Being more productive isn’t about keeping yourself busy throughout all your waking hours. It’s about getting things done in a more timely manner and having time left over to enjoy. Here are Chad Kagen’s three ways that will help you be more productive and have more free time for things of your choosing.
1. Get things done in the morning
When you have a to-do list with multiple items on it, you might be inclined to take your time and give yourself the entire day to complete them. Many of these tasks you can probably cross off more quickly if you focus on them and reduce distractions. If you can complete most of your items by the afternoon, you have the rest of the day free and no longer need to worry about them. If you have to reply to emails, spend one hour solely focused on that task instead of trying to get it done in smaller chunks throughout the day.
2. Delegate
If you’re used to doing everything on your own, delegating tasks and chores to other people is a good way to free up your time. If you’re not good with numbers, but your partner is, have them take over the household budgeting. If you have children, but find yourself doing all the cooking and cleaning, delegate one or the other to another member of the household. If you say yes when people ask you to take on extra work at your job, start saying “no.” It’s common for others to expect you to do it all when they are used to you doing it all.
3. Eliminate distractions
As mentioned above, if you allow distractions to get in the way, you will end up taking longer to complete tasks. By putting your phone on silent and keeping it out of arm’s reach, you won’t constantly be stopping in the middle of a task and disturbing your focus. If you work from home, you might deal with more distractions than normal. The television can be an easy distraction. You turn it on during your break and three hours later you’re still watching. This cuts into your productivity and will cause you to take longer to finish tasks. If you’re easily distracted by things like a sink full of dishes, laundry, or a bathroom that should be cleaned, schedule time to do these items. It’s easy to become distracted by chores we normally avoid when you’re supposed to be working. Having a designated workspace that keeps these things out of view also helps.
By implementing these ideas you can get things accomplished in a more timely manner. When tasks take too long to complete, it’s easy for them to become stressful. Luckily this doesn’t have to be the case. Learning to focus and get things done one at a time will reduce overall stress and gift you with more time. Check out Chad Kagen’s website for more business tips!