Many successful
busy people have perfected methods that have allowed them to get all or most of
their work done before noon! The key is “streamlining” tasks, “prioritizing”
successfully and staying FOCUSED!
Try these 8 best tips
for 2 weeks and see if any or all of them help you get more done at work!
#1 – PLAN your
workday the night before – every night, before you leave work, list all the
tasks that must be completed the next day. Allow enough time for each task,
number them in order of importance and do not put too much on your list!
#2 – TAKE BREAKS –
You must take breaks if you want to be productive AND stay focused – set an
alarm on your phone or a watch or alarm clock – experiment with the best time
to take a morning break or breaks..
taking several 5 or 10 minute breaks, instead of one longer break will
help get back on task easily but the break will help you focus more
successfully on the next task!
#3 – PLAN WHEN
you will do what and plan breaks accordingly. For instance, if you write or
need to make hard decisions, do that early before there are distractions in the
office building. Save the things that are easy to focus on with noise around
for AFTER everyone else starts arriving at the office. Also, if you write, do
that FIRST thing in the morning and then take a break before moving on to
different types of tasks.
#4 – NO INTERRUPTIONS
or MEETINGS before noon – instruct staff and co-workers that your most
productive work time will be in the morning so that is when you would prefer
not to be interrupted or distracted. Even in the case of a mild “emergency” an
emergency at 10 am could most likely wait until 1:00 pm without too much problem.
Sometimes, there are regular meetings that happen in the morning hours that are
mandatory. Work around this the best you can. If every Monday and every Friday,
there is a standing meeting, start at 8am on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
and start working at 7:00 am on Mondays and Fridays (in order to make up for those
one hour meetings you will attend in the morning on those days). Make it work!
#5 – START EARLY –
get up an hour earlier every day! Show up at the office an hour earlier every
day. Plan to do tasks from your list that require “quiet time” and do them in
that hour.
#6 – BE ORGANIZED
– you WILL get more done if you are organized.. if you have to spend a whole
weekend organizing your office, your files, cleaning off your desk so you can
try this for two weeks, do it! If you do not have clutter distracting you and
you can FIND THINGS.. you will get more done, guaranteed!
#7 – NO EMAIL / NO
VOICEMAIL – do not, I repeat DO NOT listen to your voicemail or check your
email until after lunch! Do not even LOOK at it to see “how many” you have
waiting! Resist the urge.. both of those activities are not only time killers
but will send you off in other directions as well. One step even better! Assign
the task of listening to the voicemail and checking and organizing the email to
some else! I know that sounds scary – I would challenge you to find a
successful small business owner or high paid executive that checks their own
voicemail or email!
# 8 - 80/20 RULE
RULES! – We keep hearing it and seeing it written and it IS TRUE! Only 20%
of what you do each day produces 80% of the results. So, first, when making
your list for the day, eliminate (or put on a “maybe” list) tasks that have
nothing to do with your top goal or goals. When ordering tasks in their order
of importance, put the MOST IMPORTANT tasks at the top of the list, to be done
first thing in the morning. Stay focused on one task at a time, do not worry
about the other tasks. If you do not get to the bottom of the list, move those
tasks to the next day and learn each time, how to plan for how much time things
will take in the future!
Our consultants provide team
building and other team oriented workshops as well as individual coaching with
reasonable fees! If you would like a FREE phone consultation to discuss your
individual situation or have other questions, please feel free to visit our
website and fill out a contact form at www.TheMaxProfit.com
Renee Johnston
Senior Consultant, Coach and
Profitability Specialist
(360) 490-7045 mobile
(talk or text)
Business Services Group / The Max
Profit
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