SUGGEST A DEADLINE

SUGGEST A DEADLINE

Never ask others when they would like a request completed. Suggest a time that fits your schedule instead. Otherwise you may be stuck with unrealistic deadlines.
 

MORNING PEOPLE

As we grow older, our prime time - when we are most mentally alert - comes earlier. You should probably be getting up an hour earlier than you did thirty years ago if you want to maximize your productivity.

HANDLING INTERRUPTIONS

Robert K. Cooper, Author of The Other 90%, claims we should never use the negative expression "I only have two minutes" to an unscheduled visitor. Tell them you can spend two minutes with them now and can schedule more time later if needed. That tells them you're not brushing them off.

TAKE INTERRUPTIONS SITTING DOWN

Neuroscientists claim that when people are rushed, the brain is programmed to perceive standing conversation as far less genuine than seated talk. One minute standing can feel like nothing while one minute sitting can feel like ten. (Source: The Other 90% by Robert K. Cooper, Three Rivers Press, 2001)

SIMPLIFY YOUR TO DO LIST

Most people have more things on their To Do Lists than they'll ever have time to complete. The trivial talks only serve to distract you from the important ones. Get rid of items that don't have long-term consequences.

LONGER COMMUTE TIMES

In Great Britain the average trip to work in 1998 took 25 minutes, compared with 23 minutes in 1993. If the trend is to longer, slower trips to and from work, this time loss has to be made up in other ways. It is best to do it by increasing productivity at work than in stealing time from leisure time or sleep.

 

DULL OFFICES DECREASE CREATIVITY

According to Paul Dickinson, in his book, It's Not About Size, dull offices that lack good-natured joking and lighthearted banter produce bored and uninspired people who do not innovate.

TV TIME WASTER

According to AC Neilson Co., the average American watches 3 hours and 46 minutes of TV each day - more than 52 days of nonstop TV watching per year. So if you want to get all the important things done, stay away from the TV set.

REPLY TO EMAIL

With filters, e-mails being bounced back or disappearing into cyberspace, it's disconcerting not to know whether your e-mail actually arrived. You might want to invest a few seconds by acknowledging electronic business correspondence.

DON'T SCRIMP ON SLEEP

Researchers find that students who sleep six or fewer hours learned less and had difficulty remembering material.

ORGANIZING YOUR WORK SPACE

Lesley Bolton, in her book, Fastread Time Management, tells us not to skimp on ergonomics. Investing in a good chair, for instance, will help both your posture and your productivity.

 

RESPOND VS REACT

Reacting to interruptions means you are being distracted from your goal. Responding means you are handling the interruption in stride without losing sight of your original goal.

GOALS SHOULD BE FLEXIBLE

John C. Maxwell, in his book Be All You Can Be, warns not to set goals in concrete. To quote, ""If your goal is not expandable, it's expendable."

URGENT VS. IMPORTANT

Don't let the tyranny of the urgent distract you from jobs that promise permanent value.