4 Practical Ways to Accomplish More in Less Time

Our modern world stresses heavily on improving productivity, better management of time and resources, and producing results, to the point that countless books and articles that discuss such topics in detail have been written and published.

This post is about practical ways to accomplish more in less time.

Apply These Fool-Proof Techniques

Write down your goals and to-do lists.

Let's say you've been thinking of monetizing one of your hobbies, like quilling, knitting baby bonnets and beanies, or repurposing old jeans to denim tote bags. One of the first few things you should do is to jot down the costs of materials needed and other overhead expenses.

You might also factor in whether you'd like to sell your handmade creations in a bazaar or craft show, a gift or souvenir shop, or online. You need to set up different ways of accepting payment, so handling your cash flow will be as convenient as possible.

Master/discipline your moods.

I've been a freelance writer and proofreader for roughly 15 years. I'm aware that a common dilemma faced by freelancers, when faced with a particularly tough task, is to seek a distraction. I turn on the TV, hoping to catch something interesting "for just an hour," until that one hour extends to an entire afternoon of mindlessly watching sitcoms or soap operas.

Mastering one's moods simply means not giving in to sudden jolts of laziness, excitement, irritability, or impatience.

Curb your whims and desires.

Maybe you're a stay-at-home mom who works part-time doing data entry and writing blog articles. You know you can't just accept a spur-of-the-moment invitation to have lunch with your friends when you have looming deadlines.

Figure out your "why" (motive for doing things) so you can find out "how."

You may be active in your church and looking to go on mission trips, but because of limited funds, you haven't gone anywhere.

However, you know that all you care about is the opportunity to reach out to people. So you decide to join another ministry in your church, which is handwriting encouraging letters and notes on blank cards and mailing them to the elderly in seniors' homes, deployed troops, and prisoners.

Set Priorities Through Omission

Get a piece of paper and write down 15-20 life aspects and activities that occupy your time. Use a red pen and put a check next to five items on your list that you consider to be "non-negotiables," such as career, family obligations, finances, volunteer work, or participation in a certain group or organization.

Next would be putting a plus sign next to five items that can be classified as secondary activities. This could be hobbies, or anything you do for fun or recreation. They may or may not bring you additional income, but if they help relieve stress or provide ways for you to relax, then it's reasonable to make time for them.

And then, narrow down your list by eliminating 3-4 activities you only do occasionally or randomly. Next, cross off 2-3 more items that you realize are mere "time wasters," like spending hours on social media, binge-watching Netflix shows, or keeping tab on celebrity gossip.

This is not to say that you must abstain totally from such activities. But if you normally spend an hour or more on most days of the week on social media, simply cut back by scheduling time during weekends (e.g. two hours each on Saturdays and Sundays).

Use Dovetailing in Order to Accomplish More

Unlike multitasking, which tends to be detrimental in the long run because one ends up compromising the quality of one's work, dovetailing is the habit of fitting together two tasks that can easily go well together.

A good example of dovetailing is asking your kids to set the table while you heat dinner inside the microwave. So is jotting down your grocery list while waiting at the doctor's or dentist's clinic.

You can also keep yourself fit by lifting a pair of dumbbells while enjoying your Netflix shows, or doing a series of squats, steps, lunges, sit-ups, and push-ups while listening to podcasts or your favorite music.

Have More Time by Delegating

All of us are highly skilled at a few areas but hopelessly inept at others. If you wish to continually improve or grow in those areas, carve out more time for them by delegating the tasks you're not good at to others who are better equipped to handle them.

To illustrate, if you manage an online business, you can focus on improving your products while outsourcing tasks to a freelance SEO copywriter. You can also pay a bookkeeper to handle invoicing and receipts.

If you're a busy working mom, consider hiring a baby-sitter or pet-sitter at least twice a month so you can have dates with your spouse, or have a few hours to yourself to read, do needlework, or enjoy a home-made facial. You can also pay a couple of college guys hoping to make some extra cash to clean your yard or vehicle.

After spending almost 10 years working on improving her craft, Ronali G. dela Cruz has finally settled with a writing style that she describes as motivating, inspiring, and encouraging. She aims to communicate evocatively by expressing the heartfelt needs and concerns of most people: self-esteem, a sense of achievement, emotional support, and security in social situations. Ronali firmly believes that everyone is capable of cultivating winning habits and learning practical life skills to meet one's goals and expectations, leading to a happier and more fulfilling life.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Ronali_Dela_Cruz/505461

Forming Good Habits

Forming good habits is necessary for all areas of your life. From health and fitness to family and career goals. In this article, we will briefly discuss why good habits are great to have, and how you can go about forming them.

Personal Habits

Can you identify any good habits you already have? Do you exercise regularly? Do you organize your finances and pay your bills on time? While these things may seem small they are good habits to have, because they help you keep your life organized.

When you perform tasks without thinking, they have become a habit. However, if certain tasks seem like a daily effort, that's because it has not yet become habitual. The good news is that it only takes 21-days for something to become a habit. The hardest part is getting through the first weeks.

There are plenty of areas in your life that could benefit from forming good habits. Examples of these would include exercising regularly, making time to spend with your family, having a date night with your spouse and scheduling out your work week.

Many of these things can be easily planned and arranged by using a calendar. In this way, planning will become a new habit. In turn, all areas of your life will improve. You will find that you have more time to spend with your family, and that you actually do have some free time.

Business Habits

When it comes to the career side of your life things like remembering to check your email, checking for customer support tickets and creating a to-do list all fall into the good habit category.

You must open and read your business emails to stay on top of your work schedule. If you don't respond to customer service issues, for example, you will lose customers.

Creating your to-do list is one of the best business-related habits you can form. Your to-do list can be categorized in different ways, such as, by the due date, by the importance of the job or by the amount of time needed to complete the different task.

Once you have your to-do list in place then you can be more productive. Each morning your list is waiting and you just pick up from where you left off the day before.

Why not list the habits you currently have and then create a list of ones you would like to form, pick one and start working on it.

Forming good habits is the key to success in every area of your life. Plus it will give you a sense of accomplishment because your life is organized, and you are less stressed when things are in order.

Eugene Bly is a Life coach and the Author of The 21-Day Success Formula to Positive Habit Creation. Discover the blueprint for forming success habits that will help you excel in life. Visit his website at https://lifecoachacademyonline.lifecoachhub.com.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Eugene_Bly/261843

Maximize Your Time: 10 Tips for Extreme Productivity

1) Know your work style and use the tools and systems that match. If you work well with technology, use your computer, phone, and apps for your scheduling and organization. If you are a visual person, consider using a paper calendar and a written to-do list. If you are a people person, develop a team around you to complement your strengths. If you work alone, find time to focus and remain distraction-free. If you are a morning person, attack the most important tasks early in the day. 

2) Use ONE calendar. Sometimes people will have several calendars: one for family, one for work, one for personal appointments. Keep ONE calendar for everything. Use different colors or type styles to differentiate categories. Personally, I am very visual and remember things better when I write them down, therefore I have a paper calendar for my appointments, but due to the need for dynamic communication I have a Google calendar to support my scheduling, which might appear like two calendars, however, this calendar is a mirror of the paper one and has everything on it. While it is extra work to have both, it is one calendar (paper or digital) with all the information. 

3) Make a to-do list at the end of each day. Your mind naturally begins to work on the list as you sleep. When you awake, you are ready to work, are very productive and organized. Estimate how much time each task will take you and only put on your next day to-do list what is reasonable to get done. 

4) "Eat your frog first." A Brian Tracy concept*: Do the hardest thing you have to do all day first before you do anything else. Doing this will provide you with the feeling of success in having a "burden" off your back and the momentum to accomplish the remaining tasks. 

5) Have a clear goal; write it down and read it daily. When you have a goal you know what to focus on and work toward. If you do not have this at the front of your mind, it is easy to get caught up with the urgent things of the day or trapped in reacting to e-mail, phone calls, interruptions, and other people's emergencies. 

6) Have a "power hour." Designate one hour each day to close the door, shut down e-mail, turn off the ringer on the phone and guard yourself from interruptions. Have a pre-picked project that you will work on during this time only. Make sure to go to the bathroom, get a drink, and do whatever else you need to in order to ensure you do not leave once this hour starts. Give yourself 30 minutes after this hour to return calls, e-mails, and care for people with whom you need to follow up that you missed during the POWER HOUR. 

7) Touch it once. This means e-mail, mail, papers, etc. Touch it and make a decision. File it, toss it, or put it in a place for action. Sorting bins are helpful for this. Sorting bins often have labels like: read, file, do this week, urgent, bills, etc. Also, if your subject lines in e-mails are accurate, it is easy for both you and the recipient to find the e-mail. Paper, soft copy (computer), and e-mail folders should have matching labels. 

8) Have daily habits. After you develop a routine of things that are simple but important, your body will naturally do them. This is important because we can get distracted by our regular routines and use them as vices to interrupt, procrastinate, and prolong important things that really need to get done. If you start your day right, you will be ready to do those urgent and important tasks, increasing your everyday productivity. 

9) Pre-prep. Have you ever been amazed on cooking shows how they make a complicated dish in 10 minutes? OK, part is edited TV time, but they also have everything pre-prepped for quick assembly. Why not do the same? Prepare your information packets and new client folders, turn common documents into a template, set up e-mail group/ distribution lists for teams, etc. 

10) Maximize car systems. Listen to a book on audio to maximize your windshield time and learn. Have a bin to put important things in, rather than having them all over the car. Have a trash bag to catch the litter. Always have a bottle of water in the car with you; dehydration causes fatigue, memory loss, and low concentration. Make sure your contacts are portable (e.g, phone, planner, business card file book) so you can keep people and numbers at your fingertips (so that you can call if you're running late, caught in traffic, etc.). Enjoy relaxing, breathing, and taking in the day while driving (rather than cleaning, talking on the phone, etc.) When you implement a few simple productivity strategies and develop them as time-saving habits, you will quickly enjoy the benefit of more time and energy and overall increased productivity. 

*Tracy, Brian. Eat that Frog! 21 Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time. San Francisco: BerrettKoehler, 2001

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Christy_Geiger/2434143