Timing is sometimes everything when getting more done

6. Use a Timer

You just discovered that setting aside a specific amount of time to do certain tasks is a good idea. Obviously, one way to make sure you actually stick to your time limit is to set a timer.

This works particularly well for open-ended tasks like “reading blogs.” However, your timer can also be used to break up bigger tasks into shorter bursts of focused, productive action.

Think about it:

Have you ever sat down for a two or three hour work session… and soon you found yourself getting distracted? You had to refill your beverage, look out the window to see what the neighbors are doing, check your email… and anything else you could think of to keep you from doing the task at hand. Using a timer can virtually force you to focus on the task at hand and keep going until you’re finished.

Now, you don’t want to set your timer for too long. If you set it for an hour, you’re just going to end up getting distracted again (since it’s hard to maintain laser-like focus for that long). In that case, the timer does nothing for you as far as saving time or boosting productivity.

Instead, you want to set it for a shorter time – perhaps 20 minutes – and then put forth 100% effort until the timer goes off. Then you take a short break (about two to five minutes), reset the timer and do it all over again. Your goal is to keep going through these cycles until you complete your task or until your allotted work time is over.

Tip: Do everything you need to do during those two to five minute breaks. That means refill your beverage, use the restroom, or just walk around or stretch. When you reset your timer for the next 20 minute period, you don’t want to be thinking about anything else except the task in front of you.

See you on the next lesson,  “Eliminate Common Distractions” on ways to get more done.

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Get more done by setting time limits for all parts of your life

5. Set Time Limits for Predictable Tasks

If you’ve never done a particular task before, you might not have any idea how long it will take to complete. Still, it’s a good idea to create your best guess and then set a time limit (with some flexibility) to help you keep on track.

There are other tasks, however, that you CAN set a definite time limit on – and you should do so whenever possible.

• Answering email can easily turn into a time-draining task if you let it (whether you’re a answering personal or work-related emails). That’s why you should set a daily time limit for yourself to sort through, delete and answer email.

The time limit you set is up to you and it depends on the free time you can devote to this task as well as the actual volume of email you receive. For instance, you may give yourself 15 minutes two (or three) time per day to check and answer email.

• You might like to do something like watch YouTube videos or read your favorite blogs or forums. These too can eat up your time if you let them. As such, set a time limit for yourself. And if the tasks aren’t necessary to your work, then use your free time (not scheduled work time) to do them.

See you on the next lesson, “Use a Timer” on ways to get more done.

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Get more done with lists

4. Create To Do Lists To Keep You On Track

Once you’ve prioritized your tasks in order from high priority to low priority, you can turn these list into your to do list. (Refer back to Tip #1 for advice on prioritizing your goals so that you can create a to do list.)

Chances are, you’ll probably create a pretty long list. This list might include tasks you need to do this month, this week and even today. And it will probably include both personal and professional goals (which you should rank in order of importance so you can attach a high, medium or low priority to each task).

Here are the keys to making a good to do list that will keep you on track and help you avoid getting overwhelmed:

1. Break up your overall list into mini-lists. How many mini lists you create really depends on how many tasks you have on your overall list as well as how long it will take to complete those tasks. At a minimum you should have a daily, weekly and monthly to do list.

2. Break up your big tasks into smaller, manageable tasks. Your monthly to do list might include some pretty big tasks. But when you create your weekly and daily to do lists, you should break these big tasks into smaller “bite size” chunks. (This is especially important when you’re creating your daily to do lists.)

Let me give you a few examples…

Example #1: Let’s suppose you wanted to write a report or a short book. Your monthly to-do list might simply include the entry, “Write a short book about eco-friendly travel.” Your weekly to-do list might include entries like, “Write the first three chapters of the book.” But your daily to do list should be broken up into manageable mini tasks such as: outline chapter 1; write the introduction for chapter 1; research chapter 1… and so on.

Example #2: Now let me give you a personal example. Let’s suppose you want to clean and organize your house from top to bottom. While your weekly to do lists might include big tasks like clean the living room, your daily to do lists should break this big task into smaller steps. For example: shampoo the carpet; wash the curtains; clean the blinds; dust the shelves… and so on.

See you on the next lesson, “Set Time Limits for Predictable Tasks” on ways to get more done.

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Get more done by learning to schedule your projects

3. Set Aside Time for Work

Now that you know your best and most productive times of the day to work, your next step is to actually set aside and schedule blocks of time for you to work on your to do lists.

You see, it’s NOT good enough to merely say, “Here’s my to do list… I’ll do it tomorrow.” (This is especially true for those tasks where you don’t already have a routine in place.)

Instead, what you need to do is –

Actually set aside and commit to working on these tasks

during a specific time period.

And I DO mean specific: You should schedule your exact start time and minimum end time (e.g., “9:00am until noon”). Then write it on your calendar, take note of it on your smart phone, or enter it into your electronic scheduler.

Treat this scheduled time as you would an important appointment – in other words, DON’T be late! DON’T blow it off. DON’T schedule other tasks over it. If someone else wants to intrude on this time, let them know you already have something else planned.

See you on the next lesson, “Create To Do Lists To Keep You On Track” on ways to get more done.

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Get more done by learning to know yourself

2. Know Yourself

Most of us have a pretty good idea about what times of the day we’re most productive.

Yet we don’t always schedule our work around those good times of the day. And that can turn into a great big waste of time.

Let’s suppose you’re not a morning person. You’re very aware of this fact. It takes three cups of coffee before your eyes even open. And forget about trying to focus on anything important before noon. Even if your eyes finally open, you’re walking around like the living dead all morning.

And yet you find yourself scheduling tasks that require focus and concentration during the morning hours… even though you know it’s a largely unproductive time for you.

Maybe you do it because that’s a quiet time for you – no one else is around. Or maybe you do it because it’s the only free block of time you have available.

So what can you do?

You need to figure out what factors really harm your productivity and which factors you can work around and still be efficient. Maybe you find that you can’t get anything done in the morning because you’re not a morning person. And even though your home or office is bustling with activity in the afternoon, perhaps you find you can get things done just because you’re more alert.

Point is –

You need to take ALL factors into consideration

and figure out your very best working time.

In some cases, you may need to shuffle your schedule around. If, for example, you’re NOT a morning person – and if you’ve scheduled some sort of writing task in the morning just because it’s your only available time – you need to shuffle your schedule around so that you can do certain tasks when you’re best able to perform them.

Maybe that means moving your gym workout to a morning timeslot (since exercising doesn’t require any concentration). Then you can do your focused tasks in the evening (instead of going to the gym).

Tip: Sometimes you may find that you have to sacrifice certain tasks or activities in order to save time and be more productive on your higher priority tasks. But if you’ve prioritized your tasks – and as you learn to become more efficient using the tips in this report – you’ll find that these sacrifices are temporary… or not really much of a sacrifice at all.

See you on the next lesson, “Set Aside Time for Work” on ways to get more done.

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