There are only 24 hours in the day and you have to do everything on your ever-growing to-do list, get to work and ensure there’s something ready for dinner at the end of the day. It’s not easy!
But what if you could be more adaptable for when the real emergencies show up or be able to set aside time in your day to do something you want to do?
Being productive isn’t the same as being busy. ‘Busyness’ is a cover-up for the fact that people are just not organised! The difference is how you manage your time and take action.
How do you become more productive with the limited time you have? Here are my tips.
Prioritise
Productive people have a mission, they won’t let the day run away from them when their inbox starts to ping. Having a clear goal for your day ahead normally starts the night before by setting goals for what needs to be done tomorrow. Productive people focus on 2-3 tasks that need to get done and they stick to this goal. Each day they are working towards their bigger goal by breaking down the big tasks into manageable, smaller chunks.
Get focused
Productivity comes from being laser-focused on the goal, whether you have 20 minutes on your lunch break to work on your fledgling business ideas or 10 minutes to make a call to a contact to ask for advice. Focusing on the little pockets of time you have during the day to get things done on your priority list will get you to your goal even faster.
Eat the frog
Mark Twain once said, ”Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Brian Tracy’s best selling productivity book Eat the Frog highlights that getting the hardest thing on your list out of the way first thing ensures you’re productive by breakfast time. This is what will set you apart from the ‘busy’ people. Productive people deal with the hardest tasks first thing.
Be clear on your goal
When you have clarity on your goals, you are less likely to procrastinate and are more motivated to get the work done. Procrastinators usually don’t have a clear goal or mission in mind. They just do whatever demands their attention the most at that moment instead of stepping back and thinking carefully about the next move.
Get strategic
Having a strategy means planning your week in advance on a Sunday night and thinking about how the upcoming week will get you closer to your bigger goal. Brain dump all the things you need to do on a sheet of paper, then prioritise them and decide what days of the following week they need to get done. Taking 30 minutes out of your Sunday could make all the difference between a productive week and a busy week. Organisation is key to keeping focused on your goals.
Business Development Coach Lynsey Hanratty helps professional women stuck in dull, dead-end jobs start their own amazing, fulfilling and profitable business. When they work with her they get a clear idea of the perfect business for their abilities and talents and take the steps to make their business dream a reality.
After 13 years of scientific research it was clear to Lynsey that it wasn’t cells and molecules she loved to work with, but people. She moved into coaching in both education and recruitment and has been helping people realise their potential ever since. You can contact her on hello@lynseyhanratty.com.
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