Proactive about Productivity!
Have you ever started your day with all the best of intentions? Your head is filled with a list of things to accomplish and you are ready to go…You are feeling good, like you can conquer the world but where are you by the end of the day…
You’ve had interruptions upon interruptions and projects come up that you never expected…then the day is over and you didn’t accomplish a fraction of what you’d planned …
Not too surprising, it’s happened to all of us. Time is so valuable that we need to make the most of it!
And time management is without a doubt one of the most important strategies we need to work on because so many losses in productivity can be linked back to one of the following causes:
- Procrastination: Incomplete tasks disrupt and hinder our ability to be productive. Our focus becomes the job not done instead of the task at hand.
- Poor organizational skills: To be productive you must be organized and more than a modest “to do” list.
- All work and no play: You cannot be productive if you are not well rested…mind, body & soul.
So what are some simple and straightforward tools that bump up and increase your productivity?
- Plan: Head to the office a few minutes early and write your daily to-do list, then set your top thee priorities.
- One hour: Dedicate your first hour to no emails, blogs, or voicemails etc…get right to work. This will give you a feeling of triumph that will follow you through the day.
- Take a break: assign yourself some time to get sidetracked, it will make the rest of the day more effective, keep them short and then get back to it.
- Time segments: Schedule your time to alternate between boring and appealing tasks, it will help you stay more involved throughout the day.
- Music: A little soothing music can drown out noises in the office without interrupting others around you, it just might help you focus.
- Leave your desk for lunch: Leaving your desk for lunch will give you a much needed break, you will improve your energy and focus.
Falling behind and becoming hampered by all our daily responsibilities and distractions is very easy as we well know…yet so easy to correct!
Remember, being productive doesn’t have to mean working extra hours. If you plan your day, it will take away the worry and preoccupation of how much you’re really getting done.
Your goal is to work smarter, so that when you leave at the end of the day you can focus on other things, not your unfinished tasks.
If you will put the time into planning, your productivity will pay off big time!
What are ways you keep your office productivity up?
[themecolor]Dave Baney is the founder and CEO of 55 Questions, LLC. We work with successful top executives with a driving ambition to crush their competition. We help CEOs and Entrepreneurs improve alignment, communication and accountability throughout their organization.[/themecolor] www.55Questions.com
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