There’s someone in every office who seems to get more done in a day than everyone else. So, what makes them more productive? You both have the same skill set, drive, and opportunity. Often, it simply comes down to attitude, and better time management.
The ultra-productive understand the value of time and how to use it. Often, that’s the only difference between being good and being great at what you do. If you adopt some of the techniques, attitudes and behaviors of ultra-productive people, your productivity will soar!
Here are some ideas:
- Singular Focus – The ultra-productive know the most important tasks that need to be accomplished and they work on them for the first hour or two each day, uninterrupted! Ask yourself, what’s the most important task to reach my goal? Then make it your priority every day.
- Schedule Minutes Not Hours – Average workers schedule their day in blocks of time. The ultra-productive understand that there are 1440 minutes in a day. Master each minute!
- Spend Less Time Checking Email – The ultra-productive aren’t checking their email every time their phone pings. Instead, they schedule regular times throughout the day to check and respond. Nothing is too important that it can’t wait a few hours, if it is you’ll get a phone call!
- Avoid Unnecessary Meetings – When asked for his number one productivity tip, billionaire Mark Cuban replied, “never take a meeting unless someone is writing a check!” Meetings are well known time wasters. They often start late, lose focus and run long. Whenever you can, skip a meeting and put the time to a more productive use.
- Apply the 80/20 Rule – Otherwise known as the Pareto Principle, it states that 80% of results come from 20% of your efforts. Ultra-productive people know where to focus their efforts to achieve results and ignore the rest.
- Learn to Delegate!– Ultra-productive people don’t micro-manage, they delegate. Don’t ask what YOU can do, ask HOW can I get this done.
Improving productivity can be accomplished by working smarter not harder. With a few simple adjustments, you can get more work done in a day and move toward your goals. Make these simple tweaks and you too can join the ranks of the ultra-productive!
