Work productivity, time management, organization, tools and tips

Work productivity is one big issue in any industry. Employers are spending millions of dollars annually to maintain or increase work productivity since it translates to an increase in the bottom line. But what if you are the boss of you? You don't have an employer to track your productivity and no one to tell you that you can't check emails every so often. How do you kick your self in the a$s to get to work? Here are five tips that can help you get rid of distractions, especially if you work from home:

1. Make your Workplace Work for You

You can always turn on your answering machine to screen calls. Have a separate room to work in that has a door that's not so thin you can always hear your kids screaming or teen on the other room listening to not-so work conducive music. If you need to put maximum attention to get major projects done and it would be impossible to do it at home, you may want to consider going somewhere else - a not-so-busy coffee shop or a cheap hotel, maybe?

2. Learn to Ignore Distractions 

One person's way of ignoring distractions can differ from that of another. My method of keeping bills in my line of view to keep me from surfing and YouTube-ing the hours away may not be as effective for you. But the idea is to find your groove. 

3. Use Tools that Will Help Get Rid of Distractions 

TimeStamp helps me check how much time I've spent on task and also aids in  invoicing. One of the time management tools that lets you know where you waste, er, use your time is RescueTime.

Lifehacker recommends banning time-wasting sites through the use of cloak scripts. WebWorkerDaily's one top suggestion for this way of getting rid of distractions is Stealth Kiwi, a productivity tool that blocks sites during work hours.

Do you use any of those distraction-busting methods? Which method's most effective for you? 

image credits to JupiterImages.com