Top Ten Ways to Work Less and Be More Productive by Sergeant Carpenter

Although that title sounds akin to a get rich quick scheme, and is rather paradoxical, let me assert that it is neither. It really is a paradigm that will benefit anyone who is willing to pay close attention and take action to make it happen.

I have noticed an extreme difference in my daily productivity between times when I have organized simply by keeping a list to guide me through my day. When compared with the times I have not, I found that keeping a list greatly increased my productivity. There have been times when a simple list has empowered me to do unbelievable amounts of work in a given day, and finish early. Often I have been able to do more before breakfast with a simple list than I would often do in a whole day, without my beloved list.

Here are my top ten ways to spend less time working and accomplish more:

1. Know and verbalize to yourself why you want to work less time and accomplish more: This may seem trite, but it is vitally important, as a point of motivation. Things done successfully are most often done on purpose and with a purpose. If you have a purpose, you have an important reason to make any particular task or project a high enough priority to roll up your sleeves and get the job done.

You may want to spend less time working so you can spend more time with your family, or so you can finish the week early and have a long weekend, maybe so you can practice a sport more often, so you can compete with greater excellence. If your purpose is one that gives you a reason to get more serious and get things done, you will purposely do what is necessary to garner that time for your personal pursuits.

2. Use a Day Planner or Organizer: Again, this may sound simplistic, but it is really important. The organizer can give you mental freedom, as it becomes your memory bank. When you diligently use it for everything, you can record your thoughts, assignments, tasks, appointments, shopping lists, etc. in their proper place and forget it until it's time to refer to that information. So your shopping list and the unusual item that you may worry about forgetting is of no concern now, because you will rely on your shopping list when you get to the store, and not worry about it until then. The organizer may be paper or electronic. I have tried both ways and both have their advantages, but I prefer the old fashioned paper variety because it is usable everywhere, anytime, even in power failures. I also appreciate the pop-up reminders of the electronic kind.

3. Don't make your To Do List very long: The To Do list can be very intimidating, mostly because so many folks put too much on it. You're not Superman. An effective daily list should be very possible to accomplish,having only one or two essential tasks for any given day. This is your assignment to yourself. Be kind and don't be like congress and make unfunded or impossible requirements. You work hard and, if you are effective, you should have some time for yourself. Work and play are cyclical; You need breaks, personal time and fun time to be more productive during work time. Too much hard work will wear you out, your effort will become counter-productive and you may even go nuts. I keep a separate "Long term" to do list that keeps me on track for weeks and months. These items don't become a big deal until I schedule them on the daily list. The daily list can also have a longer list of items that are not must do items.

4. Be punctual and arrive at work on time and get busy right away: Compartmentalize your activities. There is a time to work, and a time for recreation and down time. At work,get to work in an organized, effective and energetic manner. When it is time to play, or take a break, separate your mind from work and be rejuvenated and refreshed through relaxing endeavors. It is wise to do your coffee drinking and socializing before and after work. At work you need to be about your business so you can get business done, whether your office is next to the boss's or in your home. Adopting this personal policy alone will significantly shorten the time it takes you to accomplish the requirements of your work day. Once you have met the requirements of the day, don't dilly-dally; straighten up, set tomorrow's schedule and go use the time you saved for your personal purposes. This will also be an investment in tomorrow's productivity.

5. It is important that you accomplish an important task before lunch: however don't rush it. Do it right. Finishing a significant task early will give you the momentum of successful accomplishment to carry you through the rest of the day.

6. Don't be a socialite in the office: Socialize all you want in the break room or lunch room, at the appointed times, but when the time is not right, get back into the business mode and back into the office and get busy following your schedule. When you are not conducting business, you will find life is more enjoyable if you are sociable and relaxed, then when it is time to work you will be fresher and more effective. Don't be snobbish, just be professional and businesslike.

7. You can save a lot of time if you just learn how and when to say "No": It is seldom required for you to do everything that everyone asks of you. Don't be timid: Say no to unnecessary interruptions such as the inevitable social visits by co-workers. Refuse to chit-chat on the phone. Ask people to email you, so you can take control of the time and choose when to reply. If in person meetings or phone conversations cannot be eliminated, respectfully let the other person know that your you are busy and your time is limited...just let them know that you have a call to make in 5 minutes, then give them six, using the last minute to end the conversation. Question people ahead of time about the purpose of the meeting or call, and then you can take charge and set the parameters for it. Be sure and clarify the problem or reason for the contact beforehand and then ask questions to clearly and directly bring out the answer to the problem. If you are unable to help, courteously state the fact, and refer them to someone who can help and politely end the call or meeting. Your time is very valuable. Time is money...time is also life. Your and your family's well being and lifestyle depends on you getting your job done effectively. Your next sale or promotion may depend upon your ability to conduct business efficiently.

8. Take Control of your E-mail inbox: This may be a big challenge for you, but it is vitally important. Don't let E-mail control you....you must take command of it. If you get important business email during the day, you may want to set up a special webmail account just for business and then direct all your business E-mail to that address, to avoid being distracted by spam and personal email. Deal with personal email on free time. Spam arrest is a good program for getting spam under control. Check E-mail as seldom as possible. For now, try reducing to twice a day. Just before lunch and just before quitting time are great times for this. Be vicious and delete anything that you can't recognize in the inbox, then read business mail at work and read personal email after work. This alone can cut hours off of many a worker's time on the job. If you control your own schedule, or are a good negotiator with a reasonable boss, using this tip could mean getting out of the office earlier; in many cases, much earlier.

9. Stop multi-tasking: With precious few exceptions, "Multi-tasking" means doing a half baked job of many things at the same time. I think It is the road to a nervous breakdown and low self esteem. When you wake up and realize that as hard as you work, you don't get anything done excellently, it has to be demoralizing. You'll profit greatly if you use the organizing tips above and take control of your work situation, then do one task at a time, until it is done well, then move on to the next one. A car accident in which someone dies would be a horrifying way to learn that you can't concentrate fully on two tasks at the same time, like driving and talking on the phone. Multi-tasking could be mostly responsible for the rampant mediocrity in today's workplace.

10. Outsource mundane tasks: There are people who make a business of helping you with mundane tasks, or tasks that you don't do well. One such business is Outsourcingsuccess dot com. Give it a try with some personal tasks first to get an idea of how it works for you. Without hiring a full time assistant or secretary, you can get good help and pay by the hour. That will free you up to tend to your more important tasks and the ones that you are strong in. Students at a local college or university who major in areas that would help you may be a good source of help, and you could help them earn a little income, too. If you prefer to go international, do a search on Your Man in India, and Brickwork, or the search on the term Virtual Assistants. Outsourcing Success has already made the connections and is ready to bridge the gap and help you get the help you need.

These are real plans for real business people to get real work done effectively. The effectiveness of these tips depends upon your willingness to use them diligently.

About the Author

Sergeant Carpenter has helped many people how to increase their performance while working less and producing more. Get a free consultation to see if Sergeant Carpenter can help you reduce work and produce more.