give procrastination no chance. Putting off tasks only results in

complications, since you´ll feel guilty and let negative thoughts occupy precious mental space which you would need instead for drafting action plans and focusing on

execution.

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

Organize yourself and pro-actively protect your agenda. Do not be afraid

of saying "No" to colleagues, peers, and

even your line manager if necessary. Do it tactfully

by giving background information and agreeing

on next steps.

Working from home is another highly effective

strategy for time-sensitive and complex

project work.

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

During your work day I recommend setting aside enough time (as a

minimum 20-30% of total time) for unforeseen tasks, for responding to mails, phone calls, etc. Have 3-4

daily slots of about 15-20 minutes each when you check and answer

mails, phone calls, etc.

Often it´s as easy as just writing a quick to-do list before leaving the office or going to bed.

In order to become more productive you need to plan ahead your tasks and set up a schedule. Already plan your next day

the evening before.

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

(4) Set-up rules that will be automatically applied to an email

when it arrives (filtering)

Some key techniques: (1) Set 3-4 fixed times during the day to check your email

(2) Turn off the desktop alerts that ping every time a

new message comes in

(3) Use the "two-minute-rule,“ i.e. if you can deal with an email within two minutes then do so. But if more time is needed move the message to your

pending folder to action later;

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

To manage various tasks and/or projects you can start with Microsoft either Outlook Tasks or OneNote. As a daily overview it´s pretty efficient, since you get due dates,

task descriptions, priorities at a glance etc.

If you and your team want to bring your time and project

management skills to a new level you might want to try a more sophisticated tool like Toggl.

Another good tool helping you to ensure that you track what you do is Rescue Time which lets you know exactly how much time you spend

on which daily tasks.

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

Meetings are one of the biggest time-sucks around. Try to follow these meeting rules to improve efficiency: No meetings longer than one hour. No meetings with more than 8 participants. No meetings without agenda and minutes. No meetings with more than 5 topics.

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

Latest neuroscience studies suggest

that multi-tasking within a limited

frame is tolerable whereas working on too many tasks at the same time often causes stress and

can even damage the brain.

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

Third, organize information -unsubscribe from some newsletters, concentrate on consulting only 3-5 news sources, questioning RSS feeds, and limit the consumption of media and news to a maximum of 30

minutes per day.

First, keep your desk spotless.

Second, set up an efficient filing system and make quick and

straightforward decisions: take action, file it (if you need to take action within next 2 weeks), trash it (aim at a daily trash rate of 80% or more). Take all notes

with your laptop or PC.

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

We humans are designed to sleep and wake in cycles. Various studies

have shown that we best function when our internal

cycles are well-synchronized with those of

the external world.

Most importantly, you should plan your day accordingly if you are an early riser (early bird) or a very late setter (night owl), i.e. someone who gets to her peak performance only later during the day (or at night).

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

Rule: Never ever have your lunch at your work space or in front of your desktop or laptop. You will not enjoy neither your lunch nor work properly

on the task at hand.

Break down your tasks into smaller and digestible bits and pieces. Take it step by step.

Take every 90 minutes scheduled 10-15 minutes breaks to improve

concentration (why not going for a short walk during lunch break?).

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

I strongly suggest using the SMART formula for setting goals (Specific, Measurable,

Attainable, Relevant and Timely).

whenever you reach a goal or deadline give yourself a reward.

Whether it be a dinner with a friend, going to the movies, buying a new book, give yourself a reward to

work towards. This gives your work or project a much more positive

twist and fits very well with human nature.

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

Research has provided exciting evidence for the influence of dietary factors on specific molecular systems and mechanisms that maintain and even develop mental functions. For instance, a diet

that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids is garnering appreciation for supporting cognitive processes in humans. In contrast, simple sugars, like those found in junk foods, are unhealthy and good only for quick bursts of energy but not for

longer work periods.

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

Physical exercise, even walking, helps memory and thinking

through both direct and indirect means.

The benefits of exercise come directly from its ability to

reduce insulin resistance, reduce inflammation, and stimulate the release of growth factors.

Indirectly, exercise improves mood, sleep, concentration, focus, and reduces stress

and anxiety.

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

Enough sleep is super important to realize a high level of productivity. Try to avoid using your laptop or

smartphone one to two hours before going to bed. Much better preparing yourself in quiet for a good sleep by having done some

sports, having gone for a walk, or having taken a relaxing bath or

warm shower. Also, expose yourself to lots of bright light during the day. This will boost your ability to sleep at night (plus boost your mood and alertness during the day).

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

Make sure that once or twice a week you put 10 to 15 minutes aside to review whether your daily activities

and your weekly schedule are consistently aligned with your overall goals. If not, change your agenda to reflect back to what you really want to achieve in life. In case of doubt, just look at your personal life vision and mission statement. It

always will give you the reassurance you might need from time to time.

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

Do What You Love And Love What You Do

Use A Planner And Tracker To Ensure Working

On The Right Things

Get EnoughSleep

Exercise Regularly

Eat Healthy

Set Realistic Goals And Reward Yourself

Chunk Down Your Work Day

Respect Your Biorhythm

Embrace Lean

Avoid Perfectionism

Tackle Difficult Tasks First

Do Not Allow Interruptions And Say No

Be A Pro Active Planner

Handle Emails Smartly

Manage Meetings Smartly

Stop Uber-Multitasking

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

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© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

Senior Executive, Marketing Expert, Leadership & Executive Coach,

LinkedIn Influencer, Author, Speaker

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