Our lives are busy,so we all look for a silver bullet to increase our productivity and personal effectiveness. But beware, you can spin your wheels with “busyness.” Research has shown time and again that our brains don’t multitask effectively. Instead, we switch tasks rapid, which, contrary to popular belief, doesn’t work well. Instead, use these three proven methods to become more effective.
- First: Pick the top three. What are your three most important projects or “M.I.P’s”? Write them down and tape them to the wall above your desk. Then, tomorrow morning, plan to spend ninety percent of your day on work for these three M.I.P.s. You can spend the other ten percent of your day to outsource the activities you have spent time on in the past. Remember, productivity isn’t an accident, it’s a decision. Decide today not to waste time.
- Second:List your goals.Hopes and dreams are fantasies until you identify them. Write them down and create a plan to achieve them. Do your dreams and goals match the culture of your organization?
- Third: Maximize your capacity. Setup systems and processes for the tasks and challenges that block your main goals in life. You will then think about them less and spend less time and energy on them.
At EDSI, we have found that most people think that these are ordinary skills, so unlike their colleagues who embrace these essential skills for effective communication, they don’t use them.