2 Minutes Of Planning Can Lead To 50% More Productivity

Ever sit at your computer and think about what you have to do that day? I bet you have a list of 101 things that need your attention and throughout the day you battle to get everything completed. And then at the end of the day you only find you completed a few tasks and although you worked flat out you don’t seem to have accomplished much?

Well, this is something experienced by a lot of people who work from home, online or in fact in a lot of work scenarios. And one which I too suffered from only too often when I first started to work online.  I was working long hours thinking that all my effort would eventually pay off. Yeah, but was I working on the right things and even worse I was getting hit by loads of daily distractions, making my work day even longer!

Then I learned that to become more productive meant making a few small changes to the way I prepared for my work day and how I actually worked on the day. This in turn meant I ended my working day having completed tasks that were most important to helping me make money and as a direct result also meant I was earning money quicker too.

The routine I now use in my daily work life is very straightforward, no magic or meditation required, and if you put it into practice I guarantee that you will increase your productivity by more than 50%. All you need to do is the night before your next day of work, is to take 2 minutes and write down the 6 most urgent tasks that need to completed next day. Don’t write anything longer than this or you will end up taking on too much. Once you have your 6 tasks make sure nothing, and I mean nothing, stops you from completing those tasks. If you manage to complete all 6 in a working day with time left over then by all means work on something else.

I now do this every evening and put all 6 Tasks in the Task Manager provided by Microsoft Outlook. After each Task is completed I scratch it off and start on the next one. 

And an additional Tip, and perhaps the most important, to ensure you stick to your list of daily tasks is to avoid being distracted by continuous alerts from your computer etc. Maybe you use alerts as activity or task reminders, or maybe just an email alert. Either switch the alerts off completely or turn the sound down. And even better if you can set aside a block of 2 hours where you switch off all alerts, telephone etc so you can make a good start on your 6 Tasks. You can then take a break and then do a similar 2 hours, and repeat again if necessary.

I do all of the above and in addition I always make sure I start work only after having a good breakfast and even more importantly a few glasses of water.  The water keeps me hydrated and coupled with a good breakfast ensures my energy levels remain high, which in turn keeps my concentration levels high too. This allows me to stay totally focussed on the 6 daily tasks and since implementing these new routines has allowed me to be over 50% more productive.

So for greater daily productivity:
1. Write up a list of 6 tasks you need to complete for the next day. Even better if you start off with a longer list and pick the 6 Tasks which will help you to earn money quicker. Doing this process will make you realise what is and isn’t as urgent as you initially thought.
2. On your work day, start with a few glasses of water to get yourself hydrated. And then follow up with a good breakfast (mine is always toast and scrambled eggs, and a cup of tea)
3. Set aside a 2 hour block to start your tasks.
4. Switch off any alerts etc you have on your PC etc. And if possible unplug your phone or divert to voicemail.
5. Start your list of 6 tasks and work for the 2 hour block. To stay hydrated during this time try and keep a bottle of water by your desk and take regular sips.
6. After 2 hours take a break and if necessary grab a snack.
7. Repeat the cycle throughout the day and I GUARANTEE you will be at leat 50% more productive than your current work days.

So, get focussed and get working on your daily work routine that will help you to be a lot more productive and will help you reach your financial goals a lot more quickly. It works for me and and I know IT WILL work you too. So, work smarter-not harder.