Top Ten Ways to Work Less and Be More Productive
by Sergeant Carpenter
That title sounds paradoxical, but it really is a paradigm that will benefit anyone who is willing to pay close attention and take action to make it happen. The idea expressed in the title is not a pie-in-the-sky idea, and is not akin to a get rich quick scheme.
I have noticed a trememdous improvement in my daily productivity between times when I have organized by keeping a list to guide me throughout my day. When compared with the times I have not, I have discovered that keeping a list greatly enhanced my productivity. There have been times when my faithful list has empowered me to do amazing amounts of work in a given day, even finish early, gaining me more fun time. Often I have been able to get more accomplished before breakfast with a list than I would usually do in a whole day, without my list.
Here are my top ten ways to spend less time working and accomplish more:
1. Be sure you understand and are able to verbalize to yourself why you want produce more results while working less. This may seem simple, but it is highly important, as a way to motivate you to meaningful action. To do something successfully, it must be done on purpose and with a purpose. Knowing your purpose gives you an important reason to make any task or project important enough and a high enough priority to motivate you to get with the program, and get the job done.
Maybe you want to spend less time working so you can spend more time with your family, or to finish your week early and have a long weekend. Maybe your reason is to practice a sport more often, so you can compete with greater excellence. So long as your purpose is one that gives you a reason to get more serious & take serious action and get things done, you will purposely do what is necessary to reclaim time for your personal pursuits.
2. Use a Day Timer or other Organizer: This may also sound simplistic, but it is really important. The organizer can free your mind, as it becomes your memory bank. When you diligently use it every day, for everything, you will record your thoughts, assignments, tasks, appointments, shopping lists, and other important information. in their proper places and you will be free to forget it until it's time to refer to that information. For example your shopping list and the unusual item that you may be concerned about forgetting is of no concern now, because you will rely on your shopping list when you get to the store, and not worry about it until the proper time. The organizer may be paper or electronic. I have tried both ways and both have their advantages, but I prefer the old fashioned paper variety because it is usable everywhere, anytime.I also appreciate the pop-up reminders of the electronic kind.
3. Keep your To Do List short: This list can be very intimidating, mostly because most folks put too much on it. Your daily list should have only one or two mission essential tasks for any given day. This is your assignment to yourself. Be kind and don't make "unfunded" requirements. You work hard and, if you are effective, you should have some time for yourself. You need breaks, personal time and fun time to be more productive. Too much hard work will tire you out, your effort will become counter-productive and you may go nuts besides. I keep a separate "Long term" to do list that keeps me on track for weeks and months. These items don't become imperative until I schedule them on the daily list.
4. Arrive on time and get busy: Compartmentalize your activities. There is a time for everything. When it is time to work, get to work in an organized, effective and energetic manner. When it is time to play, or take a break, separate from work and recharge your "batteries". Do your coffee drinking and socializing before and after work. At work be about your business, whether your office is next to the boss's or in your home. This policy alone will significantly shorten the time needed to accomplish the requirements of the day. When the requirements of the day are met, straighten up, set tomorrow's schedule and go use the time you saved for your personal purposes.
5. Accomplish a major task before lunch: If possible, do this before a pre-lunch break, however don't rush it, but do it right. Finishing a significant task before lunch will give you the momentum of success for the rest of the day.
6. Don't be really sociable at the office: Do all the socializing you want in the break room or at lunch time, at the appointed times. When the time is not right, get back into the business mode and back into the office and get busy, purposefully following your schedule. When you are not conducting business, you will find life is more enjoyable if you are sociable and relaxed, then when it is time to work you will be fresher and more effective. Don't be rude, just be professional and businesslike at work.
7. Learn to say "No": There is no requirement for you to do everything that everyone asks of you. Say no to unnecessary interruptions like social visits by co-workers. Refuse to chat on the phone. Ask people to email you. If in person meetings or phone conversations are unavoidable, respectfully let the other person know that your time is limited... "I have a call to make in 5 minutes", or question them about the purpose and then you set the parameters for the meeting/call. Be sure and know the problem or reason for the contact beforehand and ask questions to bring out the answer to the problem in short order, or if you are unable to help, kindly state the fact, and perhaps refer them to someone who can help and end the call or meeting. Your time is valuable. It is the stuff that life is made of. Your and your family's welfare depends on you getting your job done effectively. Your next sale or promotion may depend upon your ability to conduct business in an effective manner.
8.Get a handle on your E-mail habits: This may be a big challenge for you, but it is unquestionably important. Don't let E-mail control you....you must take charge of it. If you get important (most is probably not) business email during the day, you may want to set up a special webmail account just for business and then direct all your business E-mail to that address, to avoid being distracted by spam and personal email. Deal with personal email on your non work time. Spam arrest is a good tool for getting spam under control. Just search google with the name spam arrest. Check E-mail as seldom as possible. For now, try reducing to twice a day. Just before lunch and just before quitting time are great times for this. You can wean yourself more as time passes. Be very aggressive and delete anything that you can't recognize, then read business mail at work and read personal email after work. This alone can cut hours off of many a worker's time on the job. If you control your own schedule, or are gifted as a negotiator and have a reasonable boss, using this tip could mean getting out of the office earlier; in many cases, much earlier. Most work is accomplished in about 2 hours of an 8 hour work day.
9. Give up multi-tasking: With very few exceptions, "Multi-tasking" means doing a half baked job of many things at once. I think It is the path that leads to a nervous breakdown and low self esteem. When you wake up and realize that as hard as you work, you don't get anything done excellently, that has to be demoralizing. You'll profit immensely if you use the organizing tips above and take control of your work situation, then do one task at a time, until it is done well, or a break is reasonable, then move on to the next task. A car accident in which someone dies would be a devastating way to learn that you can't concentrate fully on two tasks at the same time, such as driving and talking on the phone. Multi-tasking might just be mostly responsible for the terrible, rampant mediocrity in today's workplace.
10. Outsource mundane tasks: There are people who make a business of helping you with mundane tasks, or tasks that you don't do well. One such business is
www.outsourcingsuccess.com Give it a try with some personal tasks first to get the feel of how it works for you. Without hiring a full time assistant or secretary, you can get good help by the hour that will free you up to tend to the more important tasks and the ones that you are strong in. You may also find students at a local college or university who major in areas that would help you and help them earn a little income. If you prefer to go international, search on Your Man in India, and Brickwork, or the term Virtual Assistants. Outsourcing Success has already made the connections and is ready to bridge the gap and help you get the help you need.
These are real plans for real business people to get real work done effectively. The effectiveness of these tips depends upon your willingness to use them diligently.
Sergeant Carpenter has helped many people how to improve their
productivity while working less and producing more. Get a free consultation to see if Sergeant Carpenter can help you reduce work and
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