Work Boxers

10 Ways To Become More Efficient

by kris on May 3rd, 2007

Efficiency above everything else is key to getting your workdone on time without putting a strain on the rest of your life. Here are 10 ways you can make your life, both in business and at home, more efficient:

1. Refine your to-do list: All to many people have to-do lists with things that need to be done, but haven’t hit urgent level quite yet. Refine your to-do list by putting down only things that must be done, leaving off anything that may take too much time to complete or that are simply unnecessary.
2. Enumerate your daily tasks: Starting any work day without a clear list of everything that you must complete is a recipe for disaster. The night before or early in the morning write down everything you have to complete that day and stick to the list, it will make you more efficient by keeping you on task.
3. Work in a box (preferably an impenetrable one): Todays wired society allows for far more distractions and far less work being competed as a result. Become more efficient by dedicating a majority of your day to only minimal urgent distractions to help you stay on task.
4. Set time goals: Without establishing a time goal for each and every task you are bound to become inefficient as tasks drag on. Before starting a task establish time goals to correspond with work completed and if you’re not on track change something.
5. No Wi-Fi for You: If you have to work on a laptop disconnect from your wireless network or, better yet, remove your wi-fi card altogether. Doing this will keep you on the task at hand and prevent you from wondering onto efficiency draining websites.
   • Bonus Tip: Need some webpages to work from? Save them to your computer, then disconnect.
6. Keep Clutter to a Minimum: Having a clutered workspace wastes precious time while you look for that missing document or your special pen. Keep your desk in order with things you need and create a filing system that works for you.
7. Keep Coworkers Focused: Like most people you probably have at least one coworker that tends to go off topic and, in the process, drags down efficiency. When working with coworkers provide them with specific lists of meeting topics to cut down on the chit chat allowing you to get back to work quicker.
   
8. ‘Chunk’ Your Projects: Big projects can easily become overwhelming. Break your large projects into smaller, easier to manage tasks to keep you focused and working towards an end goal.
9. Optimize your life: I can’t tell you what is best for you. Only you can do that. Take a look at your home and work life and optimize it to allow you to be relaxed, complete tasks quicker, and above all lead a happy, balanced lifestyle that is best for you.
10. Rewards for efficiency: Completed a project on time? Reward yourself. Received a promotion for your outstanding work? Reward yourself. The key to leading a super efficient work and home life is to keep your incentives intact. Reward yourself for getting work done. No matter how small the reward is, motivation is better than no motivation.

There you have it, 10 ways you can improve your work and home life and become more efficient.

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POSTED IN: Business Tips