(Continued from the previous article.)
# 5: Avoid meetings. I find it best to say no to meetings up front. I just say, “Sorry, I can’t make it. I’m tied up with projects right now.” And that’s always true. I always have projects I’m working on that are more important than a meeting. Now, if the meeting will be effective, schedule it!
# 4: Avoid unnecessary work. If we just do any work that comes our way, we can be cranking out the tasks, but not be productive at all. You’re only productive if you are doing work that moves you towards a goal. Eliminate non-essential tasks from your to-do lists, and start to say no to new requests that are non-essential.
# 3: Do the tough tasks first. You know what those tasks are. What have you been putting off that you know you need to do? Sometimes when you put things off, they end up being things you don’t really need to do. But sometimes they are things you just gotta do. Those are your tough tasks. Do them first thing in the day. Brian Tracy calls it “eating the frog!”
# 2: Work off-line as much as possible. To increase your productivity, disconnect your Internet connection. Have scheduled times when you’re going to check your email, and only let yourself check your blogs or surf the web when you’ve gotten a certain amount done. When you do go online, do it on a schedule.
# 1: Do something you’re passionate about. This might not seem like a normal productivity tip, but give it a thought: if you really want to do something, you’ll work like a dog to get it done. You’ll work extra hard, you’ll put in even more hours, and you’re less likely to procrastinate.
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