Hello, how are you? Had a busy day?
Well, I can guess the answer, but the more important question is did you have a productive day?
It’s the holy grail of modern life, and while we all know that we can’t be productive 100% of the time, if we boosted the percentage of time spent working productively, we’ll be happier, less stressed and … well, more productive.
Sometimes we don’t have control over the things that are hijacking our time, but a bit of reflection can provide interesting insight into exactly how much control we can take back.
It’s something that drives my constant quest for improvement, so I’ve noted down a few of my top tips.
I’m sure you will have heard all of them before and probably contemplated most of them, but I find incremental gains is the way forward. Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better…
So, back to your working day. If you think about it, there are only three ways to spend time: thoughts, conversations and actions.
Look back on your Outlook calendar and take time to analyse how you spend your time.
If you need me to remind you to start keeping an outlook calendar of how you spend your time, there is definitely some work to be done.
What it should show you is how much time is actually spent producing results and how much time is wasted on unproductive thoughts, conversations and actions.
Think about where you might want to redistribute a little of your time.
What could do with a little more time spent on it? What are you spending time on that you don’t really enjoy or value? When are the main points in the day you waste time?
A good central starting point is the start of your day.
Take the first half an hour of every day to plan your day. Don't start your day until you’ve done it, and look at this as one of the most important parts of your day, not a “nice to have”.
Start within five minutes of sitting down at your desk and switching on your computer. Half an hour or an hour wasted here on procrastination or distractions is costly.
The fact that I sat down to write this blog and ended up trying to find out if Susan Boyle was alive and well is, some would say, the perfect indicator that there is some work to be done on my part.
Which brings me onto focus. Are you multi-tasking so much that you’re just not getting anything done?
Focus on one key task at a time and shut off everything else that is stealing your attention.
What takes your time away your work? Facebook? Twitter? Email checking? Maybe it’s the phone ringing or text messages popping in?
Practise not answering the phone just because it's ringing and e-mails just because they show up.
Don't instantly give people your attention unless it's absolutely crucial in your business to offer an immediate human response.
When things get really pressurised and you’re tight for time, ignore email completely. Get into the habit of switching off email whenever you can, even if this is only for 15 minutes or 30 minutes at a time.
This should be rolled into everyday life. We’ve all sat through meetings which have overrun for no discernible reason other than no one brings it to a close, and the chat about the new deli / episode of Suits / person in HR has been too enticing.
Cut off when you need to and don’t be afraid to be the one in meetings that intercedes. Stay in control.
And end your day at a fixed time.
Now I know this is easier said than done, and we all know that it is unhealthy and bad to let work creep uninvited into your evening. By all means, have two putative finishing times – one for an ideal day and one latest time that you won’t work past.
When it comes to being productive, the most important thing to remember is that it's impossible to get everything done, and foolish to keep pushing yourself as if that is an option.
The odds are good that 20 percent of your thoughts, conversations and activities produce 80 percent of your results. Concentrate on identifying that 20 percent and you’re on your way.
Just remember, every day, in every way, you’re getting better and better.