Avoid These Two Major Productivity Killers
Imagine the following:
Jeremy had a full-on packed diary with meetings for the rest of the week. He knew many were unnecessary, but his Director insisted he attend.
Jeremy didn’t want to rock the boat too much because he was gunning for a promotion at the end of the year.
His bonus was good, but it could have been better. Then again, everyone else was in the same boat too. The bank said it was a ‘challenging year’, even though Jeremy and his team were working at total capacity.
Jeremy had returned from the Maldives in January feeling refreshed, but the feeling didn’t last very long. His wife suggested he look for a new job in the New Year, but Jeremy knew the market was fairly tight. He’d only be jumping from the frying pan and into the fire. Was it worth it?
In the continuous cycle of meetings, Jeremy realised the first productivity zapper, in which busyness masquerades as productivity. The endless meetings might have made him look busy, but they often subtracted more than they added to the day’s achievements.
As the weeks went by, a spark ignited within Jeremy. He started to see beyond the immediate fears and frustrations. It dawned on him that actual productivity wasn’t about filling every slot in his diary or playing it safe for the sake of a promotion. It was about meaningful work, personal growth, and embracing change.
Busyness is a Time Thief!
Have you ever wondered where your day vanishes? Conducting a time audit could be your eye-opener, revealing precisely how and where your minutes slip away. Gaining this insight gives you the power to tweak and transform your daily dance with the clock.
First, grabbing your phone or tablet can kill hours before you blink.
This isn’t a call to nix fun or live like a monk, but when you’ve got big dreams and tasks screaming for attention, it pays to be wise with your focus.
Beware the black hole of time-sucking activities that drain your energy and precious hours. Carve out specific slots for your daily doings, and watch as you command your time like a pro.
Meeting Fatigue
Meetings are still a scourge of today’s modern business world. However, I wonder how ‘meeting fatigue’ can hamper motivation in the long run, especially when you have back-to-back meetings.
According to research, some people spend up to 23 hours weekly in meetings. Up from 10 hours in the 1960s. Yikes. That’s a lot of meeting time. I know people who’ve known to do their day work outside working hours because they spent the day in meetings. I see this as something which should never be encouraged.
Many companies could take a leaf out of Spotify’s book and ditch them altogether
Revamping Meetings
Did you know..Unilever gives its employees time and space in their schedules. Meetings are discouraged on Wednesdays, and employees could work from home on Fridays before the pandemic.
Spotify has a ‘meeting-free’ Wednesday. Additionally, each meeting with three or more people would be automatically cancelled by the end of the day, and they should not be added back for at least two weeks. Why? Senior Management wants to make the company operationally efficient.
Here are some essential techniques to help you enhance your productivity:
Set Clear Goals
- Short-term goals — Daily or weekly tasks, like finishing a report or project.
- Long-term goals — Quarterly or yearly objectives, such as learning a new skill or achieving a specific performance metric.
Prioritise Tasks
- The Eisenhower Box — Categorise tasks by urgency and importance.
- The Pareto Principle (80/20 rule) — 80% of outcomes come from 20% of causes. Focus on high-impact tasks.
Time Management Techniques
- Time blocking — Schedule specific blocks of time for particular activities.
- The Pomodoro Technique — Work in focused 25-minute intervals followed by a 5-minute break.
Limit Multitasking
- Although it might feel productive, multitasking often results in more mistakes and longer task completion times — Prioritise single-tasking.
Eliminate Distractions
- Turn off non-essential notifications.
- Use apps like “Focus@Will”, “Forest”, or “Cold Turkey” to block distracting websites.
- Designate a specific workspace separate from leisure areas.
Set Deadlines
- Even for tasks that don’t have any. A self-imposed deadline can often push you to complete tasks faster.
Call to Action
Carve out 10 Minutes of Mediation Each day. You could do this any time of the day. Why? 10 Minutes Can Help You Be More Creative. How?
- Tune out To Tune In
The more awareness you have around this, the better because you’ll be able to see the impact external noise has on you. It could be in several ways, from procrastination, impacting your moods, influencing your thinking and shaping your behaviour, to name a few.
As a result, it can be challenging to focus and concentrate. When you limit what you expose yourself to daily, especially to the news, radio, social media and mobile phone calls, you’ll give your powerhouse much-needed space to think about connecting different ideas in your brain.
Additionally, you’ll be able to focus more on your goals, get more done, and feel better. You’ll also develop better ideas and execute bigger and better plans.
2. New Opportunities
Take a moment to look around you. What do you see? Perhaps a familiar setting with its daily routines, but with occasional new faces and challenges thrown in the mix? Remember, nothing remains the same, and that includes you. Life constantly evolves, and if you drift from one day to the next, it all becomes a blur on the weekends. So, ask yourself this: How much are you actively choosing to change every single day?
Consider the projects you’re working on or the fresh ideas you generate. Maybe you find yourself collaborating across departments or engaging with different stakeholders. Each presents an excellent opportunity for you to tap into and showcase your strengths in every interaction.
3. Embrace Change
The only certainty is uncertainty in today’s world. You’re adapting to the changing world around you because, you know, change is constant in most industries, and those who can pivot and embrace new approaches or technologies are more likely to thrive.
When you embrace these moments of setback as opportunities for growth, you become more adept at handling more significant setbacks and adversities with grace and resilience.
Parting Comments
For Jeremy and many of us, the journey to peak productivity doesn’t meander through endless meetings or surrender to the same old routines. It’s all about diving deep into managing our time and tackling our tasks — a blend of self-control and self-exploration.
The true game-changer? That is a bold move towards making our personal and professional lives efficient. It’s not about shifting gears and upping our work game; it’s about our satisfaction and excelling in our careers.
Thank you for your attention.
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