When it comes to executing the tasks you set out to do, high productivity is vital. There is no doubt you want to finish a working day with a sense of having completed the tasks from your to-do list and a huge bunch of results of the highest quality.

Sadly, this is not always the case. Often within a day, you face a number of road-blocks that hamper your productivity and undermine your concentration. As a result, your performance appears to be much lower than you wish.

The reason for that is you allow random distracting factors to invade your smooth workflow. In the meantime, you underestimate the effectiveness of simple tricks that can rocket your productivity and let you reap massive rewards from your work.

Here are 5 underrated ways to help you improve your productivity during a day:

1. Go Offline.

High productivity is all about attention. If you can focus on your tasks and commit yourself totally to achieving high results, you will succeed. However, it is not possible if you are working in the environment full of distractions. The biggest source of them is social media. There is always a temptation to take a break and check your inbox or watch a funny video. Unfortunately, this is not how you can stay productive. Put your phone on airline mode and use social media blockers on your computer. Make sure you do not let trivial things steal your attention and distract you from significant issues.

2. Use A Second Couple Of Eyes.

Instead of struggling for hours trying to perfect a piece of work alone and keep doubting its relevance and quality, ask a friend or colleague to take a fresh look at it. Ask her to comment on it or provide you with a brief feedback. This is not going to take much time for her. Meanwhile, this simple small favor will save you a couple of long hours of revising and trying to find some flaws.

3. Use A Timer.

Be ruthless with your time management. Break your working day down into tiny time spans 10–30 minutes each. Set a timer. When the time is up, pause for a second and check whether you do the things that add value to your business and indeed take you closer to your objective. If not, abandon your current activity and get down to real work.

4. Avoid Time Stealers.

There are always people who like to come over or text you during a day just to have a talk on non-business matters, while you are trying to focus on your paramount tasks. Needless to emphasize how essential it is to close the conversation as soon as possible because you can be sure it is going to last longer than you expect. Be firm, not rude, with a time stealer and let him know you have another important commitment.

5. Learn To Say “No”.

If you earn a reputation of a person that is always ready to undertake each and every new task, you risk becoming overloaded with duties that often do nothing, but become additional points in your to-do list and of course consume your time. Being a key player in your team does not require to do everything and be everywhere. Flex your “No” muscle and soon you will realize that it not only makes your timetable easier but also shaves a few hours off your working week.