Productivity is what drives companies to become high performers, and this would highly depend on how teams and employees maximize their time during work.

To maximize your time while work, you have to think beyond your team’s goal on a daily basis, weekly, monthly, or even annually; it is important that being part of a team, you think of your own ways as well to stay productive at work, to help the business, and to help yourself. Doing your best and staying focused will not only help everyone deliver high performance, but will also reflect your performance in your career. Here are some simple ways to remain productive at work that you can start on:

Be an early bird
“Be on time, Don’t be late”
Studies show that early bird live a more fulfilled life and are more productive than night owls. Another survey study found that 73% of respondents consider the best time for creative work to be in the morning. Early birds are more proactive and have a better job performance, greater career success, and higher wages.

Prioritize your tasks

Whether we like them or not, deadlines are important. These will set time frames and determine the urgency of a particular task. What will make the difference on importance is the impact of these deadlines. Client meetings, requests, and last-minute changes can be considered as both urgent and important

The air conditioning unit of your office is set to have its preventive maintenance tomorrow. All you need to do is call your provider to confirm. This is urgent but not as important in that it has no direct effect on your business. Creating a budget for the next year is not yet urgent since it is only the first quarter now. It is important but falls at a lower priority level than the tasks mentioned above.

People waste time at work whether it’s web surfing, engaging in personal phone calls, searching for new job opportunities, gossiping with a co-worker, shopping online, exploring social networks or checking personal e-mail. A great deal of working time slips away. It is okay checking your social media accounts unless it’s actually for work.

Keep social media to a minimum
There’s no excuse to checking your social media accounts at work every 30 mins unless it’s actually for work (i.e.: interacting with clients as part of a social media strategy). Facebook, Twitter are all distractions that prevent you from concentrating on what you should be doing, and should be avoided. Check them on your lunch break or even when you first turn on your computer. After that, try to ignore them for the remainder of the day.

Focus on work
It’s quite a challenge to focus at work while around you people chat, walk around and often ask for your opinion. A quick fix to the noise is a pair of headphones. If you use a messenger app in your office, make sure to switch your status to “busy” if you don’t want unnecessary distractions.

But it’s not just about fixing your surroundings, but also what’s happening inside your head. We’re so overwhelmed with thoughts and distractions that we fall into reactive multitasking, letting ourselves to be guided by factors out of our control.

Take your breaks
Breaks were created for a reason. You don’t want to fall in work paralysis just because your mind isn’t working anymore. Take a quick break. Go get that glass of water, walk for 5 minutes and clear your mind. Breaks were designed to release mental stress and tension. After a quick break, you’ll find that you’re ready to take on your task again.

These steps are a sure way to improve both the “force” and the “distance” of your working day. Remember to pay attention to both if you are to be more productive at work.