How many times have you wished that you could get more done at work? Not many people would say they want to work more hours, but most of us feel we could cross more things off of our project lists if we just had more time. Here's how to find that time:
- Forget about multi-tasking. You may think it's a timesaver to respond to emails while you're on a conference call, but if you miss or mis-hear important information being given or you don't fully pay attention to what you're reading, you may find yourself unable to complete your required tasks or having to do them over again. Focus on the call and take notes to keep your attention from drifting away.
- Don't let email take over your day. While it may be tempting to check your Inbox every time a notification pops up, you're sidetracking yourself and breaking focus on the task at hand. That means everything you're doing will take longer—and that's after you've taken the time to read an email that may not have been (and probably wasn't) crucial to that moment. Instead, schedule three or four times throughout the day to tackle your inbox, like first thing in the morning, right before lunch, right after lunch, and before you leave for the day.
- Monitor yourself. Pay attention to what you do and when for about a week. You'll probably notice that some of your responsibilities are best done at a certain time of the day or a certain day of the week. You may also discover when your most productive times of day are, so you can plan accordingly. Finally, you might see how you can combine certain tasks and tackle them together, maybe once or twice a week, maybe less.
- Try organizing and automating. While some people are devoted to Outlook or Google Drive, you may prefer writing in your datebook or on a desk calendar (or multiple Post-It Notes!). You can set up automated emails, schedule blog posts ahead of time, and streamline your logins for online accounts by setting up saved passwords. Believe it or not, those few minutes you save a day can add up!
- Plan your day in advance. If you take time at the end of one day to plan for the next, or allot five to ten minutes every morning to planning the upcoming day, you'll find yourself staying focused and on track. Also, prioritize high reward tasks, and avoid unproductive activities like gossip and office politics. Just don't over-plan, like scheduling too many meetings or setting them up back to back. You always need time to recharge and refocus.
One great way to save time on the job is to delegate time-consuming tasks to professionals, like Complete Payroll. We can administer your payroll and other HR functions—call us to find out more!
