How to Be More Productive: 13 Practical Tips That Work

If you’re trying to figure out how to be more productive, you’re not alone. It’s easy to get buried in busywork and still feel like you’re falling behind. But the truth is, productivity isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing what matters. 

The most successful people don’t just work harder; they work with intention. You can do the same. With the right habits, you’ll stop wasting time and start making real progress. 

Before you change your routine, it helps to understand what productivity actually means and why it plays such a big role in your career.

Why productivity matters

Productivity shapes your career more than you might think. When you’re productive, you make progress that others notice. You meet deadlines, move projects forward, and build trust.

But most people are only productive for a few hours each day. The rest of their time gets lost to distractions.

Learning how to be more productive gives you an edge. It helps you stay focused, finish high-value tasks, and stand out without working longer hours.

How to be more productive at work: 10 tips

If you're serious about getting more done, it starts with how you plan your day.

1.      Start each day with defined goals

One of the biggest things that gets in the way of being productive is not having a plan. If you struggle to get through your workload, start your day with a clear strategy. Write down tasks you want to finish and focus on the ones that matter most.

Keep in mind that you might need to make adjustments as things come up, but even a basic plan helps you stay focused and on track. It gives your day structure and makes it easier to stay motivated and avoid feeling overwhelmed.

2.      Take on each task one at a time

If you're like many people, you may believe that you're more than capable of multitasking at work and in your personal life. Unfortunately, that's rarely true. Research suggests that most human beings are only capable of performing one task at a time. 

Multitasking feels productive, but it usually just splits your focus. Your brain isn’t handling multiple tasks at once, it’s switching between them. That back-and-forth slows you down and increases mistakes.

You’ll get more done (and do it better) by focusing on one task at a time. Give it your full attention. When it’s finished, move on. Once this becomes a habit, you’ll notice your work is faster, cleaner, and less stressful.

3.      Start with the hardest tasks

Most people are at their best when the workday begins and tend to slow down and tire as the day wears on. If your energy and focus are at their peak in the early hours of the day, that's the perfect time to complete the most challenging (or least enjoyable) tasks.

Once you get that out of the way, the rest of your day feels lighter. You’ll stay more focused, get more done, and avoid carrying stress from one task into the next.

4.      Use time blocks to schedule your work

Do you set aside blocks of time each day to help manage your workflow? If not, then you should give that strategy a try. Working without structure drains your energy. Time blocking can help you stay on track and improve your ability to manage duties and time. 

Set up blocks of 30 to 60 minutes and group similar tasks together. In other words, do email during one block and admin stuff in a different block. You can use a time management app or put things into an Excel spreadsheet. If nothing else, put pen to paper on a printed calendar. 

Whatever you choose, remember, it doesn’t have to be fancy. 

• Productivity: Apps like Google Calendar, Trello, or Todoist are great productivity tools. 

• Time keeping: You can use things like Toggl or ResumeTime to track how long things take. 

• The bare minimum: If you want something more minimalistic, try the Focus Keeper timer app or use the stopwatch on the clock app that comes preinstalled on your phone. 

When you know exactly what you’re doing and when, you waste less time switching gears and get more done.

5.      Focus on priorities

Being productive is all about priorities but that doesn’t mean you have to do everything, it just means you do the right things in the right order. 

Spending time on low-impact tasks doesn’t really move the needle that much, which means you’re not getting REAL work done. When you make the shift to prioritizing what actually matters, you can more effectively control your workday, manage time, and increase your productivity.

6.      Eliminate distractions

The world is a noisy and busy place, filled with sounds, sights, events, and a whole host of other things that can easily capture our attention at any given moment in time. Those distractions kill momentum! A single ping from your phone can pull your attention off-track for more than a few minutes. 

If you want to stay productive, protect your focus. Silence your phone, close unused tabs, and block out time for deep work. Don’t just react, create space to think.

A great way to eliminate distractions is to adopt the concept of Monk Mode. 

7.      Create a strategy to manage email

When it comes to productivity, few things can be as distracting as email. While electronic messaging has become a vital component of modern business communication, it can also cause workers to waste a tremendous amount of time each day. 

Constantly checking your email is an easy habit to acquire, but it’s a bad idea because it boils down to your email controlling you. It's a habit you can break though:

• Establish set times to check email

• Adopt the two-minute rule, replying only on the most critical messages quickly

• Turn off email notifications and check messages manually 

• Remove the email app from your phone

8.      Develop a routine

The most effective and productive people in the world develop routines that help them to stay organized and on-task. Try to create your own routine and let it become a daily habit that guides your activities. Sit down and create a list of everything that you do each day. 

• Are there tasks that dominate a certain day? 

• Can you assign certain duties to a specific day each week?

If others need your time, be sure to effectively communicate your boundaries so they know when you’re available. 

9.      Do not skip lunch or breaks

If you constantly work through lunch, you’re only hurting yourself without actually accomplishing much. Most experts agree that everyone should take lunch breaks to improve productivity.

The fact is you can only focus on a given task for so long before you start to see diminishing returns. Regular breaks provide you with an opportunity to clear your mind, refresh your energy, and then return to your duties with renewed engagement and effectiveness.

10.  Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is all about focusing on the present moment and allowing yourself to be aware of your current environment and what you're doing – without being pulled in five directions. It's a state of mind that can help you be more aware of your own thought processes, emotions, and surroundings. 

When used properly, mindfulness can help you be more engaged and attentive at work. Naturally, that greater level of engagement and focus can lead to increased productivity. 

If you want to practice mindfulness at work or elsewhere in life, begin by focusing on your relationship with your smartphone device, social media, or other technologies. 

11. Say no more often

Every time you say yes to something unimportant, you're saying no to something else. If you’re overloaded, distracted, or constantly putting out fires, there’s a good chance you’re taking on too much or are being stretched too thin.

Protect your time by being more selective. That doesn’t mean you stop helping people, it just means you get clear on what’s worth your energy. Before you agree to a task or meeting, ask: Does this support my priorities? If the answer’s no, try pushing back or offering an alternative.

Saying no can feel uncomfortable at first. But the more you practice, the more confident you’ll get. 

12. Review your week

One of the simplest productivity tips is also one of the most overlooked: at the end of each week, take time to reflect on things that worked, things that didn’t work , and what you can do differently next week. 

This isn’t meant to be a deep dive. You can sit and think for 5-10 minutes to look back at your wins and roadblocks. 

• Did you stay focused on your biggest priorities? 

• Where did your time go? 

• What threw you off track

• How can you adjust for it going forward?

You should be able to spot some patterns, build self-awareness, and get better at managing your time.

13. Use the 90-90-1 rule

If you're tired of spinning your wheels, try the 90-90-1 rule: spend the first 90 minutes of your day focused on one high-impact goal, and do it for 90 days straight.

That means no emails, no meetings, no multitasking. Just deep, focused work on something that actually moves your career forward.

You don’t have to abandon time-blocking to use this method. Just make your first time block a protected 90-minute sprint. If 90 minutes feels like too much, start with 60 and work your way up.

This approach works because it builds momentum. You make real progress on your most important goal before the day can get away from you. That kind of consistency compounds over time and helps you become more productive without burning out.

Habits of productive people

Being productive at work starts with how you take care of yourself at home. You can’t focus or perform well if you’re running on fumes.

Here are a few habits that support better energy, sharper focus, and stronger follow-through:

• Sleep: Get between 7-8 hours of sleep each night to put your mind and body in a place where they are ready to operate at peak efficiency each day.

• Move your body. Regular exercise can help boost energy levels, improve physical health, and focus your mind.

• Stay hydrated. Even minor dehydration can cause deterioration in your mental functions. Drink plenty of water and other fluids each day to keep your brain operating at its best.

• Be kind to yourself. As you drive yourself to be more productive, don't forget to forgive yourself when you fall short of your own expectations. No one hits every goal. All you have to do is show up, keep going, and learn things along the way.

• Refine your workspace. Some people thrive in clutter, but for most, being organized is critical. A cluttered workspace makes it harder to focus, so keep your desk clean and free of distractions. 

• Have a separate workspace if you work from home. Blurring the lines between work and personal life is a productivity killer. It also makes it difficult to disconnect from work. Set up a dedicated space for work so that your brain knows it’s work time. 

• Plan tomorrow, tonight. Spend five minutes each night writing out tomorrow’s top priorities. 

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What if nothing’s working?

Some days, no matter what you try, your focus is shot. You can’t get started. Everything feels heavy. That doesn’t mean you’re lazy or broken, it just means you’re human.

Take a deep breath and start small. Choose one task you can finish in five minutes. Then do another and then another. Momentum can build fast, and action leads to productivity.

If you’re burned out, listen to that too. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is step away, reset, and come back with a clearer head.

Being productive isn’t about forcing it every day. It’s about building habits that carry you on the days when your energy dips. 

The 80/20 rule

Not every task deserves the same energy. According to the 80/20 rule (also called the Pareto Principle), 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. That means a small slice of your work has the biggest payoff.

When your focus is low or you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t try to power through everything. Step back. Look at your to-do list and ask: 

• What actually matters? 

• What’s the one thing that, if you finished it today, would make the rest easier or irrelevant?

This shift in mindset can help you be more productive without burning yourself out. You don’t have to do more, you just have to do what counts.

Small changes, big career impact

When you take the time to learn how to be more productive, you will quickly see a dramatic improvement in your ability to get more done each day. That can increase your value as an employee and team member and make a powerful impact on your career advancement.

Want to turn your productivity into real career momentum? Make sure your resume reflects it. Get a free professional resume review and find out what’s working, what’s not, and how to stand out to employers.

This article was originally written by Ken Chase. It’s been updated by Marsha Hebert