In our fast-paced world, efficiency is everywhere – in our economic systems, in our shopping habits, in our social media platforms. In the business sector, bosses demand it of their employees, and employees demand it of themselves. Efficiency is success. So to help you in your quest for a successful career, here are 9 tips on increasing your efficiency:
1. Spend yourself wisely.
When talking about efficiency, one is actually discussing a finite resource – time. Just as money or oil is a finite resource, so is time. The phrase “spending time” is quite apt, for spending time is costly. Time devoted to one thing cannot be devoted to another. Money spent on bread is money not spent on eggs; time spent dilly-dallying is time not spent on work, with friends, or at home. When thinking about efficiency, it starts with prices. Every second has a price; spend yourself wisely.
2. Value minutes over hours.
When you go grocery shopping, you don’t use a $50 bill for $35-worth of groceries and then throw away the $15 dollars change. No! You save the 15 bucks or spend it on a coffee on your way out the door. You’d never throw it in the trash. You value single dollars over blocks of 50 dollars. Likewise, at work, value minutes over blocks of half hours. If you spend 22 minutes on a report that you budgeted 30 minutes for, you did not earn eight minutes to throw away. You earned eight minutes to invest in something else productive.
3. Do not multitask.
In our culture, multitasking is lauded as a grand skill. While it makes us feel “busy,” it is dreadfully inefficient. Multi-tasking is not doing multiple chores at once; rather, it is very quickly switching between tasks. This transition time eats up clock and all the switching leads to increased propensity for errors, meaning more time spent redoing a poorly done task – perhaps the epitome of inefficiency. Focus on the task at had. Do it completely. Do it well.
4. Rise early.
I know this one hurts. But remember that coffee is your friend. Rising early gives time for your grogginess to wear off before you go to work. Now, you will be at your peak first thing in the morning at work, allowing you start off efficiently. Also, extra time in the morning allows you to handle the unexpected – traffic, sick children etc. Half of all self-made millionaires wake up early. It hurts, but it works. And remember – coffee is your friend.
5. Have a consistent morning routine.
Wake up each morning and make your bed to perfection. Doing the first task of the day with exactness will inspire a champion mentality for the remainder of the day. When you get to work, have a routine task that you do. This gets the gears moving. Starting work is the hardest task to do efficiently because there are so many possible directions to go. Having this decision pre-made will direct one’s work.
6. Beat your siesta.
We all have that weakest part of the day. Maybe it’s right after lunch when you are most tired, or perhaps within the first hour of work. Be extremely focused during this time. It’s easy to be efficient when you are wide-awake, but difficult when your eyes are begging for sleep. Use extra coffee and extra attention here. Improving your weakest point will lead to the most improvement.
7. Do not be afraid to say “No.”
Being a people-pleaser takes time. You have to prioritize based on your own needs. This will often result in telling a lot of people “no” to meetings, lunches out and frivolous conversations. While it might be difficult in the moment, learning to say “no” will increase your efficiency.
8. Know your values.
Part of your vocation is your work. The creativity and productivity you add to the world are key to your calling within society. But work is not the entirety of your vocation. Your vocation includes being a father, a mother, a friend, a mate. Work is only part of the story, so be disciplined in setting aside time for the other parts of life that are so key to human flourishing. Let your discipline and desire in these other areas motivate your efficiency to complete your work.
9. Rest.
