8 Ways to Work Faster Without Compromising Quality

It’s 9 a.m. on a Monday morning. You sit down, heavy-hearted, at your desk. You log in to your computer, check emails, and decide to deal with them later. Instead, you figure it’s time to make yourself a cup of coffee. Back at your desk, and you stare listlessly at your to-do list. What comes first? Your phone buzzes, you pick it up, scroll through Instagram. Perhaps you skim-read an article about the ever-dwindling human attention span. There isn’t much time until the team meeting anyway. 11 a.m. rolls around, and what have you achieved? You’re in for a long afternoon. If this picture feels a little familiar, know that you are not alone. But also know that you can do something about it. Productivity is a skill — a science, an art form — that is highly valued by employers and can give you an immense sense of accomplishment and self-esteem. But how can you work faster without compromising quality? Here are some of the tricks of the time-management trade.