The other day I was recommeded a book and decided that I wanted to have it. And of course, it was one of those times when you know you want something … and you want it NOW! But I wasn’t able to get to the shops for at least a few days and it was driving me crazy.
So I thought perhaps I could buy it online.
Sure enough, it was available online and if I ordered it straight away it should arrive within 10 days. But I couldn’t wait 10 days!
As luck would have it, the book was available on Audible. Now don’t get me wrong … there are times when nothing beats holding a physical book – especially if you’re lazing on the beach or by the pool. But when you want quick, easy access, you can’t beat the simplicity of logging into your Audible account, clicking a few buttons and downloading your book. All done within 5 minutes.
A lot of people ask me for tips on how I manage to get so much done all the time. I’m more than happy to share my strategies, tips and ideas, but I thought it might make it easier for everyone if I wrote a guide about this very topic and gave it away freely.
So… introducing… Multi-Tasking Sucks! The High-Achiever’s Guide To Squeezing The Most Out Of Every Second.
I’ve also included lots of resources and tools that help me run my business efficiently.
If you’d like your copy of this brand new guide, go to Multi-Tasking Sucks! and simply enter your name and email address. Once you’ve verified that you’d like a copy of this, you’ll receive an email giving you the link to download it.
Think about this for a moment … how many times during the day do you have a couple of minutes to spare?
Maybe 5 minutes while you’re on hold on a telephone call, 10 minutes waiting for a tradesperson to finish a job or just a few minutes before you’re due to leave for an appointment. That’s not really enough time to start anything new, right?
WRONG!
It may seem like that’s not enough time to do much but you may be surprised by just what you can do in ‘just a few minutes’, and by how much that adds up over time.
Things such as:
- update your to-do list
- make a quick phone call
- read an article from an industry magazine
- update your diary
- clean out a desk drawer
- tidy your desk
- organise one of your files
- dictate a letter or notes for a project you’re working on
- tidy your CDs or DVDs
- update your whiteboard
- back up your computer
- write a new blog post, or make a list of topics you could write about
- comment on someone else’s blog
What else could you do during those times when you only have a few minutes?
Using these small windows of time effectively is one of my secrets to achieving so much each day. I always keep a pen and notepad in my handbag so I can make notes of ideas if I’m caught waiting while out and about, and my mobile phone doubles as another great way to record notes while out.
I also keep .mp3 audios of interviews or podcasts handy so I can listen to them while going for a walk or while waiting for appointments.
Not only do these things make me more productive, they also make ‘waiting’ much more enjoyable!
“Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not.”
Thomas Huxley, 1825-1895, Biologist and Educator
I love this quote. It’s so true, yet often a challenge for a lot of people, whether in their business lives or in other areas.
When you set your goals or make plans for what you want to achieve, you then break it down into smaller steps and most importantly, TAKE ACTION. And that’s where a lot of people get stuck – they don’t take action.
If you really want to achieve something, you have to be disciplined and just do what needs to be done, whether you feel like it or not. To take this one step further, it often helps to start your day by doing the one thing that you don’t feel like doing but you know needs to be done. If you have to phone someone, phone them; if you need to send a letter, send it. After that, you may surprise yourself at how much more productive you’ll be.
And if you’re really procrastinating about a particular task, remind yourself of WHY you’re doing it; focus on the outcome and your goal. You can also try to remember how good you will feel once you’ve done it.
I recently came across this list of the top time wasters, as compiled by R. Alec Mackenzie after studying the work habit of numerous managers throughout 15 different countries. This list was printed in About Time! (McGraw Hill, 1981) but I suspect that, apart from getting side-tracked on the Internet or spending too long dealing with emails, this list would be much the same if more current research was done.
Here’s the 1981 list of time wasters from R. Alec Mackenzie:
- Telephone interruptions
- Crisis management/shifting priorities
- Lack of objectives, priorities, planning
- Drop-in visitors
- Ineffective delegation
- Attempting too much at once
- Meetings
- Personal disorganisation, including a cluttered desk
- Inability to say no
- Lack of self-discipline
- Procrastination/indecision
- Untrained, inadequate staff
- Incomplete, delayed information
- Paperwork, red tape, reading
- Leaving tasks unfinished
- Unclear communication and instructions
- Understaffing
- Confused responsibility and authority
- Socialising
So, taking this list into consideration and then adding your own thoughts, what are your biggest time wasters? Once you know this you can make an effort to overcome each one and discover more productive days.
