Last week was "World Productive Day"
Time and energy are often the two biggest challenges to business owners. Here are a dozen practical ways to increase your productivity:
1. Leverage Your Prime Time
Each of us has different times when we are most effective and times when the day seems to drag. Schedule your most critical tasks for your most productive cycle of the day.
2. Filter
If a task doesn’t really need to be done, just get rid of it altogether.
3. Tackle Bad Stuff First
“Eat that frog” as Brian Tracy says, and the rest of your day will progress without the niggle at the back of your mind that bad stuff still needs to be tackled.
4. Set A Goal
Either the night before, or in the morning, decide what you want to accomplish each day. Once you have a sense of direction, you can spend your time getting things done.
5. Abolish All Communication
While you are focusing on an important task, turn off your phone or cell phone and don’t check your email. Consider hanging a “Do Not Disturb” sign at your office door if necessary. This need not be done for all your tasks, but it works wonders when you are working on more difficult tasks.
6. Batch Similar Tasks Together
Do all your emailing at one time. Make all your phone calls at another. And so on. You will waste less time by doing your work this way.
7. Time It
Even if a task may take hours, starting will seem easier if you simply give yourself 30 minutes to get as much done as you can. A time limit seems to help many of us to concentrate and work better.
8. Set Targets
If, for example, you have to make cold-calls, tell yourself that you are not going to move from your phone until you have made at least 100 calls. Regardless of what happens, refuse to stop until you hit your target.
9. Use The Pareto Principle
The Pareto principle states that 20% of the actions you take will provide you with 80% of the results. Focus on the tasks that will accomplish the most – even though these are often the less enjoyable tasks. You might be surprised how little you really have to do if you focus on the critical 20%.
10. Learn To Delegate
Drop the control freak in you, and use the people around you as the resources they are. When appropriate, use their time and talents wisely to get things done more quickly.
11. Set A Deadline
Having a specific endpoint will really help to concentrate your time and energy. If a task doesn’t feel necessary, chances are that it won’t get done.
12 More Haste, Less Speed
Do not rush through your to-do list. Doing things too quickly just to get it done could end up taking you longer in the end.
Coach Sonja Shear
For more information about business coaching and business consulting services, contact me: 083 256-0378 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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