Here are 5 slightly out-of-the-box tips to increase your productivity from Wonderful Web Woman Janet beckers
1. Use a timer to create false deadlines
I don’t know if you are like me, but I work really well under pressure. If I know I have a while to get something done I can really stuff around and get distracted by things that are interesting but totally unimportant in the big scheme of things. So I trick myself and create artificial deadlines. For example, I have given myself 20 minutes to write this blog post. I have a timer with an alarm that I have beside the computer counting down. I’ve just glanced over. OH NO! I’ve only got 13 minutes left. I better speed it up.
2. Write a weekly plan - and stick to it
I guess this is another way of creating deadlines. At the beginning of each week I work out my priorities for the week and then decide on milestones and action points. Sometimes it can take me an hour but I find that if I skip this process because I think I am too busy - I end up busier at the end of the week and I get heaps less done. I use a template that I have created for my business so that I don’t just concentrate on what seems urgent but also remember to plan for lead generation, admin and follow up. I have columns for the days of the week and I just tick the days I will work on that milestone. It also means I have to think less during the week as I just look at the column for the day and see what is important to get done.
3. Use recurring reminders in ACT or Outlook
There are things I must remembers to do every week, month etc. Like write my weekly newsletter, prepare for mastermind calls, make sure I have cash to pay my cleaner once a fortnight etc. I’m sure you get the picture. I set up recurring reminders and set the alarm to go off at a suitable warning time. So if I have something due on Wednesday that I know may take more than an hour, I set the alarm to go off the day before so I can get started early if I need to. I very rarely miss deadlines because of this.
Oh dear. Just looked at my timer. Only 5 minutes left to write. Better make it short and sweet…..
4. Health before 10. Wealth after 10.
I don’t usually start work until 9.30am, sometimes 10am. If I do this, I get more done than if I start as soon as the kids head off to school. How is this possible? I spend that hour swimming laps at the pool, walking through the National Park to my favourite beach, doing yoga or meditating. Spending that time on my health keeps me focused and much calmer. So I look after my health until 10 and then I look after my wealth after 10. Of course, some days commitments get in the way and I know for certain my productivity is less that day.
5. Use Basecamp on-line project management to coordinate staff and client communication
Have you heard of Basecamp? I love it. This on-line software allows me to set up a project for each client. We can set milestones, to dos, write messages and upload files. This is how I set tasks for staff and contractors and keep milestones transparent for clients. It also allows me to set milestones and reminders for clients, such as “rememberto send us this month’s specials to put on your website”. I don’t just use it for client projects. We also have one set up for our admin so I can add jobs for “Jan the Wonderful Admin Assistant” as I think of them, so she just has to check on-line to know what extra jobs she has to tackle. You can get a free account at http://www.nichepartners.biz/recommends/BaseCamp
Remember tip no. 1? Use a timer to create false deadlines? I blew it. The alarm went off part way through tip no 5. Oh well. I’m sure if I hadn’t used it I would have used up 20 minutes just getting to tip no. 2. |
