Manage Your Time for Business Success
Nothing in business is so valuable as time – John Henry Patterson
We all get the same 24 hours a day but how we use these 24 hours help to determine our level of business success. There are some simple things we can do every day to helps manage our productivity and hence make the best use of our time.
1) Build up your energy
If you are low-energy everything will take longer to accomplish. Keep visual reminders of your purpose or goals accessible and review them every morning as motivation to keep pushing forward.
2) Say ‘No’ to smartphone and email notifications
During critical work hours, put your phone notifications on silent. Your productivity will soar from doing this one activity. Similarly, email is also an unnecessary distraction. Schedule specific times throughout the day to check your email and stick with the schedule unless you are expecting something urgent. Phone calls are actually a more effective mode of communication as a problem can be rectified in a much shorter time as compared to messenger apps or emails.
3) Tackle “Must Do’s First and Two Minute Tasks Second”
It is important to tackle your must do tasks first but immediately after than tackle any small tasks which will take two minutes or less to complete. There is a sense of accomplishment that will help to propel you forward as you cross tasks off your To-Do list.
4) Perfect is the enemy of good
If you want to save time, you have to be able to say this is good and I will stop here. Perfection is an illusion. Good enough saves time and can lead to business success.
5) Unsubscribe and Unfollow
This will help you to clean up your inbox and your social media lists. Many things you may have been interested in before may no longer serve any purpose for your business. Unsubscribe and Unfollow to make room for the things that still matter to you.
6) Don’t fixate on where to start
Start at the end or in the middle if that makes sense to you but don’t waste time worrying about where to start.
7) Give yourself mini-breaks
The brain can only concentrate fully for 25-45 minutes at a time. So give yourself a break at intervals. This will only work though if you ensure that you time your mini-breaks for example 5 minutes and get back to work immediately after it ends.
8) Use templates whenever possible
In business templates are your best friend. Have templates for reports, most commonly asked questions and for activities which occur regularly.
9) Write “a love to do” List
Add things to your to do list which you love to do. You will be energised to get other things completed so you can attend your dance class or head to the kitchen to bake for example. Making ‘a love to do’ list also keeps your creative juices flowing.
10) Schedule appointments with yourself
Set time blocks in your calendar for deep work and honour it like you would any other commitment.
11) Food prep and clothes prep for the following day
Your day will start a lot more relaxed if you have already organised some of the necessary daily activities such as meals and outfits from the night or week before. Getting organised the night before saves you time in the morning and keeps your morning hassle-free.
12) Turn comparison inward
Look at where you were two years before and where you are now. Use that as motivation to continue to move forward productively.
Join ACOCI for Starry Night
ACOCI would also like to invite everyone to attend their upcoming event Starry Night Dinner and Dance which will be held at Italia Restaurant at Cuisinart’s Club House on June 2nd, 2018. Proceeds of this event are for the on-going ACOCI Scholarship Fund. The event starts at 6:30 pm with a Red Carpet Welcome sponsored by IWAS and the dinner starts at 7 pm. Entertainment will be by Boss and the Horse Power Band and DJ Sparta. The cost is US$65 per person and guests have the opportunity to win wonderful door prizes. Tickets can be purchased at the ACOCI Office or Tackle Box.
Adapted from Inc.com, ballmedia.com, fastcompany.com
