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Top Ten Ways to Produce More Results While Working Less

By: Sergeant Carpenter

That title sounds paradoxical, but it really is a paradigm that will benefit anyone who is willing to pay close attention and take action to make it happen. The idea expressed in the title is not a pie-in-the-sky idea, and is not akin to a get rich quick scheme.

I have noticed a trememdous improvement in my daily productivity between times when I have organized by keeping a list to guide me throughout my day. When compared with the times I have not, I have discovered that keeping a list greatly enhanced my productivity. There have been times when my faithful list has empowered me to do amazing amounts of work in a given day, even finish early, gaining me more fun time. Often I have been able to get more accomplished before breakfast with a list than I would usually do in a whole day, without my list.

Let's get down to business. These are my Top Ten Ways to Produce More Results While Working Less:

1. Understand and be sure to verbalize to yourself why you want to work less be more productive: This may seem a bit simple, but it is vitally important, to motivate you to meaningful action. To do things successfully, things are most often done on purpose and with a purpose. If you know your purpose, you have an important reason to make any task or project a high enough priority to dig in and get the job done.

Different people have different reasons. Maybe you want to spend less time working so you can spend more time with your spouse and kids, or maybe you want to finish your week ahead of schedule and have a long weekend. Maybe your motivating reason is to practice a sport more, so you can be a better competitor. Your purpose just needs to be one that gives you a reason to get more serious & take impressive action to get things done. You will purposely do what is necessary to reclaim time for your personal pursuits. This is a basic economic fact of life. People work for incentives.

2. Use a Day Planner or Organizer: Again, this may sound simplistic, but it is really important. The organizer can give you mental freedom, as it becomes your memory bank. When you diligently use it for everything, you can record your thoughts, assignments, tasks, appointments, shopping lists, etc. in their proper place and forget it until it's time to refer to that information. So your shopping list and the unusual item that you may worry about forgetting is of no concern now, because you will rely on your shopping list when you get to the store, and not worry about it until then. The organizer may be paper or electronic. I have tried both ways and both have their advantages, but I prefer the old fashioned paper variety because it is usable everywhere, anytime, even in power failures. I also appreciate the pop-up reminders of the electronic kind.

3. Keep your To Do List short: This list can be very intimidating, mostly because most folks put too much on it. Your daily list should have only one or two mission essential tasks for any given day. This is your assignment to yourself. Be kind and don't make "unfunded" requirements. You work hard and, if you are effective, you should have some time for yourself. You need breaks, personal time and fun time to be more productive. Too much hard work will tire you out, your effort will become counter-productive and you may go nuts besides. I keep a separate "Long term" to do list that keeps me on track for weeks and months. These items don't become imperative until I schedule them on the daily list.

4. Be punctual and arrive at work on time and get busy right away: Compartmentalize your activities. There is a time to work, and a time for recreation and down time. At work,get to work in an organized, effective and energetic manner. When it is time to play, or take a break, separate your mind from work and be rejuvenated and refreshed through relaxing endeavors. It is wise to do your coffee drinking and socializing before and after work. At work you need to be about your business so you can get business done, whether your office is next to the boss's or in your home. Adopting this personal policy alone will significantly shorten the time it takes you to accomplish the requirements of your work day. Once you have met the requirements of the day, don't dilly-dally; straighten up, set tomorrow's schedule and go use the time you saved for your personal purposes. This will also be an investment in tomorrow's productivity.

5. Accomplish a major task before lunch: If possible, do this before a pre-lunch break, however don't rush it, but do it right. Finishing a significant task before lunch will give you the momentum of success for the rest of the day.

6. Don't be sociable in the office: Socialize all you want in the break room or lunch room, at the appropriate times, but when the time is not appropriate, get back into the business mode and back into the office and get busy following your schedule. When you are not conducting business, you will find life is more enjoyable if you are sociable and relaxed, then when it is time to work you will be fresher and more effective. Don't be a snob, just professional and businesslike.

7. Learn to say "No": There is no requirement for you to do everything that everyone asks of you. Say no to unnecessary interruptions like social visits by co-workers. Refuse to chat on the phone. Ask people to email you. If in person meetings or phone conversations are unavoidable, respectfully let the other person know that your time is limited... "I have a call to make in 5 minutes", or question them about the purpose and then you set the parameters for the meeting/call. Be sure and know the problem or reason for the contact beforehand and ask questions to bring out the answer to the problem in short order, or if you are unable to help, kindly state the fact, and perhaps refer them to someone who can help and end the call or meeting. Your time is valuable. It is the stuff that life is made of. Your and your family's welfare depends on you getting your job done effectively. Your next sale or promotion may depend upon your ability to conduct business in an effective manner.

8. Control E-mail: This may challenge you, but it is vitally important. Don't let E-mail control you....you must take control of it. If you get important business email during the day, you may want to set up a special webmail account just for business and then direct all your business E-mail to that address, so you're not distracted by spam and personal email. Spam arrest is also a good program to get spam under control. Check E-mail as seldom as possible. For openers, try reducing to twice a day; just before lunch and just before quitting time. Be vicious with the delete key, then read business mail at work and read personal email after work. This tip alone can cut hours off of many a worker's time on the job. If you are in control of your own schedule, or a good negotiator with a reasonable boss, applying this tip means getting out of the office earlier; in many cases, much earlier.

9. Eliminate multi-tasking: With precious few exceptions, "Multi-tasking" means doing a half baked job of many things. It is the road to a nervous breakdown and low self esteem, when you realize that as hard as you work, you don't get anything done excellently. You'll profit greatly if you use the organizing tips above and take control of your work situation, then do one task at a time, until it is done well, then move on to the next one. A car accident in which someone dies would be a bad way to learn that you can't concentrate fully on two tasks at the same time, such as driving and talking on the phone. Multi-tasking may be mostly responsible for the rampant mediocrity in today's workplace.

10. Outsource mundane tasks: There are people who make a business of helping you with mundane tasks, or tasks that you don't do well. One such business is www.outsourcingsuccess.com Give it a try with some personal tasks first to get the feel of how it works for you. Without hiring a full time assistant or secretary, you can get good help by the hour that will free you up to tend to the more important tasks and the ones that you are strong in. You may also find students at a local college or university who major in areas that would help you and help them earn a little income. If you prefer to go international, search on Your Man in India, and Brickwork, or the term Virtual Assistants. Outsourcing Success has already made the connections and is ready to bridge the gap and help you get the help you need.

These are real plans for real business people to get real work done effectively. The effectiveness of these tips depends upon your willingness to use them diligently.

Article Source: http://ezine-articles-planet.com

Sergeant Carpenter has helped many people how to improve their productivity while working less and producing more. Get a free consultation to see if Sergeant Carpenter can help you reduce work and produce more.
This and other unique content productivity articles are available with free reprint rights.

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