Too much work; too little time. We all struggle with this issue. Downloading a hundred time-management apps won’t help. True productivity requires discipline and having a robust mental routine says inc.
1. Triage
You can divide your work into three categories: the big stuff that counts, makes a difference, and makes money; the small stuff that is fundamentally administration; and the other stuff that, left alone, will disappear. Ignore the last, separate the first two, and do the big stuff first. Leave the administration until after 4 p.m., when you’re less fresh. That means your best mental energy is devoted to the work that makes an impact. It also gives you a boost at the end of the day, because the small things get done quickly, so you leave the office with a sense of accomplishment.
Don’t mix the two types of work. Multitasking doesn’t work; it’s exhausting and impedes your ability to do real thinking. It’s also favored by people who are impulsive and overconfident, hardly an advertisement for an inefficient way of working.
2. Limit Meetings
Try to keep meetings confined to afternoons and to have no more than two in a day. Just because you have “free” time in the calendar doesn’t mean you have to fill it up. Unless it’s a major strategic review, never accept a meeting exceeding two hours; no one can stay focused for longer. And don’t attend any meeting that doesn’t have a finish time.
3. Build Healthy Habits
When you adopt a routine, you build neural networks in your brain that process information and decisions faster. That’s why routines feel easier the more you stick to them. You can have different routine i.e routines for the office and for being on the road.
4. Sleep
Losing one night’s sleep is cognitively equivalent to being over the alcohol limit–without any of the mood enhancement of a good cocktail. Don’t be heroic. Get at least seven hours of sleep every night, and if your schedule won’t allow that, catch up in the daytime. Think of this as asset integrity: maintaining the structural soundness of your equipment so that it won’t break.
What are your essential tips for productivity?
