WANT TO GET MORE STUFF DONE? HERE ARE THE STEPS TO FOLLOW

Being productive on a daily basis is one of the most powerful ways to get your business to the next level. But to be busy is not the same as to be productive. You could be busy doing a lot of things, but if those kinds of stuff are not adequately done to achieve an objective that will help to move your organization forward, then something is wrong somewhere and you need to do something about it.
Each of us has twenty-four hours and the way you maximize those hours will go a long way in determining how industrious you are. So what are the steps you could take to get more done every day and to do away with frivolities? Here are some points to keep in mind and do to ensure maximum productivity in our daily activities:

1. Prioritize your to-do list: Get your to-do list organized. You should separate immediate goals from short-term goals and long-term goals. The immediate goals are the assignments that you need to work on immediately and get them over with within forty-eight hours. For tasks that could take a week, you could classify them under ‘short-term goals’ and then set about arranging what you need to do each day to actualize the entirety of the short-term goals. Create a breakdown of the tasks for each day; this will help you in being focused on the job for the each day without wasting time in guesswork.
   The best time to create and get your to-do list organized is a day before the beginning of the working week. So find time out of your busy family life, even if it’s almost bedtime. If you don’t plan how your week will run in advance, chances are you won’t get much done around your workplace because you will be taken up with too many engagements which could take most of your time. So make out time to work on your to-do list for the week, so you hit the ground running with focus and energy.
2. Utilize the morning: Mornings are the best; most people are at their best in the mornings. You are still fresh, and you should use the morning period to get more things done. You have already taken the pain to prioritize your to-do list the day before, therefore, get right down to it as soon as you get to your office. Do not get distracted from work by anyone who wants to know how your weekend went or with small chitchat that could easily be done away with, but be focused until your first task of the day is done. You could use your short break to have a brief chat; this is all to get you refreshed for the next task.
3. Focus is Key: One of the challenges we face each day at work are distractions. While you may not have control over how events unfold, you should also strive to be more focused on the work at hand. Did you miss a phone call? Well, unless it’s imperative or it has to do with the task you are working on, you could always return the phone call later in the day when you are less busy or have cleared your desk for the day.
4. Use a timer: Thank goodness for the advent of technology, almost every phone has a timer. Well, it wasn’t put there for fun; why not make use of it to maximize your productivity? All you need to do is to set the timer and add a sound or tone alert that will signify when the set time elapses. Take stock of the assignment before you and estimate the amount of time it would take you to complete it. Depending on your type of person, you could set the timer for the completion of the task, or set it at intervals. Some people work best if they take short breaks between assignments, while others could go for the long haul until completion. Identify what works best for you and follow through. Then turn the face of your phone down so that you don’t get distracted from the job should you receive an email alert or text messages. Get to work right away and remain focused on it barring any distractions. Do not give in to rest until the timer alarm buzzes or you complete the task. Once the timer sounds the alert and you are still on the job, you could take a short break. Take five or ten minutes. You could use that short break to dash to the restroom, get yourself a drink or just to stretch your muscles. Once your break is over, get back to your desk and reset the timer once again and get going right away. At the end of the day, you will be so amazed at how much you were able to accomplish.
5. Emails: One of the distractions that are common is checking the email. Unless you work in the customer care section in your company, do not check your email until after you have completed the first and second task of the day. Research has shown that people who check their emails first thing in the morning usually get distracted and may not be able to focus one hundred percent on what they need to do. Before you know it, you have spent so much time checking your mail while your job remains undone, especially if there are messages in your inbox that require you to respond. The trick is to postpone the checking of your mail until when you are less busy.
6. Deadlines: Ensure that you set time limits for the day, week or month and work towards reaching those periods. This could also be applied to any work that you outsource to freelancers or consultants. Make sure you let them know how important the assigned job is and ensure that they are on track to meeting the deadline as soon as possible.
   The rest is up to you. You need to be disciplined enough to follow through with the tips shared above about maximizing your productivity. If you do not take action by following through, nothing will happen. Put these tips into operation in your daily goings-on at your workplace or business and the results will amaze you at the end of the day.