This is a contributed post
If time is money, the formula for getting more of it, is surely to optimise the way in which you use your time in order to squeeze more juice out of each hour you put in? When you think about it, we’re all provided with the same 24 hours in a day, yet we each use them so differently – and one of the biggest differences between people who make a decent amount of money is found in how they use their time.
We therefore want to be sure we are making the most of the effort we are putting in to tasks; and this is where the concept of being outcome focused is so critical… as sometimes, we can get so lost in busy work that we sideline the important stuff.
Indeed, time is money, so this article offers a number of broadly applicable productivity tips designed to help you squeeze more money from each hour you put into your work; with a view to having both more time and more money so you can live the life you desire.
PISTOL FOCUS
Many times, we spread ourselves out too thinly across multiple projects. This approach leads to us running around, chasing our tail, and not really finishing anything. Think of a shotgun; the shell itself is made up multiple components that spread out, meaning, there’s a strong chance some of those particles will hit the target but will not make much impact. A pistol, on the other hand, is a single focused bullet that is being driven toward its target with huge force behind it.
BATCH TASKS
Whilst multitasking can be a valuable skill, it can unfortunately hamper your productivity and effectiveness. The concept of bath tasking however relies on the premise that you can decrease distraction and increase concentration by focusing on a single task at a time. Then, when you batch tasks, meaning you group similar tasks together your effectiveness increases per tasks, meaning your efficiency sky rockets.
EAT THAT FROG
World renowned expert on productivity, Brian Tracy, encourages us to tackle the most challenging, dreaded and uncomfortable task first – on the basis that once this is out the way we feel a tremendous sense of achievement and relief that we can use to build momentum, stay focused, feel increased self-esteem, and squeeze more out of each day.
MAKE USE OF APPS
What was once taken care of by a handy Alpha Card, such as a fold-out city map handed out on arrival at a nice hotel has now more than likely been replaced with an app, and whilst these maps can sometimes prove more handy than an app, when it comes to squeezing the most out of your time, using apps such as Evernote and Wunderlist will save you huge amounts of time.
In summary, it’s no longer about just showing up and clocking in – people are being paid for the results they deliver and in order to deliver results you have to optimise the way in which you utilise and manage your time. Hopefully these tips will have provided some food for thought.