(ARA) – The average person’s day can be inundated with a laundry list of workplace and personal to-dos. Combine that with the fact many workloads have expanded due to more than two thirds of workforces cutting resources in 2009, and things can really get stressful. Overall, many workers don’t feel they are truly productive day in, day out.

Employees often spend as much time thinking about how to complete a task as actually making it happen, according to ACCO Brands (www.accoheroes.com), a leader in office products through industry-leading brands. But what if some simple changes could give your day a sense of productivity, order and accomplishment?

“With this challenging economy, it is so important that everyone learns to work efficiently to meet goals and expectations,” says Kellie Glueck, marketing director at ACCO Brands. “Employees and management both agree that an organized and efficient workspace is essential for productivity and maintaining high morale. Having the right tools and assets makes this type of workspace achievable.”

Here are key tips to improve productivity at work:

1. Get organized. Consider beginning each day by establishing goals on a planner or whiteboard. Make it a priority to accomplish those at the very least.

2. Load up your tool belt. Consider keeping tools you use most often at your desk and easily accessible. And store them in the same place over and over to avoid scrounging each time they are required for use.

3. Get the tools you need. Not everyone can get by with just a stapler and notebook. Consider putting office products such as a personal shredder or a hole-punch near your desk if they make things run smoother.

4. Get comfy. A variety of ergonomic office tools and desk arrangements are available. It is hard to stay focused on work when minor discomforts continue to creep up.

5. Surround yourself with inspiration, not distraction. No need to scrap all the family photos, but consider keeping them organized in a single area. Keep your bulletin board current with the most immediate items you need to accomplish. Store materials that are no longer or rarely used in a binder or your file cabinet.

6. Get a second opinion. Take a few minutes to sit down at different desks or walk through a couple of classrooms. What feels good about them? Ask a colleague to do the same at your desk. Make the changes and see if you feel more at rest.

7. Keep it clean. Did you know the average office desktop has 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat? You can’t be productive if you are out sick. Start using items that are washable, like a keyboard, and keep some anti-bacterial wipes nearby to wipe off surfaces.

8. Beat the clock. Focus on completing a task rather than reaching a time goal before relaxing. Think, “finish the report” rather than “at 2 p.m.” as an accomplishment before grabbing a quick snack.

9. Make creativity easy. If you host a meeting at work or school, bring along items like an easel with paper or whiteboard so participants can visualize and learn better.

10. Continue to improve. ACCO Brands offers even more tips to enhance productivity and organization in the workplace at www.accoheroes.com.

If you’ve already mastered these productivity tips, then you might be the Everyday Hero ACCO Brands is looking for. What is an Everyday Hero? It’s a person who knows how to use his/her office tools to make things run smoothly; a person to whom everyone turns to pull it all together in a pinch – often without being recognized.

ACCO Brands is scouring the country in search of Everyday Heroes. Everyday Heroes can enter the contest at www.accoheroes.com. A grand prize of $1,000 in office products will be awarded to three winners.

For more solutions on how to make you more productive or to enter the Everyday Heroes contest, visit www.accoheroes.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent