It can be hard to always work at maximum efficiency, especially if you’re working on a tough project and you don’t have ideal working conditions. But in order to increase your efficiency it’s really important that you identify and then eliminate anything that keeps you from working as efficiently as possible on projects. So how can you re-assess your workspace and figure out what changes you need to make in order to increase your efficiency?

The first thing that you need to do is figure out how your workspace factors into the equation. Most of the time when people aren’t working at their maximum efficiency it’s because there are problems or distractions in their workspace that are hurting their efficiency. Look around your workspace right now and see if you spot any of these common workspace distractions.

Food and beverages

Most people keep a cup of coffee or tea, or a can of soda on their desk near them in case they get thirsty. Generally this is not a huge distraction but if you have 9 empty soda cans and 3 cups of coffee sitting next to your monitor that is a distraction that you don’t need. Tidy up. And make it a rule to only have one beverage in the workspace at a time. You shouldn’t eat near your computer because then you get crumbs in your keyboard and sometimes in your computer plus it makes your workspace messy. Snack times or meals can be a good time to get away from the computer and clear your head so stick with one beverage and no food in your workspace.

Toys and photos

Do you have a desk clutter problem? Do you have photos of family and friends or small desk toys littered throughout the top of your desk or arranged in special patterns? Get rid of them. Your desktop needs to clean and uncluttered so that you don’t get distracted and pulled away from the job at hand. Stay focused on the job you’re working on and you’ll increase your efficiency.

Gadgets

Phone, cell phone, Blackberry, pager and other gadgets- If you’re like most coders and programmers you have the full range of gadgets that keep you constantly connected to your boss and other co-workers. But if you’re trying to increase your efficiency on a project you need to learn to turn them all off and put them away so they don’t distract you. Put them in a drawer, put them in a bag, or hide them in a secret compartment in the closet. Do whatever it takes to minimize the distractions in your workday. If it’s really an emergency they will send someone to find you. If it’s not a real emergency, they can wait.

Are you a programmer or a coder that never seems to get enough accomplished even though are you always working? The problem might not be that you’re not working hard enough; the problem might be that you’re not working efficiently enough. In order to really increase your productivity during the time that you are working it’s important to take steps to maximize your work hours so that you get everything done that needs to be done. If you want to increase your productivity without increasing your working hours here are 5 tips that you can use to increase your productivity:

Organize your workspace

You can lose a lot of precious time looking for small items or trying to keep straight all the papers, books, discs, computer parts and other items cluttering up your workspace. Make sure you have a clean, uncluttered workspace so that you grab anything you might need quickly and don’t have to stop working to search for things. You’ll find that your productivity goes up when the amount of clutter around your computer, on your desk and in your workspace goes down. If you have to hire someone to come in and clean and organize your office do it. In the long run that will be money well spent.

Get rid of distractions

When you’re working turn Skype off, turn your cell phone, close your office door and put a “Do Not Disturb” sign on it. Don’t let anything distract you from the task at hand. Let all your calls go to voicemail and don’t check your email. Stay off Instant Messenger. Focus on your work.

Schedule effectively

No one knows your patterns of concentration better than you. Pick a block of about 3-4 hours of time when you are fully alert and are able to concentrate really well. Block off that time just for working. Don’t schedule any meetings, conference calls, appointments or anything else during that time. That is the time when you can buckle down and throw everything you have into your work. If you do that on a regular basis you’ll be amazed at how high your productivity will go.

Take breaks

Sitting hunched over a computer for huge blocks of time isn’t good for your mental or physical health. When you reach a good stopping point and you’re getting ready to move on to a new phase of the project that you’re working on, or when you need a minute to work out a solution to a problem then walk away from the computer. Get a cup of coffee or tea, get some water, take a quick walk around the block, or do some stretching. Do whatever you need to do to get your blood flowing again. When you feel clear headed the get back to work.

Break it down

When you’re coding or programming and you are dealing with complex processes that take forever to troubleshoot and create work-arounds for you lose a lot of productivity. In order to increase productivity and not lose it when you start a project break down all the processes that you will be using to their base components and start there. In the end it will save you a lot of time and increase productivity.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu
Chinese philosopher (604 BC – 531 BC)