How many days have you had lately that you just couldn’t “get in gear” to get anything done? Have you felt like you were just “wandering” and “wondering” and accomplishing nothing? Unfortunately that happens more often than we’d like to admit when we’re working out of our homes.
I’d like to offer a few tips to make those kind of days “fewer and farther between”, so you can get more done and be able to increase your productivity.
** Before leaving your office / work area at the end of each day, make a list of what you’ll be working on when you get up the next morning. (This is a MUST for me – if I have no list ready when I get up, you can be assured that I’ll probably be among those who wander and wonder what I can get started on)
** Eat your breakfast BEFORE you head into your office / work area so you won’t be running back and forth from the kitchen to the office with dirty dishes, refilling coffee, etc, which is only a time waster.
** Follow the list you made the previous day as closely as you can and not jump back and forth from one project to another to another — FINISH the first item on the list before moving on.
** As you think of things that need to be worked on, put them on a list for tomorrow or the next day — don’t try to drop everything and add it to your list for today.
** If you MUST run out to the store for additional items for the project you’re working on, WAIT until after you’ve worked a couple or three hours, then the trip to the store will be your “break”, then get right back to the project as soon as you get back from the store.
** Try to get as many items as possible completed from the list you made. If you made the list a little too long and you couldn’t finish it, start the next days’ list with those items, then add additional things you’d written down during the day.
Trying to keep focused on the projects you need to get completed will definitely help increase your productivity. Don’t get sidetracked on small things. Once you’ve gotten into a routine of getting the list ready the night before, following the list during the day and keeping your focus on the job at hand, you will actually think you’ve gained a couple hours each day! Try it and see for yourself!
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