04/ 03/ 2002
We all have the same number of hours in a day. It's how we use those hours that make the difference for the success or failure of our business careers. It's far too easy for self-employed individuals to fall into unproductive patterns. And unless you're working with others to establish a pace, there may not be anyone to point this out to you. While it's true that everyone needs a little down time to recharge the internal batteries, it's also true that success is based on the steady stream of daily accomplishments. In today's Workshop, Jeffrey Moses shows how a person can recognize unproductive patterns in their work day, and begin to correct them.
Probably the single most time-wasting problem is being disorganized. People may think that they're working very hard, but if too much working time is spent looking for records or doing mundane chores that could be handled better by others, hours can go by without truly productive work being accomplished. To determine if you're having productivity problems, start a log at the beginning of the week and jot down during the course of each day when you feel that you're spending time doing things that have not helped you advance toward short- or long-term goals.
For instance, did you spend an hour on Monday trying to find an old file that had important papers in it? Did you spend several hours of the afternoon on Tuesday going to the office supply store, then having to go back to the store again because you realized that you'd forgotten something important? If you work at home, did your lunch hour on Wednesday extend to two hours so you could watch a soap opera, or so you could watch the tail-end of an afternoon movie on TV?
Be diligent about your log during the week, jotting down any and all activities that you don't feel are productive. When you check out your log at the end of the week you probably will see very definite patterns. Simply by identifying ways in which you tend to waste time, you can begin to become more efficient and focused.
One of the best ways to begin eliminating time-wasting activities is to start each day with a written schedule of the activities you want to do and the goals you want to achieve. Start each day with the most important thing you need to accomplish. Schedule a specific amount of time for the task, and stick with it until the allotted time is up. Don't wait until you begin work in the morning to establish your schedule, because before you get to specific tasks you might get sidetracked. And besides, without a schedule it's too easy to fall back into time-wasting habits. For more information about creating a daily schedule, please see the former Workshop Make a Schedule for the Upcoming Day."
Those of us who work at home have a special need to schedule our activities to avoid wasting time. Working at home, we're at the mercy of children's demands, household chores, the distraction of TV, cooking dinner in advance for the family, etc. These activities are, of course, a natural part of life. But for a business to be successful, activity during the work day has to be dynamic and focused.
The following excellent books on the subject are available through any of the online booksellers or your favorite local bookstore:
The 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life
Management: Proven Strategies for Increased
Productivity and Inner Peace, by Hyrum W. Smith,
about $14
Management Secrets to Achieve More With Less, by John
H. Zenger, about $14
201 Ways to Manage Your Time Better (Quick-Tip
Survival Guides), by Alan Axelrod, Jim Holtje, and
James Holtje, about $12
101 Ways to Make Every Second Count : Time Management
Tips and Techniques for More Success With Less Stress,
by Robert W. Bly, about $14
