5 Ways to Be Even More Productive

We can always be even more productive. Time is a very valuable resource, and if you really think about it, being productive is one of the best ways to ensure that you are using your time effectively. As a successful business owner, you no doubt realize just how important productivity is. You have likely done a great deal to ensure that your employees follow procedures that are designed to make them more productive. You have also doubtlessly mastered the ability to keep working and getting things done, even when you are in danger of being distracted or losing focus. But what about those days when it seems like you just can’t focus on anything? How can you stay productive when your usual strength of mind just doesn’t seem to cut it? In this article, we are going to talk about 5 ways to be more productive. These methods can be used at any time to help you to keep your work output high so that you can move towards the next level with no setbacks and minimal frustration.

“At the end of each day you should play back the tapes of your performance. The results should either applaud you or prod you.”

--Jim Rohn

1… Keep Your Work Area Free Of Clutter Believe it or not, clutter can definitely kill your workday. Having needless piles of paperwork or supplies covering your workspace will not only be problematic as you try to get things accomplished, but it can also psychologically cause your brain to wane in the productivity department. Finding a way to keep your desk cleaned and organized will keep you ahead of the game when the time comes to get to work…especially if you are working for yourself and need to be a self-starter. 2… Plan When You Will Make Your High Payoff Phone Calls Making phone calls can eat up time, especially if you start dialing and leaving messages. Besides, you never know what might come up on short notice that could interrupt you. If you are trying to get two things done already, plus being available to subordinates, PLUS trying to make phone calls, you will likely not be able to give ANY of the tasks the kind of attention that they deserve. In order to maximize your efforts, consider scheduling phone calls for a particular time. Pick a time when you will have the highest probability to achieve the desired results and not be distracted with other things. Sometimes making calls first thing in the morning can be the best time to get good results. 3… Skip Some Meetings

"Meetings are a waste of time unless you are closing a deal. There are so many ways to communicate in real time or asynchronously that any meeting you actually sit for should have a duration and set outcome before you agree to go." -Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks As Mark Cuban says, there are SO many ways to interact with people nowadays… is there REALLY a point to scheduling long and involved meetings? Now, on the other hand, scheduling short meetings with a specific agenda of what you want to cover is actually very time efficient. This way you can collect things you want to discuss with someone and review them all at the

same time. This cuts out the need to send onsey-twosey emails and constantly interrupt someone to get answers exactly at the moment you want them. Having these types of short meetings will definitely increase productivity. My philosophy is to live by appointment only, as much as possible.

“The greatest things in the world have been done by those who systematized their work, organized their time.” - Orison Swett Marden

4… Avoid Multitasking This might sound like an odd way to increase productivity, but it is actually pretty accurate. In most cases, multitasking just distracts you from doing your very best on one particular task at a time. Therefore, you can actually expect to get more done if you forgo multitasking and simply focus on the job at hand. Always remember to prioritize, and make sure that you focus on the most important jobs (jobs that nobody else can do) first. Keeping a time log can be useful to get a reality check on what you are really spending your valuable on doing every day. Periodically keep a log for a week or two when you feel you need to get a dose of reality. To download a sample time log, go to http://www.accountabilitycoach.com/time-log/. 5… Interview, Interview, Interview! Hiring competent employees and/or virtual help that you can rely upon to delegate tasks to is going to be critical to your success as your business continues to grow. You can’t be very productive if you don’t have good enough people to take mundane tasks off of your hands. Make sure that every person that you hire is competent, and make sure that you stay connected with your employees so that they know that they are appreciated and needed in your business.

“The Leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say ‘I’, they don’t think ‘I.’ They think ‘we.’ They think ‘team.’ They understand their job is to be making the team function.

They accept the responsibility and don’t side-step, but ‘we’ gets the credit. This is what creates trust and enables you to get the task done.”

--Peter Drucker What Can You Do? Following these tips will really help you to become more productive, especially if you normally suffer from an inability to get as much as you would like to get accomplished in one day.

© 2013 Anne M. Bachrach. All rights reserved.

Anne M. Bachrach is known as The Accountability Coach™. She has 23 years of experience

training and coaching. Business owners and entrepreneurs who utilize Anne’s proven systems

and processes work less, make more money, and have a more balanced and successful life. Anne

is the author of the books, Excuses Don’t Count; Results Rule!, and Live Life with No Regrets;

How the Choices We Make Impact Our Lives, and The Work Life Balance Emergency Kit. Go to

http://www.accountabilitycoach.com/Achieve.Your.Goals.Free.Gifts.Now/ and get 3 FREE gifts

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