Nowadays, there are so many distractions from cell phones to ads on tv. If you’re going to get anything done during your work day, there are certain rules you can follow to help achieve all your tasks in a timely manner. No one wants to work a 12-hour day when it can be done in half the time. It’s all about being efficient with your time. Don’t work harder, work smarter. Here are some tips to help you work at your optimal level in the shortest amount of time.
1. Get up no later than 5am. This is a biggy. Many successful people follow this rule. It sounds dreadful (which it might be at first), but it will really set the stage for the rest of your work day. The reason behind this is the morning hours are when you are at your peak concentration level, and can have laser focus on the most important tasks that day. The morning hours also tend to be much quieter. This will also allow for you to get certain things done, while allowing time for any unexpected calls/meetings you weren’t planning on having in the afternoon. This will give you time to finish important tasks while also allowing anything unexpected.
2. Do not check email or social media when you wake up. This is a great way to get completely sidetracked for the rest of the day. Like I said above, the morning hours are when you are at your peak performance and it’s important to capitalize on this while you can. The afternoon can be used to check any email or social media after you have finished your most important tasks.
3. Set short term and long-term goals for yourself. Your mind loves having goals to strive towards. Goal setting is important because it gives you focus and allows your mind to completely focus all energy on achieving that goal. No goals = no direction. Long term goals are good to have because you can see all the steps needed to achieve the long-term goal. The short-term goals help you get things done on a daily basis. This will prevent spinning your wheels during the work day.
4. Give yourself a treat at the end of every task. It’s important to stay focused and motivated but sometimes it’s hard to do that. A great and simple trick is to have a task, and then once it’s completed, allow yourself something at the end as a reward. This could be anything from playing your favorite video game for 30mins, buying something off amazon, or having your favorite snack. This will give your mind something to look forward to and stay motivated.
5. Set routines. If you set daily routines, this will free up worrying and multitasking out of the equation. If you plan certain days, to do certain tasks, then you are never jumping from one task to another and never finishing your end goals. Be efficient and prioritize different days for different tasks. Once you have it all planned, you can just wake up and start your day without even thinking.
