How Do You Measure Your Productivity?
If you’re always busy you may think you’re being productive. But how do you know?
Being productive is not equivalent to being busy. You might be busy doing tasks that do not yield the desired or expected result. It all depends on how you have your work set up and it’s not also about being busy 24/7.
Instead, consider doing only those things that will bring the desired results.
- Stop Multitasking
No one can multitask. Some jobs may seem to require a lot of “multitasking” but the truth is, people are bad at it. Instead, try to give all your focus to the task at hand. This will help you to concentrate on a task and do it within given time limits and do every task on a schedule within a system.
- Turn Off Distractions
If you want to be good at something, you must turn off distractions such as social media notifications, the television, and even the phone ringer when you truly need to focus.
- Fill Out Your Calendar for Work and Personal Time
One way to bring some balance to your life is to schedule it. Fill your calendar out with your family plans first. Add your work around that, then add in social plans too. It will help you to be more productive.
- Set Up Systems and Processes
To be more productive, systems and processes will help. If every time you onboard a new client they go through the same steps, it’ll become more of a habit to you and feel extremely professional to the customer. Also, set up a process for everything you do regularly, including checking your email.
- Don’t Say Yes Right Away
When someone asks something of you, don’t automatically say yes. Tell them you will think about it, then go look at your calendar. Determine how much time and effort doing what they ask will take before you say yes or NO. When you do say no, don’t feel as if you must give a reason. “I can’t do that right now, but please ask me again” is a nice way to respond – assuming you do want them to ask again.
- Learn to Outsource and Delegate Better
Everyone has the same 24-hour days, but you can extend that time if you outsource and delegate. This can happen with your business, at work, and at home. For example, in your business, you can hire someone to handle your website, social media marketing, writing, and a whole host of other things. At work, you may be able to delegate to someone else, and at home, you can outsource housework to someone else.
- Set Up Performance Metrics
One way to know if you’re performing how you want to perform and being as productive as you think you are is to set up performance metrics that you can look at to see the data and know what is working and what is not working. Perhaps if you’re a writer, you have a word count for the day. If you’re creating a new offer, perhaps today your goal was to get through making all the graphics for your new course. Building a successful business is about keeping things simple. While we think we can do many things at once, we can’t. And crowding your mind with unrealistic tasks will only confuse you, forcing you to make rash decisions, lack focus, and produce poor quality outcomes.
It’s therefore crucial for a business owner to focus on key areas – areas that are focused on business growth and market dominance. However, this doesn’t mean you overlook other areas of the company, but your attention and your time should always be on a few crucial and practical pursuits, which are ultimately your company’s building blocks.