The other week in one of my meetings, I was asked to put together a presentation on ways to save time and be more efficient at work. I had no idea where to start and I was further stumped on why I was asked to make the presentation to begin with. I began thinking of little things I do to save time and get work done more quickly yet still effectively.
When I got back to my desk, I glanced at the notebook with a list of items I needed to complete. Then I thought about the text message I sent to myself with the paragraph of personal tasks that needed to get done. I realized that whether it’s stored in my head, on my phone, or written on a piece of paper, I’m always referencing a list or two.
These lists are written on, crossed out and revised on a daily basis. I have what I like to call, “the 24-hour syndrome.” Basically, I can’t relax for the day until I’ve checked off my lists. I can’t sit down and eat dinner until I’ve cleaned all of the dishes that were used to cook it. I can’t start making dinner until I’ve packed my bags for the next day. From my point of view, it’s more of a curse than a blessing – but it definitely helps me stay on top of my responsibilities.
Of course, some tasks take time and getting them done in a single day simply isn’t possible.
Busyness is something we all can relate to. Each of us has those days when we have a million things to get done and only a short time to do it. Our calendars are booked, our lists are long and our days are short. The fact of the matter is; we have to be productive – we don’t have a choice.
Pencil these processes into your schedule, and you’ll get more done today than you did yesterday:
Start the day early.
If you know you’re going to have a busy day ahead of you, get a head start and wake up half an hour earlier than usual. You’ll be amazed at what you can get done in that short amount of time. You might run a few errands, beat the morning gym crowd or enjoy some peace and quiet at work before your coworkers arrive.
Make a list.
And actually follow it. Write down everything you want (or need) to accomplish that day. Start with high priority items and work your way down to those with less urgency. Be reasonable – your list shouldn’t be a page back and front, and no, you don’t need to pencil in bathroom breaks.
Special shout out to the people who write down things they’ve already completed, just to have another checkmark on the list…I’m with you.
Plan out your day.
Take a look at your calendar and get an idea of how your day will look. Figure out times to work on each task and remember, it doesn’t all have to get done in one block of time. If you only have 20 minutes here and 15 there, you still have plenty of time. It might even be more effective to schedule it that way rather in a chunk of time. Taking a break from your work and coming back to it later often results in higher quality. Which brings me to my next suggestion:
Take breaks.
Breaks are needed throughout the day. Go for a 10-minute walk outside, sit in a quiet room or have a conversation with a friend. Working nonstop will drive you crazy, it will result in more error and it will wear you out.
Reward yourself.
Each time you accomplish a new item, give yourself a little reward. It might be the break I just mentioned or a sweet treat that’s been haunting you from the company kitchen. You deserve to be rewarded for your productivity, don’t forget that.
When the day comes to a close, let it go.
Don’t be hard on yourself if you didn’t accomplish everything you needed to, instead think about all of the things you did. There’s a certain point after a long, busy day when you just have to let it all go. Know that you’ve done all that you could have – and tomorrow is a new day where you can start fresh.
We’re not always going to have the most productive days. In fact, there will be some weeks we might not have a single one. What we can do is try our best, so that we have higher self-satisfaction and a better night’s rest.
