7 Simple Tips to Improve Productivity and Time Management
# Prioritize
the most important tasks first
Focus
on most important and essential tasks first, identify top 2-3 most crucial tasks
at a given point of time and let the rest less important and other trivia tasks
wait. Concentrate on these essential tasks, nothing else should bother you, immerse
yourself completely and with all focus on those task. By completing essentials
first, you will save lot of time by not worrying about it and by not having
need to respond to follow-ups and distractions.
Additionally,
you will have better focus, efficiency and confidence for rest of task
# Eliminate
the non-essential, Clear the clutter
Our
lives are full of excesses and clutter. When we identify that excess and remove
the clutter, we become more and more in touch with what is important and what
deserves our time. Evaluate the need and value of the tasks which you are planning
to undertake. As a quick assessment tip, analyze the nature of activities where you spend your time in last 1 week or 1 month, you will be surprised
during assessment that at-least 20% to 40% of your time is getting utilized in
non-value work. This is universal Pareto Law , our 20% of utilization of time in top tasks generally leads to 80% of our delivery. Off 24
hours in a day, we generally achieve 80% of critical output in 5 hour of
working. By cutting clutter , we can be much more efficient
Don’t
allow unimportant details to drag you down Cutting down some non-essential task
will immediately ensure minimum 10% more available time, continue optimizing it week by week.
# Learn to say “NO”
At
some point, you need to learn to decline opportunities. Your objective should
be to take on only those commitments that you know you have time for and that
you truly care about , anything which is not aligned to your larger goals
should be a Big No.
# Delegate transaction task, as much possible
To
the extent possible, delegate the tasks which can be delegated. You will amazed
to do introspection on the scale and quantum of tasks which remain
non-delegated. Most of time we think coaching and bridging skill gaps of the
resource to whom we are planning to delegate may itself take significant time
than to do it ourselves. Yes, you are right, it may take significant time on
initial 2-3 occasion for specific type of transaction but it is worth investing
looking at potential of time sharing after that.
Investing 2-3 x more time on preparing for
delegation today will ensure cutting down immense time in future. Delegate all
possible methodical, transactional, repetitive, non-decision making tasks
# Leave
a buffer-time between tasks
When
we rush from task to task, it’s difficult to appreciate what we’re doing and to
operate optimally, focused and motivated. Allowing ourselves buffer-time
between tasks can be a breath of fresh air for our brains.
While
taking a break, go for a short walk, trivia talk, coffee break or anything else
which relax the brain and help in recharging for next task.
# Have
a good Sleep, Never Skip Meals
We,
at time, think sacrificing sleep or skipping meals is a good way to increase productivity and our
body can bear it too however this is not the truth. To optimally function and
avoid breakdown, our mind need adequate rest and our body need adequate
nutrition, deprivation will soon or later lead to lack of focus, efficiency
gaps, decision delays, anxieties while necessary care to mind and body will
ensure focus, solution orientation, innovative ideas, better decisions,
organized work flow and confidence
We
provide adequate service, recharge and
rest to our cellphone, laptops, our Car,
AC, TV but somehow, we may do the mistake by taking our brain and body lightly
# Utilize
Free Time for Development
There
are days when we are occupied with loads and loads of tasks and there are days
when we have reasonably, ample free time. Our ability to manage and utilize
that free time determine our response on the days of excess load. Use available
free time to develop yourself which can make you more efficient, it can be as
simple as learning Excel, Word , PPT features which you may not be aware off to
coaching your resources for delegation to networking with your Colleagues for
best practices or ideas for your field to reading article and books to acquiring to
new relevant skills
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