The famously elusive and wonderful state of “Productivity” – how to do more by doing less…wouldn’t that be great?
Here are some of my favourite tips to maximise your time for best results (so that you have more time to enjoy doing the things you love!)
1. Delegate more. No matter how multi-skilled and efficient you know yourself to be, there are some things that you’re doing that someone else around you could do (and probably even better than you!). Choose carefully, because we all know that delegating some tasks can be disastrous, but can you think of a few simple 10 min tasks that weigh you – the heart of the business – down, thereby preventing you from focusing on your passion and drive?
2. Nurture your mind and body to produce even better results. This includes (but is not limited to): maintaining a balanced diet, keeping your body fit, giving your mind AND body enough rest (from work, stress and being awake!)
3. Automate more. If there is even one small task you perform on a daily or weekly basis that could be automated, think of the potential time that could be saved, both on performing the task, and on thinking about performing the task. Every distraction from your major focus costs you not only the time it takes to perform, but all the time that you spend thinking about doing the task. Are you aware that the average worker loses an hour a day due to shifting priorities?
4. Learn to say no. Are you guilty of loading up your plate with favours for others? We all know that the best person to ask get a job done is a busy person; but if you are already flat out (most business owners I speak with say that lack of time is high on their ‘complaint list’), think seriously about how each “yes” is going to impact your outcomes. You might well be doing the person who asks a real favour by saying no – either empowering them to learn a new skill, or by being honest enough to admit you can’t do what they’re asking. Ask yourself: do you have time to do what they’re asking AND and do it well ?
5. Network to learn, find support and inspire. In our coaching club, we all remind ourselves that “none among us is as smart as the sum of us”. Sitting in your office, by yourself, is insular, uninspiring and in the long-term becomes unproductive. Have lunch with an associate who inspires you, seek the opinion of peers, join a club or group who will share the load of your thoughts. Even if you are someone who rarely feels that they need help, the fact remains that sooner or later you will need an outside opinion, and having a strong network of contacts to offer this is invaluable.
6. Set time limits. It’s not the amount of hours that matter, but what goes into the hours that counts. It is human nature that the amount of time you have available to complete a task is the same amount of time it will take to complete it. Coincidence? Not at all. Here’s something to try: cut your day off at a specific time two times a week. If you know that you have to be done by 4pm today, you will likely complete everything by then, instead of letting your tasks spill over into the abyss of “out of work hours.” You might just find that setting limits on your time (or your team’s time) sees the most productive work hours yet, and frees up some time to do something you really love doing.
These might all seem like no-brainers, but if you implement all these strategies I guarantee you will squeeze more results out of less time, and will feel more relaxed to boot. I’m talking about more time to live your life!
..What could be better than that?
What do you think you could do more or less of in order to be more productive?
Next time I’ll share with you the top 10 things I’ve identified that are wasting yours and your team’s time.
