Continuing the new year theme, I’ve been thinking about how you can be more productive this year. Through trial and error, I have come to discover that there are five key actions I took last year that made me more productive. I hope that they help you be more productive in 2012:
1. Unsubscribe from the email lists that you no longer read. If you find yourself deleting the majority of emails you receive from a list, go ahead and unsubscribe from that list. Even though each delete takes only a couple seconds, over the course of the year, it adds up. If you find that you are on the fence about unsubscribing, try setting up a new email account for your subscriptions. Visit that email only when you have completed all of your work.
2. Get an accountability partner. It can be a mastermind group or a friend, just as long as s/he can actually hold you accountable to complete tasks. For me, having outside accountability is crucial. I’m very disciplined but having someone else to remind me of my commitments really helps keep me on track. Last year I was a member of Business Success Teams and found the twice monthly meetings helped keep me productive.
3. Do not start your day with email. This one is difficult for me, but when I can stay out of my email in the morning, I find that my day is far more productive. Instead, I take some action to monetize my business first thing in the morning. This year I’ll be working on only checking the email accounts at certain points during the day.
4. List the 3 most important tasks for the next day at the end of each business day. This has been really key for my productivity. Each afternoon I list three tasks to accomplish the next day. After I complete those three tasks, I check email. Some people shoot for 5 tasks per day but 3 is a good number for me.
5. Take time for yourself. Amazingly, when you take time for self-care and being with friends and family you become more productive. When you are burnt out and frazzled, it is tempting to push to do more. Don’t. Instead, take some time off and relax. You will be able to return to your work feeling recharged.
What do you do to be more productive?
FriendFeed
Twitter
LinkedIn
StumbleUpon