It’s a fact that successful people are successful because they accomplish more in less time than people who are less effective.

Let’s review 11 ways to increase your productivity:

1. Have clear, written goals. Don’t skip this step! Make your goals, write them down. See previous blogs on goal development.

2. Have clear, written plans of action. Every minute of planning saves 10 in execution. Making lists of the “how” to achieve your goal will get you there.

3. Set priorities. Look at the list of what needs to get done and start with the highest value activity.

4. Focus. Concentrate on the list without distraction. Do it until it is complete. You can improve your time spent by 80% if you just refuse to do anything else until that task is done.

5. Balance long hours with time off. Starting earlier and leaving later reduces your commuting time, or shortening your lunch keeps your focus. Reward these efforts with focused time off. Win on productivity, then win on a corresponding time-refund break.

6. Work harder at what you do. Work at work. Minimize distractions and save work-driven socializing for other times.

7. Work faster and have a sense of urgency. If something needs to get done, pick up the pace.

8. Work smarter by focusing on the high value tasks. This will maximize the return on the hours you put in.

9. Match your work with your skills. Do things you are good at and then work at getting better at things that are the most important parts of your job. 

10. Bunch your tasks by combining like activities. Need to pay bills? Do them all. Need to mail things? Do them all. Need to return phone calls? Return them all. 

11. Eliminate steps. Consolidate steps to make you more efficient. Have the tools you need nearby, contact numbers available, “to do” notes clear and consistent. Then, eliminate lower value activities all together.

You can make this a game if you are competitive (with yourself!). See how many tasks or activities you can get done, or predict your needed time spent and see how accurate your prediction was. 

Want to learn more? Let’s connect.

Adapted from “Effectiveness 2.2 Eleven Ways to Increasing Your Productivity” by FocalPoint Coaching and Training Excellence, Copyright 2018, by Brian Tracy and Campbell Fraser. Reprinted with permission.