How to Increase Your Computer Productivity

Just because you aren't playing games on the company dime doesn't mean you are using your computer time efficiently. Increasing your productivity on the computer can impress your job, help you to surpass your colleagues and generally make your day more enjoyable. If you consistently find yourself behind in daily tasks, use these tips to increase your computer productivity.

Increase Your Computer Productivity: Use Reliable Hardware & Software

If you use your own personal laptop or desktop computer, make sure that you have purchased the most reliable hardware and software. A high-speed Internet connection, a large amount of memory, a fast processor and reliable software will ensure that you make the best use of your computer time. If you are using your company's equipment and find that you have problems, consider talking with the IT department about upgrades in the near future.

Increase Your Computer Productivity: Run Weekly Updates & Checks

Use all of the security tools available to you on your computer. When you have to take three hours out of your day to deal with a virus or to defrag your hard drive, productivity goes down the toilet. If you take your computer home with you at night, use those after-work hours for maintenance, and choose a specific day of the week to handle it so you're always on top of the situation.

Increase Your Computer Productivity: Unclutter Your Desktop

If you are always searching through five dozen icons on your desktop to find the program you need, you're wasting valuable minutes of working computer time. Instead, try to make your desktop as intuitive as possible, with your most frequently-used programs in the upper right-hand corner. If you don't use a program at all, remove the desktop icon completely; there's no sense making your job more difficult.

Increase Your Computer Productivity: Organize Files Immediately

When you're strapped for time and working on six different projects at once, it can be temping to save new files into a "catch-all" folder that doesn't ever get sorted. Instead, take an extra ten seconds to save new files in their appropriate folders. That way, you'll be able to find them without continually using the search function.

Increase Your Computer Productivity: Learn Shortcut Keys

If you use a specific program more often than others -- such as Microsoft Word -- make sure to learn all of the shortcut keys available and create your own whenever necessary. It's much faster to tap a combination of keys than to use your mouse and the infinite maze of menus that exists on most computers.

Increase Your Computer Productivity: Turn Off E-Mail

If you always have your e-mail account open in one window, you'll never get anything done. One of the best ways to increase computer productivity is to check your e-mail only at pre-determined intervals. For example, I check my e-mail when I first sit down at my desk in the morning, then again when I break for lunch, and once more at the end of my work day. That way, I'm not distracted by e-mails when I'm trying to work.