The most productive time I have each week happens on Monday mornings at my home office. I feel like I am able to get about 4 hours of work done in 2 hours’ time.
There are certain disciplines I need to get completed on a weekly basis. When completed, I really do feel that I have gotten about 4 hours of work done in a short period of time. How am I able to do this? There are 6 things that must be done:
1) Schedule the time – Put it on your calendar. If you don’t plan your time, someone else will.
2) Have a standard agenda – What are the things that must be done in that 2 hour period? Create a checklist. My checklist currently has 7 items on it that I need to complete on a weekly basis. This list changed periodically based upon my needs.
3) Learn to say “NO” – Too often, others will ask to have things done during your time. You know how it happens: “John, do you have a minute?” Generally, that minute turns into 5 or 10 or even 30 minutes. You have got to learn to say No. Or, at a minimum, “Not now, but can we meet at 11:00?”
4) Remove all the distractions – Turn off your social media, your email system, and all the other distractions(if you work out of a home office lime me, you will need to set boundaries with your family as well!). It has to be focused time.
5) Start and end ON TIME – a 2-hour block of time is about as long as any meeting can last to be effective. (Even a meeting with yourself!). If you don’t get all the work done in 2 hours, schedule another block of time later in the day to complete the tasks. If you find yourself always running longer than 2 hours, you may need to re-evaluate your list!
6) Reward yourself – If you are able to complete steps 1 through 5 successfully, reward yourself. Maybe it’s a good cup of coffee or something that you enjoy.
Now, if I can just figure out how to do this with the REST of my week!
What is your most productive time? What tips can you share that help to make it productive? Please share by commenting below.
