WATKINS GLEN, New York, USA - The past three days I have been mostly housebound after some minor surgery (
minor, the doctor said, referring to the surgery,
not the pain factor).
And in that time, I have cleaned up a bunch of things on my desk -
including my desk - and made valiant attempts at getting organized. But I get distracted. Often. And often it's by this machine.
That said, I wanted to reprint (below) a piece that I have had sitting on my desktop for weeks, which when I read it, made a
great deal of sense. I should have internalized some of the things right away. But, of course in the hurly-burly, mad rush of life I didn't.
The one that sticks out is No. 4 - about focusing on yourself. You can read the full account down below, but the main point is if the first thing you do is check your
email in the morning, you let those email messages set the tone and agenda for your day.
A happy note is one thing, a complaint from a reader something else.
Can I check my email, now,
please?
---------------------------------------------------
8 Things Productive People Do During the Workday
By Ilya Pozin
1. Create a smaller to-do list. Getting
things accomplished during your workday shouldn’t be about doing as
much as possible in the sanctioned eight hours. It may be hard to
swallow, but there’s nothing productive about piling together a slew of
tasks in the form of a checklist. Take a less-is-more approach to your
to-do list by only focusing on accomplishing things that matter.
2. Take breaks. You
know that ache that fills your brain when you’ve been powering through
tasks for several hours? This is due to your brain using up glucose. Too
many people mistake this for a good feeling, rather than a signal to
take a break. Go take a walk, grab something to eat, workout, or
meditate – give your brain some resting time. Achieve more productivity
during your workday by making a point to regularly clear your head.
You’ll come back recharged and ready to achieve greater efficiency.
3. Follow the 80/20 rule. Did
you know that only 20 percent of what you do each day produces 80
percent of your results? Eliminate the things that don’t matter during
your workday: they have a minimal effect on your overall productivity.
For example, on a project, systematically remove tasks until you end up
with the 20 percent that gets the 80 percent of results.
4. Start your day by focusing on yourself. If
you begin your morning by checking your email, it allows others to
dictate what you accomplish. Set yourself in the right direction by
ignoring your emails and taking the morning to focus on yourself, eat a
good breakfast, meditate, or read the news.
5. Take on harder tasks earlier in the day. Knock
out your most challenging work when your brain is most fresh. Save your
busy work – if you have any – for when your afternoon slump rolls in.
6. Pick up the phone. The
digital world has created poor communication habits. Email is a
productivity killer and usually a distraction from tasks that actually
matter. For example, people often copy multiple people on emails to get
it off their plate – don't be a victim of this action. This distracts
everyone else by creating noise against the tasks they’re trying to
accomplish and is a sign of laziness. If you receive an email where many
people are CC'd, do everyone a favor by BCCing them on your reply. If
your email chain goes beyond two replies, it’s time to pick up the
phone. Increase your productivity by scheduling a call.
7. Create a system. If
you know certain things are ruining your daily productivity, create a
system for managing them. Do you check your emails throughout the day?
Plan a morning, afternoon, and evening time slot for managing your
email. Otherwise, you’ll get distracted from accomplishing more
important goals throughout the day.
8. Don’t confuse productivity with laziness. While
no one likes admitting it, sheer laziness is the No. 1 contributor to
lost productivity. In fact, a number of time-saving methods – take
meetings and emails for example – are actually just ways to get out of
doing real work. Place your focus on doing the things that matter most
as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Remember, less is more when it comes to being productive during the workday.
What’s your secret to productive workdays?
About Ilya Pozin:
Founder of Ciplex.
Columnist for Inc, Forbes & LinkedIn. Gadget lover, investor,
mentor, husband, father, and '30 Under 30' entrepreneur. Follow Ilya to stay up-to-date with his articles and updates!
