World Productivity Day Date in the current year: June 20, 2024

In the context of economics, business and workforce, productivity is synonymous with efficiency, i.e. the ability to perform tasks as well as possible by avoiding making mistakes or wasting time, energy, efforts, money, and materials. In a more general sense, it is the ability to achieve more in less time successfully and without waste.

Contrary to a popular misconception, productivity is not about being busy all the time, stuffing your schedule full, or always working overtime. In fact, exerting yourself too much at work negatively affects productivity: people who are constantly overworked have less energy and make more mistakes due to a lack of focus, which keeps them from doing their tasks efficiently.

The origins of World Productivity Day are unclear, but it is great that someone came up with the idea of such a holiday because it is a great occasion for people to stop and think about the things that affect their productivity and find ways to improve their work ethic without disturbing their work-life balance.

The main barriers to productivity include lack of information, insufficient training, lack of communication, too many tasks and unclear priorities, distractions and interruptions, inadequate tools and equipment, lack of motivation, and stress. As you see, some of these barriers have nothing to do with you as an employee and have everything to do with your employer and/or team, so you should not put all the blame for not being productive enough on yourself.

What can you do to boost your productivity? As we’ve already said, being productive is not about overworking yourself; it’s about being organized and making the most of the time you spend at work. Here are a few ideas that might be helpful.

Download a planner app. There are a lot of apps that help people keep track of work tasks and stay on top of their to-do lists. Some focus on scheduling and daily planning, while others are better for task prioritization and goal tracking. You may have to go through several apps before finding the one that works best for you, but it will be worth it!

Tackle your “sort it later” pile. Go through your email inbox, a pile of papers on your work desk, or that “miscellaneous” folder on your computer that you have been dreading to open for quite some time.

Figure out a reward system. Find a way to reward yourself for each finished task. These rewards do not have to be big or expensive, especially if your work consists of many small tasks, but they should be motivating enough for you to keep going.

Ensure that your take breaks. When you get lost in work, you can neglect breaks, which will negatively affect your productivity. Set a reminder or an alarm to prompt you to take breaks and spend the break doing something your enjoy like taking a walk, having a delicious coffee, chatting with your coworkers (of course, if they’re not busy at the moment), reading a book, etc.