by Aaron Potts
http://www.todayisthatday.com
© 2007
Whether you have a business that is based out
of your home, or if you want to maximize your efforts at your job, there are 3
basic concepts that will ensure your success.
By learning
about and embracing these 3 simple – and free – success techniques you
will not only increase your productivity, but you will maintain your sanity as
well!
Scheduling
Yes, you
are busy. Everyone is busy these days. From stay at home parents who raise children
full-time, all the way up through CEO’s of billion-dollar companies, everyone
is busy.However, everyone has the same 24 hours every day to get things done,
so keep that in mind if you have the habit of thinking that your situation is
different from anyone else’s.
When it comes to scheduling
all of the things that are on your daily or weekly to-do list, writing down the
master list of things that you want to accomplish is the absolutely mission-critical
first step.
The reason why writing down everything on your
to-do list is so important is because until you write it down, you probably don’t
have a true grasp over just how many things you are trying to do every day!
Write
down every single thing that you do that takes even 5 minutes of your time. Your
list could include – but will hardly be limited to – things such as:
Personal – Sleep schedule, taking breaks, practicing
personal hygiene, eating, talking on the phone, dealing with children, spending
time with your family, running errands, surfing the Internet, exercising, etc.
Professional – Daily and weekly work tasks, answering
email, product development, marketing, research, taking care of your website,
tending to customer service, going to meetings, travel time, dealing with other
employees, etc.
Once you have your list of things that
you need to get done every day or every week, then you need take a REALISTIC look
at how much time you have to dedicate to each of those activities.
Realism
It is critical that you write down how much time you actually
spend on each of your tasks. Don’t set yourself up for failure by underestimating
how time much you truly spend on the things that you do regularly.
For
example, if you actually spend 4 hours per day reading and replying to email,
but you find that number shocking, don’t schedule only 2 hours per day to
work on email.
If your travel time is 60 minutes of actual
driving, but then also includes a 30-minute window in the morning and again in
the evening during which you get back and forth to your car, start up or shut
down your work area, chit-chat with other employees, etc., then you have to include
that in your schedule.
Being realistic about the many things
that take up time everyday is the hardest part for most people. We find it difficult
to believe that out of an 8 or 10-hour work day, that so much of that time is
spent NOT working, so we tend to mentally block out the things that are not productive.
Here is the thing to remember, though: Whether you are
being productive or not, the clock is still ticking. You might be amazed at how
much time you spend each day NOT accomplishing the tasks that are in front of
you.
Perseverance
Scheduling
your time and being realistic about how long it takes to get things done is only
the beginning. Realizing that you have many things to do every day and that you
could clean up your productivity habits is simply not enough to effect change.
You have to consistently “stick to your guns”
and follow through on whatever plans you come up with in order to increase your
productivity.
If you are going to leave your house 30 minutes
earlier in order to beat the traffic rush, only doing so occasionally is not going
to net you any serious amount of additional time over the long-term.
Avoiding
chatty co-workers in the break room one day, but carrying on a 20-minute conversation
with them the next day is only going to serve to cancel out your efforts.
At
home, avoiding the home-based distractions every Monday and Tuesday, but then
slacking on your resolve to be more productive by the end of the week will not
allow you the cumulative benefits of your efforts.
Regardless
of what systems that you put in place in order to increase your productivity,
follow the 3 basic rules that were just mentioned, and you will achieve long-term
success:
Schedule your time, be realistic about what you
have to do each day and how long it takes, and stick to a good plan of action
to start increasing your productivity. Not only will these habits increase your
productivity, but they will also increase your success in life!
