<p>What if it were possible to do more in less time?<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Productivity tips and tricks are all over the internet, but here are five of the most interesting.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><b>1. Keep meetings as short as possible:</b> Bobby Harris, Founder and President of BlueGrace Logistics uses this trick because he hates how meetings waste time, though he agrees that sometimes they are necessary, according to Business Insider.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"Never accept a meeting without a clear agenda and then ask how long they need," he said. "Whatever amount of time is requested cut it in half!"<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><b>2. Let all non-scheduled incoming calls go to voicemail:</b> Beth Doane, Founder of apparel company Raintees, uses this strategy to maximize her productivity, according to Business Insider. "I tend to return calls at the end of the day, and if someone really needs to reach me I have my assitant's info on my voicemail and let her decide if it's really an 'important' call."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><b>3. Manipulate your office lighting and temperature:</b> According to Lifehacker, a study from Cornell University examined temperature and productivity and found that, "When temperatures were low (68°F) employees made 44% more mistakes than at optimal room temperature (77°F)."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Lighting also makes a difference. Greater exposure to daylight has been linked to improved productivity, and the wrong kind of light can cause eye fatigue and reduce productivity. If you're noticing a lot of glare, or if you work under a direct light, you can prevent eyestrain by taking breaks.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><b>4. If it's possible to do something in under 2 minutes, do it immediately:</b> According to INC, Christian Sutardi, Co-Founder at Lolabox, uses David Allen's "Two-Minute Rule."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"When a new task comes in and I see that I can do it in less than two minutes, then I do it right away. This easy rule increased my productivity a lot," said Sutardi.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><b>5. Don't get sidetracked with "busy work":</b> Staying busy is not always the same as being productive.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"While tasks like organizing your desk, color-coding your files, or fiddling with fonts may seem important in the moment, they can be huge time-wasters," a recent Forbes article states. "Asking yourself periodically throughout the day, 'Is this helping grow my business?' can give you a bit of extra motivation and clarity."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Lifehacker has also suggested that these kinds of "tricks" will not work if they are overused. They aren't a replacement for a good productivity system and an optimized schedule. Though, they're worth a try if you're feeling sluggish.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">And just think, with all this extra time, you'll be able to read more AndNowUknow.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
