Time management has become a buzz-phrase (so-to-speak) that seems to persistently float around boardrooms and lunchrooms. For many, it’s become so common that they fail to realize the power behind the development of strong time management skills. To help remind you and teach you some tips for getting more out of your day, I’ve compiled a list of the three most important behaviors every successful person completes daily.
Think on Paper
This is simple, but essential. Make a list! Plan your day the night before, listing out all of the tasks you need to complete. Thinking on paper allows you to clarify your thinking, think at a higher level, and increase your productivity and output by 25%. Remember what Brian Tracy always says: one minute of planning saves you 10 minutes in execution.
Set Priorities
Before you begin knocking items off your to-do list, identify the most important items to get done. Remember the 80/20 rule, which says that 20% of your work will get 80% of the results. For example, if you have ten items on your list, the odds are that two of those items will result in more productivity than all the other eight items put together. Figure out which items are the most important and will yield the highest results, and make them a priority.
Tackle the Priority
Instead of beginning your day with the task you would prefer to complete, focus your efforts on completing the most important task on your list before you do anything else. Only work on that task until you have completed it. If the most important task of the day requires multiple steps to complete it, make sure they are listed out in chronological order. Start on the first one and work on it until it is complete. Then move on to the next sub-task. Continue checking each off the list until you have brought the larger task to completion. Only then are you able to move onto another project.
Success comes from learning how to manage your time and complete tasks with both quality and efficiency. While it may feel as though some have been blessed with a more organized brain than others, the truth is that time management skills are learned and developed. If you resolve to do each of these three things every day, you may increase your productivity by up to 50%. What’s even better is that you’ll start seeing results immediately.
About the Author
With more than three decades of experience in all facets of sales management, customer service, business growth, and staff coordination, Certified Business Coach Greg Emslie is a focused professional with the tools to help you grow and manage your business effectively.
Driven by his ability to implement proven business concepts and help improve teams, Greg affects all areas of the companies he works with, including sales, leadership, profitability, and decision-making. He focuses on improving efficiency and processes for his clients while helping them grow their revenue base.
Ready to begin finding other ways to make your company more productive? Let’s get the conversation started. Contact Greg Emslie for a business strategy discussion today!