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How Work Sprints Can Boost Your Productivity

Oct 27, 2020

Do you struggle to focus, have a never-ending to-do list, and go home feeling like you somehow wasted half your day?

You’re not alone!

It’s a common complaint in today’s fast-paced world.

But don’t fret; the solution to your productivity woes is simple yet effective.

Don’t work harder or longer – work smarter and faster!

Work sprints are a proven way to banish distractions, hone your focus, and help you power through your tasks.

Let’s look at what work sprints are and how they work.

What Is A Work Sprint?

Long-distance runners train for stamina and endurance, balancing their energy throughout the course of a race to ensure they make it to the finish line. Conversely, sprinters focus on harnessing all their mental and physical resources into one short, sharp burst of energy.

The concept behind is a work sprint is similar, but far less exhausting!

It’s about removing all distractions and focusing on a singular task for a contracted period. Ideally, the time of day you tackle your sprints and the length of time you dedicate to them is tailored to match your unique ultradian rhythm – the ebb and flow of your energy throughout the day.

Some people find they are sharpest in the early morning but experience brain fog in the afternoon, or vice versa. Some may find they can focus intensely for 25 minutes before needing a five-minute break. While others may prefer to do a 60-minute work sprint before resting for 20.

Why Do Work Sprints Boost Productivity?

Studies have shown that the human brain can focus on a task for a maximum of 90 minutes before starting to burn out.

When you experience brain-lag, mental blocks, and find yourself staring blankly at your laptop, trying to “push through” is pointless. It’s far better to take a break, rest your brain, and tackle your task again when your brain has a chance to recharge!

How To Optimise Your Work Sprints

Simply sitting down at the computer with a timer set is not going to produce magical results. But, there are a few things you can do to optimise the time and supercharge your productivity.

Know thyself – pay attention to your ultradian rhythm to figure out when your most productive times of day are and what kind of cycles you work best in. Do 25-minute intervals with five-minute breaks sound appealing, or would you rather put your head down for a solid hour before taking some time out?

Get organised – before you start your sprint, decide what specific task you are going to work on for that chunk of time. Write it down so that you can refer back to it and stop yourself getting distracted.

Set a timer – you don’t want to be checking your clock every few minutes, so set a timer for your sprint. It helps to have an alert sound at the end of your set time.

Remove distractions – during a sprint, harness your focus for the task you have set for yourself. Set your phone to airplane mode (or put it in another room), turn off notifications on your computer, and allow yourself to go into the productive zone 100 per cent!

Take breaks – the rest component is just as vital as the focus during a sprint. Without some time out, you are trying to transform your sprint into a marathon – not a smart strategy. When that timer goes off, finish what you are doing, and step away. Go for a walk, have a coffee or something to eat, and allow your battery to recharge a little before going back for another dash.

Imagine if you could get more done at work in less time!

You could knock off early and hit the beach or spend the extra time growing your business. Once you have tried a work sprint a few times, you will see how beneficial this kind of focus can be. You will achieve higher quality work in less time, and become a productivity master!

Need some help getting those time-consuming tasks off your plate so that you can focus your work sprints on the jobs that really matter?

Then, get in touch with the team here at Admin Army today. We wage war on the admin and bookkeeping tasks you hate.

Do you want to learn more about how to work efficiently?

Get in touch to see how Admin Army can help you

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