Achieve More, Work Less

Many believe the more hours they work, the more they achieve, but productivity plummets after working 50 hours in a week. Take action with these tips to get the most out of your work day.  Set time rules. Note what isn’t working with the way you spend your time (such as too many distractions from technology), then set guidelines to protect it. For example, if reading e-mail first thing in the morning throws off the rest of your to-do list for the day, make a commitment not to open it until a certain time or until other tasks are completed.  Take breaks. Productivity app DeskTime found that the most productive people work for 52 minutes then take a break for 17 minutes.  Focus your energy. Avoid spreading your attention too thinly. Instead, work in bursts by focusing intently on a single task or project, and then relax completely for a set amount of time (15 minutes usually works well).