The one commodity always in demand is time. We are always searching for more time and ways we can use our existing time, more wisely. In the workplace, the one question you always seem to hear is, “I know what I should be focusing on, but I just don’t have the time.” Questions like these are often raised but never seem to get answered. While we can’t wave a magic wand to produce more time, there are things we can adjust and remove from our daily schedules that will produce a similar result. In my profession, I work with a number of different companies and interact with various departments within these organizations. I can tell you no company from what I have experienced is immune from this struggle for more time. As companies continue to run lean, employees today more than ever are struggling to keep up with their daily workload. Here are some ways that you can add more valuable minutes to your work day:
o Establish a no interruption time (no answering phone or emails) at the beginning of your workday, for at least 30-60 minutes. Try to work on things that require your focus or undivided attention.
o Relegate lower-end tasks when you only have a few moments so that you can use your quality time when you can find it.
o Avoid multitasking-Contrary to popular opinion it actually kills time. Every time you switch your attention to something else it takes more cognitive time to re-focus.
o Look for and utilize programs such as Google Alerts which can push information to you instead of spending time searching for it.
o Sounds crazy but exercise actually gives you time! NASA did a study that shows that people who exercised daily worked at 100% efficiency after 7 hours, while those who didn't exercise saw a 50% drop, meaning it took them twice as long to accomplish the same thing.
o Pick up the phone- We sometimes forget that instead of taking time to type out emails, texts, etc it would actually save time to pick up the phone and talk.
o Clear your desk at the end of the day. This will save you time by not having to get organized the next day.
o Take 15 minutes or so at a specific point in the day to work on something that you are passionate about. At the end of the week you will have spent one hour on something that gives you passion.
o Be productive when you are commuting- Listen to audio books, make phone calls or utilize a dictation device to jot done ideas, notes or solutions.
o Utilize online tools such as Rescue Time can show where you are spending time or wasting time
o Only touch things once. Don't put things down and then have to pick them up and put them away later.
o Scheduling- Pick certain days to do certain tasks. This can create further structure and make you more efficient.
o Try to slim down your email inbox- If you have multiple newsletters from the same industry, keep the most valuable ones and cancel the rest.
o Before you take a break, get your desk or workplace ready for your next project so that when you come back, you won't be off to a slow start
o Avoid Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter for large periods of your day.
o Try to get a few extra things done at the end of the day- it will give you a jumpstart on tomorrow's work
o Make your to-do list before you leave the office at the end of the day.
o Try to automate your processes such as emails by using email filters.
o If you are having a hard time focusing, try taking a few smaller breaks throughout the day, if you can.
o Establish a no interruption time (no answering phone or emails) at the beginning of your workday, for at least 30-60 minutes. Try to work on things that require your focus or undivided attention.
o Relegate lower-end tasks when you only have a few moments so that you can use your quality time when you can find it.
o Avoid multitasking-Contrary to popular opinion it actually kills time. Every time you switch your attention to something else it takes more cognitive time to re-focus.
o Look for and utilize programs such as Google Alerts which can push information to you instead of spending time searching for it.
o Sounds crazy but exercise actually gives you time! NASA did a study that shows that people who exercised daily worked at 100% efficiency after 7 hours, while those who didn't exercise saw a 50% drop, meaning it took them twice as long to accomplish the same thing.
o Pick up the phone- We sometimes forget that instead of taking time to type out emails, texts, etc it would actually save time to pick up the phone and talk.
o Clear your desk at the end of the day. This will save you time by not having to get organized the next day.
o Take 15 minutes or so at a specific point in the day to work on something that you are passionate about. At the end of the week you will have spent one hour on something that gives you passion.
o Be productive when you are commuting- Listen to audio books, make phone calls or utilize a dictation device to jot done ideas, notes or solutions.
o Utilize online tools such as Rescue Time can show where you are spending time or wasting time
o Only touch things once. Don't put things down and then have to pick them up and put them away later.
o Scheduling- Pick certain days to do certain tasks. This can create further structure and make you more efficient.
o Try to slim down your email inbox- If you have multiple newsletters from the same industry, keep the most valuable ones and cancel the rest.
o Before you take a break, get your desk or workplace ready for your next project so that when you come back, you won't be off to a slow start
o Avoid Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter for large periods of your day.
o Try to get a few extra things done at the end of the day- it will give you a jumpstart on tomorrow's work
o Make your to-do list before you leave the office at the end of the day.
o Try to automate your processes such as emails by using email filters.
o If you are having a hard time focusing, try taking a few smaller breaks throughout the day, if you can.
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