Focus
Some may believe that multitasking allows you to get more done, but studies show it takes longer to get things done when you multitask, plus it’s easier for errors to creep in. Focusing on one thing at a time means you will get that task done faster and more accurately.
Many people find it helpful to set a timer for maybe half an hour or 45 minutes when they’re going to really focus on a task. I like using a Time Timer because it visually shows you the passage of time.
Plan Each Day
If you don’t plan your day, someone else will—your supervisor, your spouse, your children, your coworkers, or your clients. Have you ever had days when you worked hard all day, and at the end of the day realized you forgot a deadline or missed a meeting? My personal favorite productivity tip is to plan tomorrow today. This is the reminder I have at the top of my computer monitor:
If you’d like one of my reminders, email me your snail mail address (U.S. addresses only please) and I’ll send you one. It’s sticky, but not permanent, and you can apply it to the top or bottom of your computer monitor or anywhere with a smooth hard surface.
Prioritize
Do you find yourself constantly putting off that large project until the day it becomes urgent, and you end up working until 10:00 p.m. or later? Each morning, do you do all the easy stuff first, and then discover you don’t have time to do that most important task—the task that absolutely has to be done today?
The solution: As you plan tomorrow, prioritize your tasks, putting first on your list the one most important task you absolutely positively have to get done. Include on your list the first/next step of the large project you’ve been repeatedly putting off.
Visualize
Visualize the outcome you want. Visualization, used by many sports coaches, is one of the strongest techniques you can use to plan your successes!
Do
Don’t forget this most important last step! And remember to do your top priority first.
Copyright 2018 Susan Kousek
Permission is granted to reprint this article in your newsletter or magazine with the following byline and clickable link:
Susan Kousek is a productivity consultant and speaker.
To find out more about her programs and services, visit www.BalancedSpaces.com or call 571-752-6355.
