As busy entrepreneurs, we’re constantly inundated with to-do items and last minute “emergencies.” It would be great if there were ways we could dramatically increase productivity and efficiency to handle more in less time, wouldn’t it?
Well, how would you like to increase your productivity by up to 325%? Do you know that by simply increasing the size of your monitor, your efficiency and productivity can increase by up to forty percent? If you think that’s pretty amazing, try adding a second monitor into the works. By having a dual-monitor setup, your efficiency and productivity can increase by up to sixty five percent! It goes without saying that having a computer which runs more quickly can immensely increase your efficiency and productivity as well. Even doing things as simple as changing where you place your mouse and keyboard can reduce wasted actions, further improving your time management.
Here’s why these simple changes to your work setup can make such a huge difference:
Why Does the Size and Number of Monitors Matter?
The bigger your monitor is, or the more monitors you utilize, the bigger your workspace will become. You will suddenly have up to twice the space in which to open new programs, while having them all remain visible to you. Having this type of setup increases your efficiency, simply because the less time you take minimizing and maximizing different windows, the more time you can spend on the project you’re busy working on.
Having a larger workspace will generally mean that your screen resolution will be bigger as well. A good example of this can be found with LCD monitors. A nineteen inch monitor’s screen resolution will typically go up 1280 x 1024, however a twenty-four inch monitor’s screen resolution can go all the way up to 1920 x 1200. This is important to factor in, because the larger your screen resolution is, the less time you will have to spend scrolling the page. It might not seem like having to scroll the page or open and close programs takes that much time, but if you add up all those fractions of seconds every day, you’d be surprised how much time you actually spend on these tasks. So, just having a larger monitor or dual monitors can help significantly.
Proper Positioning for Your Mouse and Keyboard?
Too many people use mice and keyboards that are not a good fit. Doing this will decrease a person’s productivity and efficiency drastically. Also, by having your mouse and keyboard in a position that is not proper, you are putting yourself at risk for shoulder, wrist, and even back pain. Having a chair which is not designed well can also generate back pain.
If the computer you use most is a laptop, purchasing an external mouse and keyboard is a good idea. Not only will doing so feel more comfortable, but it will also increase your productivity. If at all possible, purchasing a laptop which supports a docking station is optimal. This will increase your efficiency, because you’ll no longer need to take extra time to make sure that all of your connectors have been properly plugged in.
What Else?
Other tips, such as having good posture while sitting at your desk, drinking plenty of water, and getting plenty of rest, will all be helpful in increasing your work efficiency and productivity as well. Listen to your body. If you find yourself feeling uncomfortable while working, find the source of the discomfort and either remove or rearrange it.
Again, making these changes seems minor, but they can make a big impact on how much you get done in any given day. By providing yourself with a proper work environment that is comfortable and functional, your efficiency and productivity will drastically increase.
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I could not agree more! I currently have a 3 monitor set-up. Two that are docked to my pc and my laptop!
I use a great little tool called Synergy
synergy2.sourceforge.net
Allows me utilize my one mouse and keyboard (wireless) across all devices!
Great article!
I extremely agree with this post Matthew. You’ve got very simple suggestion but really very useful and effective. By doing simple things as getting yourself comfortable while working indeed provides significant impact to your efficiency and productivity.
I have been using a large screen monitor and you are very right that it increases efficiency and productivity significantly by having lesser scrolling time. And now i’m thinking about the idea of dual monitors. That sounds really efficient and productive.
Thanks so much for sharing these ideas. Really a big help for me! :)
Great tips I have two monitors but need to sort out keyboard and mouse positioning as it is not ideal at the moment.
@jon I use synergy between laptop and my desktop a great program so you do not have to keep switching keyboard and mouse.
I think I have monitor envy…no really I do the same thing so i can multitask. while something is downloading/uploading I will use the other monitor to do something or might even have 4 different browsers up all with different profiles…lol
I would have never have thought that a larger monitor would increase productivity by so much – think it’s time to invest…
It is really motivating to see a very organized workplace, especially if you have all the machines that makes your task done efficiently. Great job on this article.
I’d suggest one of the main tips is to log everything you do on a spreadsheet. You’ll soon see where the time drains lie and will get a snapshot of how to work more efficiently.