Getting ahead means getting the most out of your opportunities. That, in turn, means maximizing your productivity. If you are able to improve your performance, optimize your efficiency, and magnify your output, you can put your career on the fast track.

That all sounds great for a motivational speech, but it gets complicated in real life. Having the desire to perform better at work is one thing. Knowing how to reach that next level is something else entirely. You need practical advice to enhance your efficiency and boost the quality of your work.

So what can you do? What steps can you take to get the most out of your limited workday? Here are some productivity tips you can use to improve your performance:

Get More Sleep

We’ll start simple. Try to get more sleep. It may seem like a less-than-glamorous fix, but it can go a long way.

It’s important to talk about the subject because people often try the opposite tactic. To boost productivity, they work longer hours, cutting into sleep time in order to get more done. However, this can backfire. Too little sleep and your productivity and efficiency will suffer. You’ll make more mistakes and find your cognitive function, meaning your creativity and your ability to solve problems, impacted.

Don’t Overdo It

Lack of sleep isn’t the only consequence of trying to take on too much. Trying to accomplish too much at once can cut into your overall quality level. Multi-tasking may seem like the ideal way to multiply your efforts. It doesn’t always work out that way.

The more you try to do all at once, the less attention you can give to any particular task. Sure, you’ve got more projects on your agenda, and maybe you’re checking more things off your to-do list each day. But, the quality of each thing you accomplish is compromised.

Avoid this pitfall. Limit the number of items on your plate, and concentrate on excelling on the tasks you have.

Keep Moving Forward

Procrastination can quickly cut into productivity. Daunting problems or long-range projects sometimes invite dawdling. You are hoping for inspiration to hit and, as a result, put things off until a later date.

You can see where this is going. You are just creating a major crunch for yourself down the road when the deadlines suddenly come into view. Rather than delay, try to make Incremental progress wherever you can. Ultimately, your overall quality will improve, and you’ll feel less stress in the process.

Find Collaborative Opportunities

Having a strong support system at work provides an opportunity to expand your productivity. Working in a group setting gives you additional motivation, forcing you to keep pushing ahead, so you don’t let

your team down. At the same time, your team members can provide additional critical input that will lead to more creative solutions.

Guard Your Time

The world is full of tiny distractions. Unnecessary meetings. Meaningless paperwork. Redundant instructions. They all conspire to sap your available productive time.

Do what you can to limit these drains on your productivity. Guard your time jealously. Prioritize tasks and focus only on those items that will make the biggest difference. That way, you can invest most of your effort on the most important projects, ensuring that your overall performance reaches its highest level.

Strong performance levels become easier to achieve when you’re perfectly matched to a position. By teaming with a top-ranked recruiting partner, like United Personnel, you can find the ideal jobs for your skills and experience. Contact United Personnel to find out what they can do to jumpstart your career.