Sunday, 17 February 2013

Want to improve your productivity ? The simplest way ...

It is not easy.  Not easy at all !  

Six months back when I quit my 9 to 9 job and started working independently, I had a vision of my day. I would start my day with an hour long walk, then browse the newspapers, do some miscellaneous work and then from 10 am to 6 pm , I would have the whole day to myself !  I will have a 15 min power nap in the afternoon and then about 20 minute of  breathing exercises after 6 and then one hour of reading before going to sleep, I had thought.   Ah ! Finally I am the owner of  all my time ,  what a wonderful feeling it was !

But it did not happen that way !  I soon realized that time just passed by and all the things that I had thought that I would accomplish just did not seem to happen. I felt that I was more productive when I worked in the office . It took me about a month to figure out what was wrong. 

 I had stopped making my To-Do list.  

If there is one thing which I have to swear upon for time management, it is the quintessential To-Do list.  Here are some tips :

  • From daily to weekly : If you are a first time in creating to-do lists, start with a daily list , but eventually  broaden it till it covers the full week. This gives a better span for your activities and you will have a good sense of accomplishment when the week is over.

  • Write them: Write everything - make sections for official and then personal , sundry etc.  Once you get the hang of it, you will see how useful it is for planning and organizing your day

  • Prioritize  :  Once the tasks are written, you should prioritize. First tackle the most difficult one or the one which falls in the second quadrant of time management - important and urgent.

  • Cross the completed tasks : Once you have completed a task, cross them on the list or put a big tick mark on it. You will feel really good . Trust me !

  • Carry them over : There will always be tasks which will not be done on a particular day.  Carry them over to the next day's to do list

I have practiced creating and following a to-do list and I can guarantee you that once you start , you will be able to gauge the improvement in your productivity. 

Give it a shot and see your tasks get done like magic !



5 comments:

  1. I guess I know a person who follows these rules :)
    . And I really feel it makes things lot more easier. You can control your tasks and time.
    And a BIG BOLD tick mark brings a smile to the face!

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    1. Good . Finally , you have realized the importance of To-do lists ! Continue and improve your productivity even more :-) !

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  2. at the end you will justify yourself too that you achieved something.

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  3. You are much smarter than I. Two years ago, I left my 20+ year accounting career to pursue writing. It's only been in the last few months that I've gotten a handle on why I have been less productive. I started making lists just like I did when I worked in the office. Plus, I get up and get dressed (most days) like I was going to the office, complete with shoes and jewelry. It helps me feel ready to tackle that list. Also, if I have to run out somewhere during the day, I'm not in a panic that I'm still in my PJ's and bathrobe! LOL

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