I’m sure you’ve had times you’ve stared long and hard at your to-do list, whether written or mental, and quietly turned back to Facebook / Email / Twitter / Newspaper or whatever your particular form of escapism-masquerading-as-productive-activity thing is.
The tips below won’t help you get your list any shorter, but it might help you get through it quicker so you can go back to your favourite waste of time guilt-free.
Eat the biggest frog first.
This refers to the saying that if you have to eat two (or four) frogs, eat the biggest one first. In other words, get your worst or most dreaded task done first. The sense of relief after you’ve swallowed the big frog is immense, and will carry you through the rest of your list.
Shut off distractions
Get rid of everything on your desk, screen, or work area except the one thing you are working on. Task switching is expensive, and we all know there’s no such thing as ‘just checking this one thing’ on your favourite social network. Remember, you don’t have shut off distractions for the whole day. Start with 15 minutes.
Get rid of the time and energy you spend looking for stuff. Have a good clear-out, starting with your work area. When everything is in its place and organized, it will take you a fraction of time to get your hands on the resources you need to get through your tasks.
Eat and sleep well
You can’t do anything effectively if you’re low on energy and sleep deprived. Get your 7 to 8 hours shuteye so you can recharge, eat regular meals to give your body (and especially your brain) the nutrients it needs to perform.
Choose to not do it
Ask yourself what is the absolute worst thing that will happen if you don’t do it. If you can live with the consequences, or worse, if it is something you’re doing “because it’s always been that way”, this is a good time to ask why. If you don’t have a good answer, just cross it off your list. A great example of this is filing emails – why bother with the availability of such strong search and tagging capabilities these days?
So there you have it. Five small tweaks that can make a huge difference on how much time and energy you spend getting through your list.
Have any tips that help you get through your list faster? Share in the comments!
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