These small tricks matter big in productivity! Test-drive a few this week and see how your productivity improves.

• Priorities.
  • Determine what’s important. Your week will look like one unending ball of yarn if you don’t know where to start or how to allocate your time. Try starting each week with a list of the tasks on your plate, then categorize and prioritize them by importance and time sensitivity. Also be aware of the tasks you’re least excited about, and make sure you knock those out earlier than later.
  • Don’t sweat the small stuff. In fact, do it first. If you can finish a task in under two minutes, do it—you’ll waste more time “touching” that activity again later, plus you’ll feel good to cross things off your to-do list.
• Phone.
  • Put it away. Group texts, cat videos, and cute photos of your nephew are all distractions beckoning from your cell phone. Don’t tempt fate! Try leaving your phone in your purse, pocket, or desk drawer, and taking it out only at predesignated times, such as meal and rest breaks. If you’re worried about missing something important, you can adjust your ringtones and volume for key contacts, or make sure they also know your office phone line.
  • Ignore it. Unless you have a call on your schedule, don’t let unexpected issues interrupt your flow. Callers can just as easily leave a message or send an email, or else text or IM you if it’s truly urgent (and let’s face it, most things aren’t). You’ll stay focused on your to-do list, with fewer redirections.
• Music.
  • Whether it’s your neighbor’s hip-hop music or the chatter of an open-plan office, you might need to drown out some noise. Keep your earbuds handy with some noise of your own. Or better yet, go for some ambient music, which can increase your productivity even when you’re not drowning out Drake or Kanye.
• Movement.
  • Get up and move on your next break! A little physical activity will move blood through your body and refresh your brain. So take a walk on your next rest break or during the last ten minutes of your lunch, or even hit the gym at lunchtime. Plus you’ll make mood-improving, stress-reducing endorphins!
• Planning.
  • For the next day. You’ll be surprised how just a few minutes each day can set you up for success the following day. Spend the last 15 or 30 minutes of your shift closing out your day and planning the next one. How did today go? What went well, what didn’t, and what needs to be pushed to tomorrow? When you plan for tomorrow, you can hit the ground running in that first critical hour of the day.
  • For the next week. On Friday, as a wrap-up to your week, go through your piles: your email, your desk inbox, your task list. Declutter! Clear out the items you no longer need and the items that have been handled. Set yourself up to be organized for the new week.