Ever look up from your computer screen and wonder what happened to your day? The not so surprising truth is that time is limited. Spend your time wisely and your reward is satisfying and cumulative – you move closer to accomplishing your goals. Keep reading for solid tips on how to make your time count.
1. Control Distractions. If you spend business hours on your computer or phone, you’re probably wondering how it’s even possible to slow down or turn off your screen time and be productive. Your computer screen is full of distractions: email, social media, instant messages, notifications, etc. They are a silent time suck (you too beloved cat videos). Turn them off while you focus on that one thing you need to get done. And, yes, I said that one thing because multitasking is a myth.
2. Make a Plan: Not all tasks are created equal. Sometimes you can get mired in the stuff that is a quick fix and the dopamine rush that comes with it. Consider creating your daily working plan based on projects and then ranking those projects in order of importance. A good habit to get into is to prioritize 2-3 tasks out of your over all plan. Choose wisely: tasks should be items that move you further along towards accomplishing your big picture items. When in doubt, choose the tasks that will make you feel good at the end of the day. A great tool for managing projects and planning is Asana.
3. Learn how to say no. Sometimes what you should not be doing is as important as what you should be doing. At work, your time is not always your own therefore you might feel compelled to say yes to everything that’s asked of you. Don’t do it. It’s ok to say no to tasks or invitations that eat away at your time or do not contribute to your big picture items.
As business development professionals and business owners, we have an obligation to ourselves to be strategic about our time. Ever wonder how to best leverage your time at a business networking event? Let us help you create a free 3 step action plan to get in front of the people you need to meet. Click here for details.
