No one has to tell you that time is of the essence. Every day has 24 hours but sometimes it feels the hours speed away and other times, it feels like it’s crawling. Either way, it is prudent that we make good use of the time we have. We may plan our day’s activities as orderly as we can, but unexpected events may occur and change our plans or little distractions could distract us from achieving our set goals for the day. Thus, to make sure you have a productive day, you must put a few things in place to save your precious minutes from being wasted on trivial things. Here are some suggestions:
  1. Prep for the next day
  As they say, proper preparation prevents poor performance. And Joe Poyer is known to have said that, thorough preparation makes its own luck. Have a clear agenda for what you will be doing the next day and plan accordingly. For whatever activity you plan to undertake, make sure you have your tools ready. For every meeting you will be attending, confirm the time and place just in case the other party is thinking of postponing it.
  1. Do some workout in the morning
Getting your body muscles engaged in a brief but effective workout is essential in starting your day right. Waking up your body keeps you active and prepared for the day’s activities. Go for a jog and stretch your muscles to keep your heart pumping and your mind alert. This way, you would be in a good mental and physical shape to face your day.  
  1. Set a timetable for tasks
Do well to discipline yourself by setting a specific period of time to each task. You may have to leave a little room for flexibility but by timing yourself, you get to know how much time you require to get things done and how much is left for other things.
  1. Keep your desk device-free
Phones, tablets and other electronic devices have a way of distracting us from our work during the day. You may find yourself checking your mail or visiting your social media timelines several times within an hour. And these ‘little’ distractions steal away our productive hours. So it is better to keep your devices far away from your workspace so you can concentrate on the task at hand. Then go through your phone during your break time. You would be surprised how much time you would have saved yourself.
  1. Keep your snacks close by
Are you the type who needs some nibbles at hand whiles you work? Or do you like to sip on some water every ten minutes?  Then instead of getting up anytime the urge to keep your mouth busy or quench your thirst comes, why not keep them in your drawer? It saves you some minutes from walking up and down to get some serious work done. They are pretty easy to do, right? Why not try them this week and share your thoughts in the comment section below? We would love your feedback.