|
CAREER Zip Through Your Day, Get Everything Done. Seriously! Six Tips For Boosting Productivity May 27, 2016  By Rick LanceVoice Actor When you have the luxury of setting your own schedule, it can be all too easy to get distracted and off task - and even more so when you don’t have a boss breathing down your neck. The best way to deal with this is to set some boundaries for yourself and employ a few time management strategies. Here are six strategies that I live by each day, and I can say without a doubt that these have made a significant difference in my daily productivity and overall job satisfaction. 1. Get An Early Start The majority of successful people that I know usually have much of their day’s work accomplished before mid-afternoon. Why is this? Because they got an early start. When you start tackling your to-do list early in the day, you’re much more likely to complete your tasks. You’re rested, energized, and you know that once you’ve accomplished the day’s agenda, the rest of the time is yours. 2. Make A List Before you can start working your way down the list, though, you need to create said list. Take a look at your workload, and write down the various things you need to get done. I usually do this at breakfast or on the day before. 3. Prioritize When writing your list, be sure to prioritize each task by giving it a number. You can prioritize however you see fit - by order of importance, by deadline, smallest to largest, or vice versa. 4. Schedule Once your tasks have been listed and prioritized, you can develop a schedule for your day. For example, you might say that between 8:00 and 8:15, you’re going to read and respond to emails. From 8:15 to 9:00, you’re going to work on Task #1. Obviously, these times are just examples, and you’ll need to set a schedule with times that fit each item. 5. Don’t Multitask Many people think multi-tasking equates to time savings, but for me, it results in wasted time. I prefer to focus on one item at a time, starting and completing just that one thing before moving on to the next. Multi-tasking may work for some, but for others it causes more confusion and increases the chance for errors. 6. Take Breaks There is nothing wrong with taking breaks! In fact, be sure to work a few short breaks into your daily schedule when you’re creating it. This gives your brain time to "turn off” and re-energize, so that you can tackle the next task with more focus and efficiency. -------------------- ABOUT RICK
Rick Lance has been working as a voice talent since 1993,
transitioning from singing demos and personal projects in Nashville’s
music business to voicing hundreds of commercials, then promos,
narrations, character voices and more. His vocal style is described as
Americana, the voice of the Heartland. He
is currently the voice (narrator) of three hunting programs and one
outdoor program on the Sportsman Channel and the Outdoor Channel. His
client list includes Toyota, Harley Davidson, Sony Entertainment, Coca
Cola, Life Care Centers of America, John Deere, Jordan Outdoor
Enterprises and Sacred Seasons II.
He
has also become a leading voice for the industries of construction,
manufacturing, energy production, trucking, agriculture/equine, outdoor
sports, travel, community banking, finance and health care. And he is
a colorful voice for film, television, museum and corporate
documentaries. "I’m lucky to be working within my
comfort zone," he says, "literally living out my voice acting life as an
outdoorsman, horseman, weekend cowboy and working man, gentleman farmer
on my six acre mini ranch with my horses, dogs, cats and my wife near
Nashville.” Email: rick@ricklancestudio.com
Web: www.ricklancestudio.com |
|
|
.png)
.gif)
His friend said, "Tell them to list and prioritize 10 tasks for the day. Then, commit to finishing each task before moving on to the next. When all tasks are accomplished, they're done for the day."
The CEO took the advice, passed it on and efficiency improved so much he felt compelled to pay his friend for the "free advice."
His friend said, "Determine the financial value and send me a check.
Unfortunately, I don't remember the amount but it was HUGE!
Especially #'s 5 and 6.
I am the first to admit that I absolutely know that's the right way to work - and I try really really hard to do so - then I get a call or a job that I absolutely don't want to miss - and my schedule disintegrates. Having said that, with a daily structure to follow, we're much more likely to succeed than haphazardly rolling from one thing to the next!
Great advice and Thanks