Have you ever looked up at the end of the day and asked the question, where has the day gone and what have I accomplished. I know I have, and I have heard other people say the same thing. There is tremendous pressure to be productive when you are working from home from both your boss, and yourself; and you want to finish what you set out to accomplish. Whether your work from home occasionally, or you’re a solopreneur, entrepreneur, small business owners, or someone who works on projects, you want to make sure you get the job done, and it can be difficult to stay on track. It is easy to lose time, especially with all of the other things on line that can capture your attention.
I wanted to share a few tips and tools that can help you be more productive no matter where you work.
1. Make a realistic list of what you are going to get done. This first step is crucial because if you have too many things on your list, it can overwhelm you; a plan will help you focus and prioritize what you are doing. You are not a superhero so don’t plan to save the world today that’s noble, but obviously that’s not realistic. Right now, I am testing TeuxDeux. I’ll let you know what I think I do love the simplicity so far, and it’s on-line, and it’s an iPhone app.
2. Break up your tasks into small pieces and give them a time limit. I know many people who use an Egg Timer to keep themselves on track. Time yourself for an hour at a time and see how much you get done. That will do two things, first it will make you more aware of your time, and it will let you know if you are staying on track and focused.
3. Keep yourself accountable. There are several great tools for keeping yourself accountable when you are working from home, Rescue Time is an on-line tool, but you can use a list and cross off the things that you get done or you can print off a calendar from http://www.calendarsthatwork.com with a list for every hour. That way you can account for what you have actually accomplished.
4. Take Breaks – You will feel better and accomplish more if you take breaks. There is an on-line tool called Coffee Breaks or you can try the Pomodoro technique 25 minutes on- and then a 5 minute break. See which one works best for you.
5. Minimize Distractions. Identify the things that take you off track and manage them. Tell yourself, I am only going to check e-mail every 2 hours, and I will turn off my e-mail alerts until I am done. Set up a time for phone calls so that you don’t get pulled away from your important tasks by telephone calls that are not urgent and important. Stay off of Facebook, Twitter and text so that you can focus on the task at hand.
It is possible to get more done at home with a sound plan and some great techniques. Give these tips a try and tell me what you think. This may be trial and error as you find what works best for you and your style, but this is time-tested advice so see what happens!
10 Tips for Managing Your Work Time More Efficiently
Business today is more hectic than ever before. Corporations are streamlining their workforce, leaving remaining employees overwhelmed with the extra work to make up the slack. Learning to manage your time will not only help keep your regular work flowing, but will free up time for special projects as well.
But how do you organize your time when you are under pressure? It’s not easy when you are being pulled in several directions at one time. Here are some tips for managing your time better.
1. Start managing your time today. Don’t wait until next week or even tomorrow. There is no time like the present to put these valuable tools into action.
2. Get into a routine. Take care of your normal tasks at the same time each day to help you stay focused and organized when the emergency projects come up.
3. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Only volunteer for tasks you can work into your schedule. If you are overworked, don’t offer to help.
4. Break down a large project into more manageable pieces. Organizing each project into smaller tasks will make the project easier to finish on time.
5. Do not make a project more difficult than it has to be. Perfection is expected in the finished product, but not necessary during the start of the project. Look at what is expected in regards to the project and don’t add more to it.
6. Deal with tasks when you get them. Don’t wait until the last minute to start a job. One of the biggest time wasters is starting and stopping projects. The more times you start the same project, the more time you’ll waste repeating the same work over and over.
7. Figure out how much time a project should take to complete, then schedule blocks of time during your days to complete it. Some projects will have to be finished as soon as possible, while other tasks can be worked on over a period of time. Scheduling both kinds of tasks into your day’s activities will make finishing them much easier.
8. Plan your activities. Using a calendar, computer program, or even a PDA will help you keep track of your tasks and when they are due. When planning your activities, be sure to schedule time for breaks, lunch, interruptions, and meetings regarding your projects.
9. Make a master to-do list. On a pad of lined paper, list the things you need to do for each project you have and place an estimated time of completion next to it.
10. Learn to delegate as much as you can. Most of the time, your projects will be ones you have to accomplish on your own, but there might be times you can delegate tasks like gathering information to co-workers.
Have a good handle on your business projects will make you a better worker and more valuable; for your employer and for your career.
