Time Management
10 Productivity Tips for Hourly Workers
Last updated:
Mar 1, 2024
10 Productivity Tips for Hourly Workers
Table of Content
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In the modern workplace, productivity is the pathway to success.
Using your time more efficiently can skyrocket your output. This is especially important for hourly workers, who today make up over half of the workforce in the U.S.
But productivity can be tricky and finding ways to increase it may not be as easy as it seems. After all, we’ve all had those days where you’re just too tired or distracted to carry out all the tasks.
But don’t fret! Because here at BeforeSunset, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most effective and easily applicable techniques that you can use to catapult your productivity, so the next time you’re feeling tired at work, you can still perform like a champ.
1. Use a Productivity Software
Time is the most effective tool you have when looking to increase productivity. After all, more time means more work, right?
By using a time tracker, you can limit how long you want to dedicate to a particular task, and easily identify when you’re getting too carried away. Setting a time limit beforehand will also help you organize your approach to the task more efficiently and make sure you’ll have enough time left for the other tasks of the day.
Most time trackers in the market are easy to use and reasonably priced. Like our time tracker at BeforeSunset, which costs only $3.90 and even offers a wealth of data-driven insights to help you make the most of your time!
With BeforeSunset, you can create schedules on the go, track and limit how much time a task will take, and even work on your budget to help you organize your projects. What’s more, our data-driven AI will analyze your time patterns and give you regular feedback on how you can use your time more effectively!
2. Prioritize your tasks
Whether as a written document or a rough action plan in your mind, prioritizing your tasks will help you increase your productivity greatly.
The workplace can be a beehive of activity, so, to be prepared for urgent or more important tasks that may come up, plan ahead to decide which tasks are more important and try to complete them first.
Prioritizing will get you ahead of schedule and ready for the unexpected!
3. Create Systems for Common Tasks
Some jobs involve a lot of routine tasks, and these can be a great place to look at to improve your productivity.
It is normal to be used to certain ways of carrying out tasks, but take a step back and think about where you can save time and effort while carrying out your routine tasks. For example, if your job involves organizing meetings, why not gather your co-workers’ timetables in a shared portal like Google Drive? This way, you’ll have much faster access to the data you need and be able to edit and organize it more effectively.
Efficiency goes hand-in-hand with productivity. And by finding more ways to use your time more efficiently, you can give your productivity an enormous boost.
4. Don’t Skip Your Breaks
When feeling overwhelmed, you might sometimes find yourself skipping breaks to free up more time for your tasks, but did you know that this could have a completely opposite effect on your productivity?
Studies show that fatigue can have destructive effects on your cognitive abilities. Moreover, employees who skip breaks regularly have lower morale than their counterparts.
So, the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, take the time to rest and gather your focus.
5. Focus on What’s Important
The Pareto Principle states that roughly 80% of results come from 20% of causes. You might be skipping past more important tasks without even knowing it!
It may be hard to separate yourself from all the hustle and bustle of the workplace, but lean back and think about the tasks that take up most of your time. Try to find time-consuming tasks that don’t contribute much to your ultimate goals and replace them with those that will skyrocket your overall productivity.
6. Work on Your Sleep Routine
If you’ve ever found yourself dozing off or drifting away in the middle of a task, then you may be aware of how a lack of sleep can ruin your productivity. The National Sleep Foundation states that adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep to allow the mind to rest adequately.
There’s a multitude of tools that can help you fit into a new sleep cycle. If having a tough time, try tracking your sleep, or treat yourself to a new set of soft cushions to provide a good night’s sleep, so you’re ready for whatever tomorrow throws at you.
7. Minimize Distractions
It’s completely normal to get distracted at times, especially when the task is trickier than you thought. In fact, you might get distracted and not even realize it! But minor distractions can have major effects on your productivity.
When you feel like you’re losing focus, don’t reach for your phone, but try these breathing techniques instead. They’ll work wonders for your concentration.
8. De-clutter Your Work Environment
Trying to find a particular document in a stack of papers can be a real pain in the neck, but it could also take away your precious time and concentration that could have been spent on more important things.
An organized work environment will reduce stress and help you find what you’re looking for much faster.
9. Be Optimistic
When the tasks pile up, most of us tend to get stressed and lose focus. But looking at things from a positive perspective can make all the difference. A proactive attitude will help you approach demanding tasks more systematically and provide solutions to situations where others falter.
As the famous Emerson quote says, It’s not the destination, it’s the journey. While the tasks may seem grueling now, remember that with the right approach, no task can stand in the way of you and your goals.
10. Reward yourself!
That’s right, rewarding yourself improves your productivity!
Reward yourself whenever you reach a milestone or achieve a specific goal. Having something to look forward to may boost your motivation and make it easier to follow through with your tasks.
The reward doesn’t always have to be something extravagant but can be as simple as treating yourself to your favorite dessert or finally buying that gorgeous jacket you’ve been admiring.
Take the time to treat yourself. That way, you’ll recover from the fatigue faster and have something to look forward to next time you are in a rush at work.
Check out our all-in-one productivity software, BeforeSunset, today to manage your time efficiently and increase your productivity!