7 Productivity Hacks & Favorite Office Items

I am always looking for suggestions and ideas on how to get more done and make the most of my time at the office. So today I thought it would be fun to share some time management and productivity hacks I’ve learned over the years! Whether you work from home, a shared workspace or a traditionally office setting, hopefully you will find a tip or two to be helpful to you! And if you have any additional tips, please share them in the comments!

1. Tackle the worst item on your to do list first. I learned this from the book, “Eat That Frog!” which is a great book on productivity and uses the metaphor if the first thing you do each morning is eat a live frog, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you’re done with the worst thing you’ll have to do all day.
2. Use the Pomodoro technique. At my last law firm my boss gave our whole team cute little tomato timers at our department retreat and taught us this technique! If there’s a task or project that you really need to focus on you set the timer for 25 minutes, turn off all distractions and focus on that task until the timer goes off. Once the timer dings you can take a 5 minute break and then you set another 25 minute timer. Repeat until you finish your task!
3. Take short breaks. Short periods of rest allow my mind to optimally perform. To recharge I like to take 5 minutes to refill my coffee or water, say hello to a few people around the office and then jump back into work. Oftentimes, it’s the few minutes I step away from my computer that my best ideas come to mind. 
4. Schedule time between meetings. Running from meeting to meeting is not only exhausting but it can be ineffective. By carving out a few minutes after each meeting to debrief and jot down the key takeaways allows good ideas not to get lost and gives me time to prepare for my next meeting. 
5. Don’t multi-task! Last year I attended a time management seminar at my firm and the presenter facilitated a multi-tasking exercise that really showed how switching back and forth between tasks often leads to mistakes and actually ends up taking significantly more time due to “switch cost” — the time it takes to switch back and forth between tasks. Your brain has to quickly catch up to where you were on the last task prior to the switch before you can move forward again.
6. Crack your door to reduce disruption. Another amazing tip I learned from the time management seminar — partially closing your office door cuts down on drive-by interruptions. And if possible, face away from traffic to avoid the instinctual response to look up every time there’s a mini distraction passing by. Although this may seem aggressive, the presenter shared the “stand & stop” strategy if you can’t avoid an unnecessary interruption. If you’ve been disrupted in the middle of an important task, immediately stand up when the distractor enters your space. This communicates a certain urgency and imminence that hopefully the interrupter picks up on to let you get back to work. If not and the interruptor launches into a story, you may need to execute the “escort & abandon” strategy. Pick up your cup and invite them to the breakroom. Once in the breakroom, fill up your cup and excuse yourself to get back to work. (I promise I’m not anti-social and only use these strategies when I’m stressed and on big deadlines)
7. Do one more (little) thing before you walk out of the door. File something. Return a call. Just make it something small and quick that you can cross off the list before you leave for the day. 

Alright friends, and now for some of my favorite office items that help me feel good about my workspace! 

1. Acrylic + Gold Stapler & Tape Set
2. Acrylic + Gold Pencil Holder
3. AirPods
4. Bluetooth Headphones
5. Mouse Pad
6. Acrylic + Gold Scissors
7. Marble Paper Clip Holder
8. Acrylic Business Card Holder
9. Wireless Mouse
10. Lip Conditioner
11. Glass Coffee Mug
12. Blue Light Blocking Glasses
13. Poncho Blanket
14. Yeti Tumbler
15. S’well Stainless Steel Travel Mug
16. Reed Diffuser (Salt Air & Cucumber)
17. Cell Phone/Tablet Stand