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These tips for working more productively are especially relevant if you run your own business or work alone. Whether you are an editor, a writer or anything else, if you are going to spend time in your office working, you may as well make sure that you are as productive as you can be while at work.

Note: these tips for being more productive apply not only to people who are earning money through their work, but also to all those artists and writers out there who are committed to their art or craft and working on a project.

The 5 tips below are all no-brainers really, but a lot of us need reminding to do them.

1. Decide on a work schedule

Draw up a weekly work schedule and stick to it wherever possible, especially when it comes to the number of hours you need (or want) to work each week.

Unexpected things can and do happen; sometimes you’ll have to work extra hours to meet a deadline, or need to take time out for a non-work event.

Whenever you have to do extra work, take time off later in the week to compensate your non-work life for those extra hours you’ve worked.

Whenever you lose a few work hours due to non-work commitments, make sure you work those extra hours later in the week so you’re meeting your weekly work hours target.

2. During ‘work’ hours, actually ‘work’

This may sound like too much of a no-brainer to mention, but you may be surprised how many people do non-work tasks during their so-called work time.

Draw a line down the middle of a page. List all the tasks you do in your office that are actually work in the left-hand column, and all the things you do in your office that are not actually work in the  right-hand column.

Only the things listed in the left-hand ‘work’ column should be done during your designated work hours. The ‘not work’ things should be kept out of your work zone and your work hours.

For example, my ‘work’ tasks are everything that I need to do to manage my business and do my paid work: editing, proofreading, typing, managing  transcriptionists, writer coaches, administration, sending out quotes and invoices, editing my website and writing articles such as this. I can’t charge for all of those tasks but they are all definitely work-related.

My ‘not work’ tasks are whatever isn’t required to manage my business or provide the services I sell. Like checking personal emails or social media accounts; personal telephone communications; drinking coffee or eating lunch. All those non-work tasks can and should be done outside work hours – for example, during your morning coffee break or lunch break.,

3. Keep your ‘professional’ and ‘personal’ lives separate

As well as making sure that when you are at work, you’re actually working, you need to ensure that during the hours you are not supposed to be at work, you’re actually not working.

The only way to do this is to keep your professional and personal lives as separate as possible.

When shopping, playing with the children, cooking tea or meeting with friends, switch off your work phone. This helps you switch off your professional work brain and give it the rest it needs.

Shut that office door when you finish work and don’t go back in until it’s time to start work again. That is, no ducking into the office to check your emails outside your scheduled work hours.

If you keep your two lives separate, your leisure time will be more enjoyable and relaxing, and your professional work time more productive.

4. Use a ‘To do’ list

Using a detailed ‘To do’ list is really helpful when you work for yourself. As well as having a ‘To do’ list for the day, if I allocate actual times against each task on the list, I am more organised and my day is far more productive.

There are plenty of apps that help you organise your time or time-keep exactly what you are spending your time on.

Personally, I  rely on the MS Outlook ‘tasks’ tool for diarising tasks. Either at the end of the previous day, or as soon as I come into work on the day, I check the MS Outlook tasks that pop up then draw up the day’s ‘To do’ list (I do this in hardcopy because I am a dinosaur).

5. Minimise interruptions

Some types of work require high concentration for hours at a time (for example, structural or developmental editing). Other tasks are fiddly and don’t take long (for example, sending out quotes or invoices).

No matter what you’re working on, if you aren’t interrupted you’ll complete those tasks far more quickly.

You can minimise unnecessary interruptions if you:

• Shut the office door and making known to anybody outside that you’re not to be interrupted.
• If you can close your email andother alerts and switch off your phone, do this. But don’t forget to check your emails and messages once or twice during the day.
• Each time you start work, set your alarm for two hours. When the alarm goes off, have a 5 minute break, and stretch your legs and, importantly, your eyes, before returning to the computer refreshed and ready to work again.

Image: Copyright SW Kane.