Do you ever feel like there are not enough hours in the day to complete your work? Do you wish you could be more productive and efficient because all of the tasks you have going on? This is the case for several business professionals, and especially for people working in fast-paced industries like digital marketing.  Here are 6 helpful tips that I am confident will help increase your overall productivity and make you feel more accomplished on a daily basis at work.

1. Set attainable goals.  “Can I accomplish this? Yes!”

We all want to be ambitious when setting goals for ourselves, which is great, but we also need to be mindful of how our days, weeks and months are planned out. A great way I have found to stay on track is by setting monthly, weekly, and daily goals. I set monthly deadlines and goals, and break the bigger projects up into tasks on a weekly basis. Then I break up those weekly tasks into daily tasks, and create a daily to-do list. I always leave time each day for my daily tasks, and for last minute projects that may take priority over others and are time sensitive.   There are many resourceful tools out there that you can utilize to help streamline your tasks and help keep you on track, like Evernote

2. Time chunking . “I will make time for you!”

It is important to block off times during the day when you can commit to completing certain tasks (checking your emails, working on a project, meeting, etc.). This is the best way I have found to structure my day.  I know it can be hard sometimes, but it will truly help you increase your overall productivity. I use Google Calendar to block off hour chunks during the day, and have alerts to remind me that I have a time committed to something 10 minutes prior. This helps from jumping from one task to another and getting distracted. Try it out, and really try to stick with it!

3. Check emails at set times. “Stop staring at me inbox!”

This point relates to tip #2. I think we can all relate to getting easily distracted by several emails coming in by the minute. Sometimes we feel that we need to respond to every email immediately, or the top email in your inbox becomes your priority. If I have my email staring at me all day, I end up replying to them and easily lose track of time or the task at hand. My solution to this is to check my email at certain times of the day, in the morning and then every few hours. A helpful tool for this is called AwayFind

4. Get “Plugged In”. “I just need a little me time right now :)”

Everyone needs a little “me” time during their day without any distractions to really focus on their work. A great way I have found to do this is by “plugging in” for an hour or so and this allows for no distractions from my co-workers. This works very well at our office, and people use signs on their office door, on their computer monitor, or post messages on their chat that says “Plugged In”. This sign means this person is zoned in for the time being, so please do not distract them. I especially enjoy putting on my headphones and listening to music, and really blocking everything else out during that time.

5. Schedule brainstorm meetings. “I’ve got an idea I want to share!”

I find it very helpful to schedule quick meetings and/or discussions daily with my team members. This helps productivity because collaborating helps speed up projects, sparks new ideas, and is a good time to brainstorm and motivate each other.

6. Take breaks. “Phew! I need a quick break”

Taking breaks during the day is important not only for productivity, but also for your health, because sitting in a chair and staring at your computer monitor 8+ hours in a day is not good for either. I break up my day in different ways. It’s up to you how you want to spend your break time, but these are a few ways I enjoy mine:

1. Workout for 30 minutes in the middle of the day
2. Walk to a close by lunch spot and grab a quick bite with a co-worker
3. Sit outside on a bench and soak up vitamin D from the sun.

These are all productivity tips and tools that I found work great for me. I encourage you to try them out!