Increasing #Productivity & #Performance

Ugh! Have you ever been this “person” at the end of workday: beat tired, the stacks on your desk no smaller but maybe just a bit rearranged, and nearly nothing checked off your to-do list and likely even more added to it??

I get it, that was me, and frankly at times I slide back into that hole. Some days begin and I do not know where to start. So, there I sit, shuffling papers, rewriting my lists, organizing things that are not important, and thinking that tomorrow will be the day I fix it all. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Finally, I took the advice of many masters in their domains and figured it out.

The misnomer of multitasking.?I am like most everyone I know, thinking I am good enough, if not excellent, at juggling many balls at once. Sure, there is a fine line between having to manage the many responsibilities of the job. I am speaking of working on multiple tactical tasks at once:?

Replying to emails while on conference calls while proofing a PowerPoint while eating a Clif Bar while thumbing through LinkedIn while checking the stock market while texting my kids about who the Bears should draft while, well, I think you get the point…NOTHING gets the needed attention!

Pick one, set time perimeters, shut off notices, and finish it. Easier said than done and we all have excuses on why we cannot focus but if your livelihood required it you definitely would do it.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.?It makes no sense for me to tell you, let alone me, how to set goals. But, for the sake of making my point, 1) be specific, 2) make it measurable, 3) and you obviously must be able to achieve success.?

Commit these granular goals to paper. Yes, paper. In the age of all-things electronic, we can miss the power of what words written with a pen on paper can bring to the situation. You have the unique and personal opportunity to write them in a manner that can be accentuated, color-coded, complemented with pictures, connected to other comments, and so on. Plus, there is no greater feeling of exhilaration than taking any one of those colored pens on your desk and scratching off the completed task!

Go big or go home.?With vigor, attack the BHAG’s (Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals) first. Do not put off what is most difficult / daunting / time consuming / irritable until you wipe out the easy tasks.

The realistic answer is that your day can and often comes with curve balls. Too often, and with a bit of cynicism, the only thing that goes on time is the first call of the day. If you put off the tough stuff, you will find you will be putting it off for days and maybe weeks on end.?

The practical answer is that by accomplishing such a major and satisfying task earlier in the day will super-charge your mindset for the next task, and the task after it.

Map it.?Here is where too many of us fail to plan and then set ourselves up to inadvertently plan to fail”…by simply not planning with a calendar.

You must control your calendar before it eats you alive. All that blank space you think you have over the coming two weeks mysteriously disappears because a few people with access to your calendar add a few 30-minute check-in meetings, followed by your boss adding a 60 minute weekly recurring meeting, then up pops a three-day business trip, etc.?

It may seem counterintuitive but work backward in your thinking. Plan what truly matters to you — personal events — your events with family, kids baseball games, time to work out, meditation, lunch, personal development, etc. If you do not have these items in check, the rest WILL fail.

Next, plan your activities that are fundamental to your day job: goal completion, prospecting, research, sales prep, appointments, etc.

Last, allow the internal meetings to take up the required space. I do understand this may be easier said than done and require some negotiation. Do your best to care for what you need to be the best on the job and off the job.

Chill out.?You have a grandiose plan and are finally in control. Remind yourself it is a marathon and not a sprint (although some days you feel like you are sprinting all 26.2 miles!). Be certain to stand and take a five-minute walking break every hour. Consider doing a few calls while walking if it is prudent. If allowed, switch up your venue to a coffee shop or park bench for a portion of the day.?

Five simple yet not easy fixes. You will be successful, but it may take some time to change behavior to develop the needed habits. Stay strong and see it through. You will thank the new you!