Increasing efficiency and productivity often bring forth
images of someone standing with a stopwatch timing every activity
with a watchful eye. Henry Ford first used the talent of an
efficiency expert to build cars faster and more economically.
What resulted was the assembly line where the same motion
is repeated over and over to eliminate any wasted motion.
You don't have to work on an assembly line to take advantage
of the time saving tips they recognized, however. By taking
a little time to plan and prepare, you can find extra hours
in your day to complete the work you want to do and still
have fun. These useful and effective exercises will only be
beneficial if you can be productive and efficient with your
time. Victor Hugo says, "He who every morning plans the
transactions of the day and follows out that plan, carries
a thread that will guide him through the labyrinth of the
most busy life." List below ways to use your time in
the best possible way:
1. Plan your work.
Plan your work and work your plan. Set aside 10 to 15 planning
minutes at the start of each day or at the end of your day
to create a to-do list for your upcoming activities and you
will know what your important tasks are before you start the
day. This advance planning can save more than an hour a day.
Action step: Take a moment right
now and decide which time of the day is best for you to set
aside for this planning period. Whether it's 6:00 a.m. or
midnight, commit to a time period now. 2. Use time efficiently. Be productive with your time. Remember, we all have exactly
the same number of hours each day as were given to Helen Keller,
Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Da Vinci and Einstein. Action step: You can use time
waiting for appointments or waiting in line to catch up on
material you need to read and use today's tools to greatly
increase productivity. Look at the activities that fill your
day and determine ways they could be done more efficiently
or eliminated. By shaving minutes off of several tasks throughout
the day, you can free up a larger block of time later. Think
of two ways you could save time in your daily schedule: 3. Use your most productive hours for your most important
tasks. Some of us are early risers, and others are night owls. If
you need time to wake and truly get started in the day, don't
attempt to force an early morning deadline to your schedule.
Ask yourself, What do I need to get done today in order to
feel complete and when am I most productive? Focus on what
is most important and less on how fast you are going. Spend
20 percent of your day on the most important tasks and you
will accomplish 80 percent of your results. Action step: Choose a daily
goal you want to achieve and decide what time of the day you
have the most energy or creativity to get the job done. Commit
that time to that goal. List one sample goal here to get you
started: 4. Prioritize your most important activities. Write down the important tasks and set them in order of priority.
Focus on only the three most important projects. What are
the most important tasks? *If I can only accomplish one item today, which will it be?
* Is this activity the best use of my time, knowledge, creativity,
and experience? Concentrate on the most important activity until it's finished.
After completing this task, recheck your priorities and tackle
the next most important one. This process leads to a greater
sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. Schedule appointments
with yourself to work on the projects that are most important
to you. Action step: Think of those
tasks you want to accomplish and write the top three here
in order of importance: 5. Start now. However big your long-term project may seem, it's important
to begin. Hesitancy, fear, and self-doubt fade with action.
For example, if you want to write a book, write one word down
on a piece of paper. This one word expands to a sentence,
then a paragraph, and before long you will complete the entire
chapter. What steps can you take now? Don't wait; do it! Action step: List a first step
you can take for the number one task you listed above. Commit
to taking action on that first step today: 6. Say no to small projects.
Learn to say no to activities that may seem urgent but distract
you from accomplishing your important, long-range projects.
If you spend the majority of your energy putting out fires,
you'll never find the time for the important activities in
your life. Action step: When someone asks
you to do something that doesn't specifically need YOUR particular
touch, memorize and use this phrase with a smile: "Oh,
I'm sorry. I'm afraid I don't have the time to take care of
that in the way it deserves. Thank you for thinking of me".
7. Take baby steps. Most long-term projects never are started because the whole
endeavor seems so daunting. We take on the entire project
all at once and overwhelm ourselves. Take small steps that
you know you can accomplish. The more realistic your expectations
the better. When you gain momentum, you can let the energy
and excitement of the project take over, and you'll be fully
engaged. Action step: Look at the number
one task you chose and the first step you listed above. Break
that step into its smallest components and work on the first
one of those. 8. Organize life on a weekly basis. On Sunday evening, plan your long-term projects for the week.
During the week, spend time each day focusing on prioritized
projects, and you'll be pleasantly surprised with the results.
Integrate aspects of the long-term goals into your daily to-do
list, and you will accomplish your most important projects.
Action step: Choose a quiet
place and plot out your activities in a daily planner for
the week ahead. 9. Carve out time for non-urgent activities.
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