Do More with Your Day – How I Learned to Increase My Productivity
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When you run your own business, it can seem as if you’re always up against the clock. There are never enough hours in the day to do what you need to. Often, your entire week can pass in a blur of fighting fires or dealing with time-sucking tasks like email, leaving you feeling frustrated and disheartened. Sound familiar?
There was a time when my own working day used to follow exactly this sort of hectic and unfocused pattern – I was constantly multitasking and juggling, and yet I never felt satisfied with my progress. Today, however, I’m extremely productive and achieving far more than I ever thought possible. What changed? My routine. I identified my priorities, set a schedule, and worked hard to leverage my strengths and shore up my weaknesses. In other words, I got organized!
Identifying your priorities is probably the most important step you can take in order to become more productive.
Identifying your priorities is probably the most important step you can take in order to become more productive. Knowing exactly what it is that you want to achieve helps to give you laser-sharp focus and prevents you getting distracted by the million and one other things clamouring for your attention on any given day. Of course, it’s critical to put the right processes and structures in place to support your efforts too – and that’s where a good schedule is invaluable.
A rock-solid schedule is something I now swear by. It keeps me on track and makes sure that I get all those ‘to-do’s’ – both professional and personal – ticked off my list. By breaking the day into manageable chunks of time – 60 to 90 minutes maximum – and then working without distraction, it’s possible to function at peak capacity and achieve a phenomenal amount. Don’t forget to schedule in some breathing space too – we all need wiggle room and having a little flexibility is good for the soul!
The other secret to working at peak production is to delegate your weaknesses. I long ago came to accept that, hard as I may try, there are some things that other people will always do better than I will – and that’s OK. As Theodore Roosevelt once said, ‘The best leader is the one who has the sense enough to pick good people to do what needs to be done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.’ (I’m working on the not meddling part!)
Time is a finite and limited resource. If we don’t use it well then we – and our business – will stagnate instead of flourish. By learning to manage time effectively, it’s possible to work smarter instead of harder and be far more productive than ever before. So make a start on getting organized today – it really will be worth your while.
It’s a good life!
Dermot Buffini, CEO
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Dermot
