How to Be More Productive
Set a routine., Break up larger tasks., Create deadlines., Establish the right amount of time to finish the job., Plan but be flexible.Do all the routine-making and deadline-setting you can, but also realize that life will intervene and you will...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Set a routine.
Plot out recurring times in your schedule when you can focus your energies on the specific tasks you need to accomplish.
Incorporate them into you existing daily routines (getting ready for work, lunchtime, etc.).
Just as your body tells you "this is lunchtime" around the time you normally eat, you will become more attuned to feeling that "this is productive time." -
Step 2: Break up larger tasks.
Don't focus on needing to write the entire book or paint the whole house; focus on finishing a chapter or a room.
The sense of accomplishment will help keep you going, and it provides a way to mark your progress towards the larger goal. , Remember that time you had to finish a college term paper in one night? When there is a clear time limit, you have no choice but to focus your energies and stick to the essentials of your goal.
If you're already on a deadline, set up mini-deadlines for components of the task.
Try to be strict with yourself as it is easy to break self-created deadlines.
Put your deadline up against an appointment you can't miss or just set an egg timer. , "Work expands to fill the time"
-- what sounds like old-fashioned wisdom can also be expressed by mathematical formulas, but the point of Parkinson's Law remains the same.Basically, if you give yourself all day to accomplish a task, you'll find a way to take all day to do it (or overdo it, that is).
Figure out the minimum amount of time you need to do the job up to the necessary standard. , Don't let disruptions throw you completely off your rhythm.
See if you can find ways to take advantage of them, or at least brush them off.
For example, if you're trying to finish up a presentation for tomorrow morning and the power goes out, recruit someone to help you practice the Q&A session that follows until power is restored.
Or even use it to make a lame joke the next day about how a competitor tried to sabotage your clearly blackout-proof presentation. -
Step 3: Create deadlines.
-
Step 4: Establish the right amount of time to finish the job.
-
Step 5: Plan but be flexible.Do all the routine-making and deadline-setting you can
-
Step 6: but also realize that life will intervene and you will need to be able to adjust.
Detailed Guide
Plot out recurring times in your schedule when you can focus your energies on the specific tasks you need to accomplish.
Incorporate them into you existing daily routines (getting ready for work, lunchtime, etc.).
Just as your body tells you "this is lunchtime" around the time you normally eat, you will become more attuned to feeling that "this is productive time."
Don't focus on needing to write the entire book or paint the whole house; focus on finishing a chapter or a room.
The sense of accomplishment will help keep you going, and it provides a way to mark your progress towards the larger goal. , Remember that time you had to finish a college term paper in one night? When there is a clear time limit, you have no choice but to focus your energies and stick to the essentials of your goal.
If you're already on a deadline, set up mini-deadlines for components of the task.
Try to be strict with yourself as it is easy to break self-created deadlines.
Put your deadline up against an appointment you can't miss or just set an egg timer. , "Work expands to fill the time"
-- what sounds like old-fashioned wisdom can also be expressed by mathematical formulas, but the point of Parkinson's Law remains the same.Basically, if you give yourself all day to accomplish a task, you'll find a way to take all day to do it (or overdo it, that is).
Figure out the minimum amount of time you need to do the job up to the necessary standard. , Don't let disruptions throw you completely off your rhythm.
See if you can find ways to take advantage of them, or at least brush them off.
For example, if you're trying to finish up a presentation for tomorrow morning and the power goes out, recruit someone to help you practice the Q&A session that follows until power is restored.
Or even use it to make a lame joke the next day about how a competitor tried to sabotage your clearly blackout-proof presentation.
About the Author
Alice Martinez
Enthusiastic about teaching pet care techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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