4 ways to get more done

photo credit: alt1040

I’m on a productivity kick. Not just getting more done. But getting more of the right things done—faster and easier.

What about you? Are you on a productivity kick? Why? Why not? What stops you from getting more done?

For me, productivity suffers when I’m fearful, unfocused or just plain stuck.

When I was a kid, I was all of those things when it came to this one particular homework assignment.

I don’t remember how old I was or what class it was for but I do remember that I needed to create some kind of report and poster on the topic of blindness.

I remember being unsure of what to do or how to start.

So I didn’t.

And then the deadline began looming. (Sound familiar?)

I was so upset at not getting a jumpstart on my project that I feigned sickness from school (a first for me, honestly). I begged my dad to drive me downtown to a vision organization to pick up pamphlets and a Braille card. Happily, he obliged and I finished my project late that day—just in time for school the next morning.

I vowed never to do that again. I didn’t, though I have come close a time or two. After all, even the most organized person can’t be a productivity prodigy all the time.

Thankfully, there are four things we can do to get more done. Quickly. Simply. Painlessly.

Note: These four ideas were born out of this quote from the late personal development pioneer Paul J. Meyer:

Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning and focused effort.

1. Be productive on purpose.
   Chunk your time into 20-, 30- or 60-minute blocks. I use this technique for handling multiple projects at a time and making plenty of progress on all of them. Rinse, lather and repeat.
2. Dedicate yourself to quality.
   Allow enough “lead time.” You simply cannot do your best work if you’re rushed, tired or overwhelmed. Be realistic about how much actual writing time you can do. I simply cannot write for 8 hours all day, every day. If you can, more power to you; just be honest about what it takes for you to produce quality work.
3. Plan thoroughly and specifically.
   Take charge of your writing by knowing what you have to do and when you’ll do it. Ideas to try include doing quarterly business planning, creating an editorial calendar for your blog, and writing out a productivity calendar for project work. Whatever you do, get your plan down on paper.
4. Work diligently at your plan.
   Be attentive to your plan. Keep it in front of you always and work the proverbial three most important tasks. Focus on just a few things rather than the many. Break those bigger projects into small, manageable tasks or tactics.

Your turn:

• Decide how much actual writing time each day (or week) you can realistically handle.
• Block writing time out on your calendar.
• Negotiate appropriate deadlines.
• Have a firm but flexible plan (and share it with one other person if you need the accountability to stick to it).

By JanO on 5/3/11, In productivity tips and time management, Tags accountability, commitment, deadline, editorial, Paul J. Meyer, productivity, project, technique, writer, writing