Now, more than ever, there is so much to do. Between working, family obligations, managing a household and still having a fun-filled life it can feel like there are never enough hours in the day.
More and more I have noticed people running around busy and stressed. When you ask someone how they are, they respond “busy”. It has become a badge of honour, which is a shame, because being busy is nothing to be proud of.
We all have the same number of hours in a day (24 incase you have forgotten) and it is your responsibility to use theme as wisely as you possibly can. You need to concentrate on being productive, not busy, and here are my top tips.
1) Focus on the important, rather than the urgent
This is essential in order to be productive. Take a moment to look at your to-do list and work out what is important. In a world where everything has to be done now, there are too many urgent tasks that you can end up spending your time only ever completing urgent tasks. Very often, important things might not be urgent so they get forgotten. This might not have implications today, but in the future it is focusing on the important tasks that will lead to your success.
2) Batch similar tasks together
Now I got this tips from the awesome Tim Ferris and it works a treat. It is a lot more productive to do similar tasks together than constantly flicking from one thing to another. Try to look at your tasks for a week and see what can you do together to improve efficiency.
3) Don’t let the email get you down
Everyday we are receiving more and more emails and there is no sign of it stopping so you need to find a way to manage it. In fact, it is now estimated that over 2 million emails are sent per second! So learning to manage your inbox is key. Firstly, unsubscribe from mailing lists you genuinely are not interested in. Secondly, learn how to use your filters. Thirdly, turn your notifications off so you aren’t being interrupted all the time. Remember that you are the master of your emails! Don’t became your emails servant.
I would love to know what struggle with most when it comes to being productive rather than busy? Let me know in the comments below.
