Have you ever said to yourself “I need more hours in the day”? When you are busy trying to succeed at work and still have a life, it’s cliché but it really is about working smarter, not harder. Finding a system that works for you does take time, but there are some simple things you can start doing right away to be more productive and get more done in a day.
- Get up 15 minutes earlier. This doesn’t have to be every day (although that works the best), but on days you know are going to be hectic, give yourself a head start. You can use that time to have a short breakfast, get things organized a little more before your kids wake up, or check messages quick before you leave for the office. It’s whatever you need the most.
- Block schedule time for your email or texts. Checking email or messages every time your phone dings or you see a notification pop up distracts you from your task at hand. Think about it; you’re 15 minutes into drafting a document, a new email pops up, you flip over to email, think about what to do with it, maybe file or answer it, and then have to get back on task. Or worst case, that original tasks remains unfinished and you then have to figure out a new time to get to it. I know not all jobs are created equal and some require checking messages more frequently, but know that you will get tons more done if you aren’t switching gears constantly
- Know your go-to procrastination activity. Many people have a ‘go-to’ activity that they focus on when they are procrastinating working on something else. And it fools you because you are doing ‘something’ so you lie to yourself that you are being productive. For me, this is laundry. For YEARS, I used laundry as the excuse anytime I felt overwhelmed with other things I was putting off or didn’t want to face. Now, when I’m starting to focus on laundry, I stop and ask myself what I’m avoiding. For many people, this is cleaning out email (see #2 above 🙂)
- Take 15-30 minutes at the end of your day to reset. At work, take the time before you leave to check your schedule for the following day, make your list of top 3 things you need to get done tomorrow, or return urgent messages. At home, run the dishwasher or tidy up the living room or kitchen so you aren’t walking into a disaster the next morning. Trust me – things don’ take as long as you think they do in your head.
Usually when I give these suggestions, most people don’t do them. I’m not saying that to be mean; most people underestimate their usefulness. They are simple but they do require a mindset shift. Don’t be most people (and I know you aren’t). Iff you start small, it will trigger the momentum and you will be on the path to developing your own Balance Plan. If you need help, book a free call!
