Are you a procrastinator? Try these time-saving tips for efficiency and more productivity in everything you do.
- Write out a daily "To Do List" making sure you include your top priorities.
- On Mondays, plan your week's activities.
- Delegate routine chores.
- Set deadlines for yourself and your subordinates.
- Use waiting time to catch up on routine reading or to plan projects.
- Jot down spontaneous notes and ideas.
- Break down unpleasant tasks into small, non-threatening jobs.
- Cut off nonproductive activities --- e.g. phone calls, rambling conversations.
- Try and handle every piece of paper only once.
- Keep your work space cleared and ready for action. Don't let clutter accumulate. Clean as you go.
- Have a place for everything, so you know exactly where to find it.
- Schedule a meeting only if you can describe its purpose.
- Skim for important words and headlines when you read.
- Listen carefully. Ask direct questions to obtain needed information quickly.
- Learn to say "no". There is a limit to your energy and ability to accomplish an endless list of tasks.
- Do your thinking on paper or on your computer. This motivates you to continue, while you see your progress.
- Eliminate unnecessary interruptions. Close your office door. Let your staff take messages, and then return calls all at once.
- Set aside your most productive time period every day to do your creative work.
- Save all trivial matters for a three-hour session once a month.
- Avoid people who drain you and e-mail people who regularly talk too much on the phone.
-- Thanks to ROBERT HARLAND .
