Following is a list–a menu of options, if you will–of
strategies that will get you on the road to creating more in
less time and turbo-charging your productivity! I’ve often said
that there is no “one size fits all” recipe to life, but if you
try at least one strategy every three weeks, I promise you will
see huge improvements in the overall quality of your life after
the end of that third week. I picked a minimum of three weeks
because it typically takes at least 21 days to develop a new
habit. You can start with the one that jazzes you the most and
take it from there. No pressure! Find a buddy or an
accountability partner to try this with, or share it with your
coach if you have one so you’ll have more incentive to make
these positive steps forward. Are you ready? Here we go:
1. Manage your energy-this is a biggie!
I often get quizzical looks when I offer this suggestion without
any further explanation, but trust me. Once I explain the
process, it should make sense. There are four levels of energy
that need our attention: physical, emotional, mental, and
spiritual. You can manage your physical energy by eating
nutritious foods, exercising, and sleeping. You can manage your
emotional energy by paying attention to how you respond to
events and being aware of what you can and cannot control. Also,
spending time with positive, inspiring people can enhance your
emotional energy. You can manage your mental energy by reading,
expanding your knowledge base, and being curious. You can manage
your spiritual energy by meditation or prayer, and being
committed to a purpose in life that benefits all. Naturally,
when your energy levels are higher, your productivity increases
too.
I highly recommend the book, The Power of Full Engagement by Jim
Loehr and Tony Schwartz. They do an excellent job of going
in-depth on how you can manage each of these four energy levels.
2. Collaborate with others
This may be a stretch for people who are used to flying solo on
most things, but you might surprise yourself if you find someone
to work with that will result in an outcome beyond each of your
dreams. This strategy comes in handy when you have a big
project, or what James Collins and Jerry Porras call a “Big
Hairy Audacious Goal” (BHAG). You can find collaborators by
doing volunteer work in your community, networking, and taking
advantage of your center of influence both locally and in the
virtual world. It’s important that these potential partners
share similar values with you, and if you both have a common
vision, the sky can be the limit!
3. Pay attention to your body rhythms
In economics, we use a term called “decreasing marginal
productivity,” and in layman’s terms, it means that your
productivity levels tend to increase at a slower rate over time.
If you know when you work best, you can consciously know when
you’re maxing out and take a break when the time comes. Do you
work better in the morning? How about in the evening or
afternoon? If you have the opportunity to work when you’re the
most productive and efficient, and rest when you feel like it’s
starting to be a big effort, you’ll get more done. I realize
that if you have a full time job, that flexibility may not be
built in, but I strongly encourage it for those who do have a
flexible schedule.
4. Use your strengths and farm out the rest
Are you really saving money doing it all by yourself? Maybe not!
Weighing the costs of time versus money can be very revealing.
It’s usually best to focus on what you do best for better
productivity. Think about what you could farm out to someone
else. Think about your own worth per hour. Could you make more
money doing what you’re good at rather than save money by doing
something you should pay someone else to do?
If you can automate some of these processes (i.e., auto draft
for bill paying, online bill paying, or direct deposit, to name
a few), then all the better!
5. Recognize the cycle of chaos and order and use it to your
advantage
I quietly suffered in silence for years because I felt that my
life was a living paradox. But when someone I respected shared
that paradoxes were the norm in life, I breathed a big sigh of
relief! One of many paradoxes or dichotomies that come to mind
is the cycle of chaos and order. Did you know that creativity
can be a really messy process, and that it’s not necessarily a
bad thing? If you’re in the midst of brainstorming ideas, you’re
probably not be in linear mode. Your desk or work space may not
be tidy during this process either. Take it in stride. It’s
highly likely that if you don’t stress about the “mess”
(conceptually and literally) when in the midst of creative,
right brain activities, you’ll move through the process much
more quickly.
Oftentimes, the order naturally emerges during this process, and
usually what comes out on the other end is quite coherent and
delightful, whether it’s a work of art or a business plan. On
the other hand, order can also come in handy right from the very
beginning, especially when working on more linear processes like
paying bills, doing your financial forecasts, family routines,
and so on. The trick is to have a system in place that has some
structure with flexibility built in.
6. Use a balance of your natural personality plus a stretch
goal in order to grow
In my “Free Relationship with Time” e-course, I talk about three
basic personalities I’ve noticed over the years: the
“goal-oriented with optimistic ‘to-do’ lists” personality; the
“naturally schedule-oriented, planning your days to the minute
detail” personality; and the “hate routine and fly by the seat
of your pants, and maybe even thrive on it” personality. And
there are variations within each of these. They can even
overlap. There is no “right” way to be if it works for you
instead of against you.
For example, optimistic goals are great, but the key is not to
beat yourself up if you don’t reach all of them. Instead, think
of the journey you enjoyed trying to get there. You’re probably
further along than you would’ve been if you didn’t have any
goals.
Planning to the minute detail works well if you have realistic
expectations about your ‘to-do’ list. Some things you have to
do, and others you’d like to do. While you’re planning, you
might as well carve out some “fun time” for yourself and give
yourself more time than you think it might take to complete the
tasks. Committing an average of five to ten minutes a day to the
very big but lower priority tasks can go a long way. These baby
steps will definitely add up.
If you’re efficient and stress-free with flying by the seat of
your pants, then who am I to rock the boat? But if you find
yourself stressed physically or mentally as a result, I’d
suggest going outside your comfort zone gradually. I wouldn’t
spring a ‘to-do’ list on you right off the bat. That would
probably be a slow death to you! But if you could have someone
support you as the deadline looms, it will help. Also, try
putting a notepad or a piece of paper near your work station or
someplace where you’ll see it every day, and as a task you know
needs to be done occurs to you, write it down on the piece of
paper or notepad. If there’s an imposed due date, write that
down next to it. It will be there as a constant reminder, and
you may be inclined to complete it ahead of schedule rather than
in the knick of time, or not at all.
Procrastination can transcend the personality types mentioned
above, so think about why you procrastinate. Is it because it’s
a boring task? Is it a big scary task? Is it a task you don’t
see as a high priority? Naming it out loud and on paper is a
good start. Here’s a challenge for the chronic procrastinator.
Take out a piece of paper and draw two lines in a cross so that
you have four boxes. The idea would be to get in touch with your
rebel and write all the things on which you’ve procrastinated in
the top left box; in the top right box, your reasons for
procrastinating; in the bottom left box, the cost of not doing
them; then in the right bottom box, all the benefits of doing
those things you’ve procrastinated on. After you’ve done that,
share these with someone you know who wants you to succeed. In
fact, you can even email them to me at carolmanagingpersonalresources.com, and I will acknowledge you for
this step in the process.
7. Practice daily self-awareness
Another favorite activity of mine is what I call “Downloading my
brain to paper.” You wouldn’t believe the relief I feel after
journaling-especially after a stressful day. If you’re a
scheduler, carve out a certain time of day to do this. Or if
you’re like me, journal when the spirit hits you if scheduling
seems too restrictive. Write everything that is on your mind,
including items you know you need to be working on. These can
include areas of physical well being, relationships, or some
tolerations you’ve been avoiding like shampooing your carpets,
cleaning out a closet or desk drawer, and so on. Don’t edit
yourself. No one has to see what you wrote. Some of the greatest
ideas have been born in the journal. I always have more clarity
after journaling and my productivity goes through the roof as a
result.
Also, if you’re aware of some of the assessments out there such
as the MBTI® or the DiSC, knowing your personality type and
behavioral style can also help you use the most efficient
methods specific to you to get things done.
8. Make sure you schedule “you” time every day
I can already hear some of you screaming at me, “Carol, I don’t
have time to take time for myself, and you’re already giving me
these challenges that I don’t have time to do. And aerobic
exercise? Puh-leeze!” This is just another one of those
paradoxes. I promise you after taking down time for yourself–
even if it’s just 30 minutes to an hour a day, doing something
you absolutely love-you will be much more productive after
you’ve come back from that break. Remember, when your marginal
productivity decreases, you’re wasting time anyway.
Many of you who are moms may have heard the phrase, “If Mom’s
not happy, then no one in the house is happy!” But even if
you’re not a mom, and you live with others, this rule can apply.
Invitation: Take a moment to write down three rituals that you
know give you energy. Examples can include reading, exercise,
journaling, gardening, music, sports, sailing, tai chi, yoga, or
spending time in nature.
9. Employ some of the traditional ‘time management’ tips
Here are a couple of ideas to consider. Visit
http://www.power-edsolutionsinc.com/TimeTracker.pdf and download
the time log chart and print it out. Then try the following for
a week: Either the night before, or the following morning, make
a list on the left hand side of the grid of what you intend to
do that day. Then on the right side, at the end of the day, list
what you actually did. Evaluate how you did each day. Did you
meet your expectations, or did you schedule too much?
List all of the distractions that come up for you-the annoying
ones and those that you find enjoyable. I challenge you to use
those fun distractions as rewards after putting a dent in your
proverbial “to-do” list. If the phone rings, let it go to voice
mail. Turn off your instant messaging (if you have it). Tell
your friends not to come over unannounced unless it’s an
emergency or unless they want to help you with your tasks. And
prioritize, prioritize, prioritize!
Again, if you find that you don’t have the discipline,
inclination, motivation, or inspiration to do any of this, then
perhaps a friend, a coach, or someone you trust can serve as an
accountability partner to support you and keep you “honest”.
10. Create passive income
I’m just going to plant some seeds here, because the “how to” of
this process is a rather lengthy one, but well worth pursuing.
Why? Because when most of your money is working for you instead
of you working for most of your money, it gives you more time to
do the things you enjoy doing in life. You can do this by
receiving commission as an affiliate of other people’s products
sold, creating digital products of your own, investing (in the
market and certain forms of real estate, for example), and even
network marketing. There are so many options out there with many
moving parts, but if you choose and master just one source of
creating passive income for yourself, look out!
I realize that “life happens,” but as I said at the beginning of
this article, if you try just one of these strategies for three
weeks straight, watch those productivity floodgates open for
you. I invite you to email me and tell me how it went for you,
and I’ll congratulate you with a big grin on my face!
Carol Dickson-carr
http://www.articlesbase.com/motivational-articles/10-strategies-to-creating-more-in-less-time-2018.html
