Does your desk ever feel like it looks like this?
Could it be you need to get shit done? Of course you do. But stuff gets in the way. Sometimes 24 hours just isn’t enough. And it’s not just work. You want to do stuff outside of work. You want to start that new exercise regime. Learn a new language. Impress people by answering a question on University Challenge.
In short want to get things done. Accomplished. Completed.
Have a go at these and have time to gossip at the water cooler.
Learn to say NO! Knowing when to say no and actually saying no are two different things. When you know something isn’t important or will disrupt you unreasonably you need to be able to stand up and say no. Don’t be afraid to do so.
Take the train. Or the bus. Ditch the car. Relax and get things done on your daily commute. You can get a head start on your emails, make a to do list. Or even do some actual work!
Listen to educational podcasts while you commute. Or learn a new language. Enhance your skills set through your headphones! 30 minutes of the day in a couple of moths it is amazing what you can learn. Trust me.
4. Work from home. Like me. Work out what tasks can be done from home and convince your boss that this is where you will get most done. You will free from the distraction of co-workers, meetings, long lunches, commutes, the list goes on. And if your boss doesn’t trust you or is convinced then he’s a w*****. A boss needs to be able to trust jhis team.
5. Prioritize effectively. What’s most important? Do that first.
6. Make time to exercise. Release those endorphins! They are great for the mind! Exercise will help you to focus when you need to. Plus you’ll develop that six pack that you’ve been hiding all these years.
7. Create rock solid deadlines. Nothing will spur you into action more than a seemingly insurmountable challenge, and an ever-advancing date in the calendar when it all has to be completed. How else do you think I manage to write an article every week?!
8. Sleep early. You cannot work effectively if you’re tired. Go to bed a a normal time. You may stop needing that alarm clock!
9. Experiment with a change of location. Working in the same place day after day, moth after moth can erode you productivity See if you can mix it up. I often write this blog on my laptop in another place. The pub (not a good example, but lovely warm fire). A café. The library. My garden (in the summer). See if your boss will let you out for an hour for a team meeting somewhere other than the office. And if you’re the boss suggest it! Perhaps here:
10. Get a life outside of work. The brain craves variety. When work is over it is over. Turn off. De stress. No don’t go home and login to the Internet. Take up a hobby or a sport. Fed your brain. Enjoy your free time
11. The Two Minute Rule. If something can be done in two minutes do it NOW. If not leave for an appropriate time slot.
12. Establish an ending time to your work day. Not only will you strive to complete all your tasks before the work day ends it also gives you a certain time you can relax and end the day. When the day ends forget the job…you are not being paid to worry about it in your own time!
13. Carry a random report. You didn’t learn this here: If you work in an office, carry around random, important-looking bits of paper. And walk with the hustle of a Very Busy Person. Not only will people start to think of you as a big player they will also be much less likely to hassle you or ask for an impromptu meeting. Allowing you to concentrate on the important stuff. This works.
14. OHIO. Only handle it once. If you receive an email and can reply to it quickly, reply right away. Reason being, if you leave it until later, the time spent replying plus the time spent remembering over and over that you need to reply ends up being much more than if you just replied to the email right away.
15. Learn how to create tasks. “Take over the world” isn’t a task. It’s a goal. With many tasks associated with it. Separate goals in to smaller, manageable and clear tasks.
Good luck!
