
Productivity – Create Your Own Agenda And Manage Your Time In A Way That Works for You!
Life is one big juggling act, we all work in different ways some people are based in the office, some from home. Whatever your set-up weâve nearly all experienced times of unproductivity, distractions and guilt with our time management, struggling to get tasks completed or even started.
Here are a few pointers on how to manage time more productively in bit size chunks & really achieve what you need to in the time you have:
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Turns off distractions for 1 hour whilst you complete a task!!! Distraction kills productivity & can take 15 minutes to get your concentration back.
- FB / twitter / MSN/ Skype – turn the notifications off
- Email alerts – pick 2/3 times a day to looks at emails
- Phone calls – ignore them, if theyâre that urgent theyâll leave a message or you can screen them for the caller ID – school, parents etc.
- Wear headphones, people generally ignore you then even if youâre not listening to anything it muffles outside noise and if you plug them in then you canât get up & walk away!
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Create chunks of time that are used to be productive & make sure youâve written a list.
- Set the timer on your computer but be clear about what you want to achieve, otherwise donât bother creating the time in the first place.
- Always have a list & know what you need to do to move your business forward & that way if get a free hour then youâll know exactly what you need to do & wonât waste time.
- Break big projects or tasks down into bite size chunks so that you donât waste time procrastinating. For example if youâre project is to put together an event, do not write on the top of your âTo Do List â Organise Eventâ! Break it down into smaller actions that you can complete in 30 min / 1 hour intervals.
- Research competitor events
- Research dates & venues
- Look at promotion & Create an adverts etc etc.
- If youâre always struggling for time then get into the office or get up an hour earlier when thereâs no other distractions
- The best way to work is in 60-90 minute intervals, FACT. Itâs to do with our glucose levels & the way our brainâs wired. Thatâs why meetings / workshops function best when they are structured with the correct number of breakout times or we just feel zapped.
- We need to work in short, intensive bursts with âcontrolled interruptionsâ in-between. Set your time for 60 minutes & then get up, make a drink, take a walk, hang up washing etc. This way you will start ticking things off of your âTo Do Listâ.
- STOP MULTI-TASKING, be 100% focused & then youâll stand a chance of completing a task.
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STOP Worrying, Feeling Guilty, Procrastinating, these are all types of mind-set that are a useless waste of time & energy.
Women can be especially guilty of this, IâM ONE OF THEM!!! Guilty because you put the children in front of the t.v for an hour to get something done, or guilty because youâre spending time with them when you should be working. WRONG.
- Use the time that you do have productively whether itâs time at work or time with the kids, use 100% of your time effectively with 100% concentration.
- Do what you have to do within reason. Youâre doing your best.
As mentioned before, everyone works best in different ways, pick & choose bits of this that might work for you. Hope it helps!
- KNOW WHAT YOU NEED TO ACHIEVE, MAKE A LIST
- SET SMALL, ACHIEVABLE GOALS
- CREATE POCKETS OF TIME
- ELIMINATE DISTRACTIONS
- DONâT MULTI TASK, DO 1 THING WITH 100% CONCENTRATION
- DONâT FEEL GUILTY
- DONâT PROCRASTINATE