What is ONE THING….
… You can do to improve your productivity?
More and more, I hear my clients say they are finding it harder to make time to do actual work!
They are looking for ways to be more productive and are convinced that they must be doing something wrong. There is no secret “one-size-fits-all” system to address this dilemma, but rather there are many approaches from which to choose. I suggest experimenting and trying various systems and methods to find what fits and works for you and your business.
One powerful suggestion is to develop a routine. Yes! A routine that you follow judiciously. Find a way to systematize your work. Good work habits support you in finding focus and free up your mind from constantly juggling myriad details. A good routine helps to set expectations and develop consistency.
What works against you is to think that you must tackle your overflowing inbox, answer all your voicemails and handle all the follow-up notes you have hanging around before you can get to your real work. You have the mistaken idea that when you are up-to-date, you’ll be able to focus. The reality is that you’ll spend precious time on other people’s agendas. You’ll never get to the end of that impossible to-do list, and you’ll never get to your own agenda.
It won’t get better tomorrow – The one change to make is to block off a large chunk of time each day for your very real projects and work that generates revenue. Start with one hour. No phone calls. No FaceBook. No e-mails. No texts. I know that sounds impossible but trust me, this is powerful, and when you decide to devote the time to this Power Hour, you will be amazed at the results.
When you schedule your Power Hour, decide beforehand what you want to accomplish. Write it down. For instance, finish editing the proposal for Client A. Or, write a letter to XYZ Company. Or, send invoices to 10 clients. Or, write 5 thank you notes to send in this afternoon’s mail. You get the idea. Then at the appointed time, you devote your total attention to the task. I set a timer for an hour. Do this for 2 weeks and I guarantee you will see your productivity increase in amazing ways.
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