Time is tight. The pressure is on to be highly productive at work in the shortest amount of time possible.
How?
Follow these 5 tips to succeed.
- Make a list and do something nice for yourself. It’s tempting to keep your brain tuned out until you actually sit down at your desk but you’ll be a lot more productive if you think and plan before you start your day. The night before or during your morning commute visualize the day ahead and make a list of the most critical “To Dos.” Do something nice for yourself before you start your day. Take a quick walk through a park on your way to work. Stop at your favorite coffee shop for a few minutes before you head to your office. Starting your day organized and in a good mood does wonders for your productivity.
- Identify the top two “Must Dos” of the day. Identify the top most critical things that absolutely must be done today. Write them down and break them into smaller tasks you can complete before noon.
- Do the worst thing first. Overcome Do your most disliked/hated task first. Knock it out when you’re fresh. The rest of your day will feel as though you’re on a roll.
- Managing email. Studies show that only 30% of email messages require an immediate response. Identify important email messages and respond to them before noon and don’t sweat the rest until later (or at all).
- Limit your distractions. When time is of the essence it is not the time to distract yourself with texting friends, checking who “Liked” your most recent social media post, making appointments or placing on-line orders. Keep a piece of paper on your desk and as thoughts pop through your head jot down your non-urgent personal “To Dos” to refer to later. Or if it doesn’t take you off track, capture them in a simple app like Evernote. And check out Interruptions vs. Your Productivity Groove (though maybe a minute after noon – after your important daily “To Dos” are done).
Did that work for you? If so, a little self-congratulations are in order. Whether you did or not, tomorrow is another day and you get a fresh start on success.
“I want to live my life in such a way that when I get out of bed in the morning, the devil says, “Aw shit, he’s up!”
— Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Live and the Human Experience
Productivity: Do It Before Noon!
Connie Dorigan, Founder and Director of Recruiting, sees the food processing industry as the link between good living and good people. She’s the west coast’s most experienced and trusted food processing recruiter. She also provides Executive and Career Coaching and lots of free job search tools. Once you’ve connected with Connie, you’ll always be connected.
© 2018 Connie Dorigan. All rights reserved.
This is a general interest article and does not constitute specific or legal advice.
