Have you ever had one of those days that’s just a blur? My wife normally asks how my day was when I get home, but sometimes she’ll be a little more specific and ask, “What did you do today?” I will pause, think really hard, and say, “You know, I was busy all day long, but I just don’t know what I accomplished today.”
I’ve developed a couple of habits that help me increase my productivity throughout the day.
Define Your Priorities
There are times I will come out of our weekly Production Meeting where we discuss the status of all of our ongoing projects, and I have a list that fills the page of my notebook. Sometimes, it can get a bit overwhelming. It’s good to take a step back and breathe and ask some questions.
- What is the biggest priority?
- What is going to take the most time?
- How many of these things can I knock out in the next 30 minutes?
I’ve found that by addressing these three issues, I can increase my effectiveness.
Establish Your Schedule
Meetings. Lots of meetings. These can throw off your day. One way I’ve found to combat this issue is to actually schedule time for a meeting with myself in an effort to allow some focus time for specific tasks. Also, establishing a steady routine (as much as possible) in order to accomplish that To-Do List.
Clear Your Mind
Sometimes, I get brain fatigue. I’m sure you do too. Whether you’re diving into the depths of an Excel spreadsheet or designing the latest, greatest creative project, your brain needs a break. Whether it’s getting a cup of coffee, going for a walk, or even shifting to a different quick task to exercise a different part of your skill set, you can come back with a fresh approach.
Identify Your Distractions
Distractions. We all have them. Whether it’s a talkative co-worker, someone else’s music playing, or watching the latest Marvel movie trailer a couple times (that was actually on my lunch break… mostly…), there is always something that steals our focus from the task at hand. First, identify the distraction and figure out how to reduce its impact. Find a quiet space to work, put in some earbuds (even if you’re not listening to music, this can help), hide your phone, or even delete the Facebook shortcut from your browser.
See if incorporating some of these tips will help increase your productivity. You can get to that Facebook page after you’ve had that productive day.
Let us know if Infinity Concepts can help increase the productivity with the team at your ministry or organization.
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