In this day and age, with all the hustle and bustle of the workday world, it is important to work smarter and not harder to get the job done. There are things you can implement right away to make your job less stressful and free up some much needed time.
There are a lot of skills that we take for granted when we look at getting a job done. One of the most overlooked skills is time management. Becoming more effective on the job with time and project skills will allow you to work smarter and not harder.
Here are some useful tips to help you get started and make more of your time. Putting these in place will make a dramatic difference in both the output of products and the overall quality of them.
1. Stay on task
Don’t jump from one cycle to another until one has been finished. This is going to scatter papers on your desk and clutter up your mind with all the unfinished projects rumbling around. Start something, complete it, and then move on to the next thing on your list.
If you find you are having trouble staying on course with one project, take a look at the distractions in your area. Perhaps it is a phone ringing or some outside noise that is causing you to lose focus on the task at hand, making you feel like you should be moving onto the next one. Try removing the distractions and see if that helps.
2. Don’t try to be perfect
Some people allow perfectionism to be their downfall. If you are taking too long on a project and you know that it is good enough, stop it there. Look at your priorities and figure out if your need for perfection is affecting other areas of your work.
3. Get some help
Leverage your time by hiring someone to help you with the mundane things you really don’t have time for. If you need a bookkeeper or just somebody in the office that can arrange paperwork once a week, you can easily find someone that can step in to help.
It will take some time to train them, but this is time well spent in the long run. If it takes five hours to completely train someone on a new task and it saves you 10 hours a week on an ongoing basis, this is an investment of your time.
4. Clear up the clutter
The clutter is also going to be a distraction. It is very hard to function properly in an unorganized surrounding. Clear off your desk, stack your loose papers, and make the place look neat.
When you start clearing the clutter away, you are going to be tempted to start organizing as well. This is something that needs to be done later and it’s not part of this cycle. Remember you need to work on one thing at a time. Complete the task at hand, then go on to the next task. The first thing you need to do is make your area nice and neat, then the organization can follow.
5. Organize your stuff
The first thing you need to do when organizing is to have a designated place to put things. A big reason people get so disorganized is that they don’t really have a place to keep the stuff they have.
If you find that you cannot get organized effectively, there are services you can call to help you. You’ll find your productivity levels will increase dramatically once everything is put into place properly and you know where everything goes.
6. Use a day planner
Keep all your thoughts organized by using a day planner. This will also help keep your desk clear because you can put papers away knowing you’ll get back to them. After all, that task is listed on your planner.
7. Develop a system
It may take some time to put a system in place, but once it has been set up you will have so much time on your hands that you won’t believe it. Systems are part of time management because once they have been developed, everything runs like a well-oiled machine. One of your top priorities to work smarter and not harder is to have a system.
8. Make a schedule
It is best to take a look at your own life first before making a schedule. When do you find yourself to be the most productive? This is the time when you should schedule your tasks. If you find that you are not able to keep up with everything during certain hours, you should not plan anything too thought-provoking or strenuous during this time.
Everyone has their more productive and less productive times during the day. Your job is to isolate these times so that you can work around them, getting the most work done in as little time as possible. Look at your own energy levels and your internal clock to schedule your day.
9. Work in a different space
If you find yourself getting bored or even falling asleep, try moving to a different room to do some work. You can also head out to an internet coffee shop to see the real world again and do some tasks while enjoying an exotic cup of coffee.
10. Make your downtime efficient as well
Do your shopping when the stores are less busy. This way, you’ll be able to get a lot more done in a lot less time. You won’t have to wait in lineups or fight crowds if you shop at strategic times of the day. This will give you even more downtime to relax and enjoy your family. Isn’t that one of the reasons why you first decided to get into business for yourself?