Are You Making These 6 Productivity Mistakes?
It is said that actions speak louder than words. Do you know what speaks louder than actions? Results. If you’re not seeing the results that you want in your business or from yourself, it’s time to take a long look at what’s going on. Productivity doesn’t mean people see you and think that you’re busy. It doesn’t necessarily mean that your schedule is double booked for every waking moment of your day. It means that you’re getting stuff done. You’re getting results.
There’s a lot of information available to you online about how you can get more done every day. There are blogs devoted to productivity methods. With all of the information available, it’s time that you consider your own habits and whether they are truly productive.
Productivity isn’t about adding more and more to your schedule. It’s about accomplishing your objectives each day. We’re going to explain 6 common productivity mistakes and tell you exactly what you need to do to correct them.
Multitasking
Multitasking has been treated as the Holy Grail of productivity for decades. Yet, it doesn’t make us more productive. Multitasking means that you try to do several things at once. The result? Lots of unfinished projects that you barely started. The ones you do finish were likely rushed and not exactly your best work. Multitasking just makes us busy. It doesn’t make us productive. Devote time to each individual task. Even if you can only devote 15 or 20 minutes to each task, the individual focus that you place on them will mean a better final product. Another way to stop multitasking is to use better time management. Take time each morning to plan out your day. Don’t overschedule yourself. Each night, look over what you accomplished and what you have left to prepare yourself for the following day. Doing this each night will give you new insight to how you’re using your time and what you’re able to do each day. Need help with all of your additional tasks? Clients ARM provides a wide range of services for business owners. With 30 years of experience, you’re able to keep your focus on your clients and know that your projects are being handled with care and expertise.
Procrastination
We’ve all had moments where we’ve said, “I’ll do it tomorrow.” Yet, too often we rely on this line of thinking because we believe it somehow gives us more time to do other things. That time isn’t always well used. Even if it is used to work on other projects, the deadline for the project you put off will eventually sneak up on you. You’ll either turn in a poorly put together project or miss the deadline altogether. Both of these terrible outcomes could have been avoided. Using a calendar to keep track of your deadlines and daily tasks is one way that you can ensure that you’re planning the best use of your time. Additionally, taking action when needed instead of putting it off can also keep deadlines from sneaking up on you.
Immediate Email Replies
Do you leave your email open all day and immediately switch to it if you get a notification of new email? If so, you’re not alone. According to a study by Adobe Systems, you spend as much as 30 hours each week checking your email as a worker. That’s not time spent replying to emails or even reading them. That’s time spent by people who just check to see if they have new mail. Yikes. Do yourself a favor and turn off your email notifications. If that’s not enough to keep you from looking at your inbox, shut your email program. Instead, pick only two or three times each day when you will check your email. If someone gets worried because you’ve not replied to something, they’ll call you. Otherwise, the email will be there when you check it later. You can also save time by setting up email rules to filter out all the newsletters and other subscriptions and keeping the emails you really need to see in your inbox. If you can get control over your email, you’ll find that you’ll get a lot more done during the day.
Saying Yes
A wise man once said, “You can do anything, but you cannot do everything.” We’ve all said yes (at least once) and committed to something we didn’t want to do. That time could be better spent. Learn to say no to things that you can’t do or that you don’t want to do. Learning to say no can keep you from making costly mistakes in your business.
No Set Schedule
Many people start a business and dream of coming and going as they please. It’s a nice dream. Yet, having no set schedule can become a productivity nightmare. When your clients, friends, and family recognize that you put no effort into scheduling your time, they’ll do it for you. This results in working more hours than a set schedule and working at odd times or when you had other plans. Setting a schedule protects your time. It also conditions you to be more productive. Consider when you’re most naturally most productive and ready to work and set your schedule around that. You’ll get more done.
Relying on Email and Text
The convenience of email and text is really nice. Yet, you can spend a lot of time waiting for a response. If you have a question that simply must be answered right away, don’t rely on email or text. Pick up the phone and call the other person. If it is something in your office, go and see them in person to get an answer. Don’t rely on them making time or having the time to respond to you in writing. Save emails and text for when you need written confirmation or for matters that aren’t urgent.
Productivity Matters
Productivity matters in every business. Clients ARM helps businesses get more done at a fraction of the cost of hiring a traditional employee. We’re based in the United States and create a seamless experience for your clients and patients. To learn more about our services and get a customized review, contact Clients ARM today.
