Do you struggle to get more done each day? One of the biggest complaints people voice is "I just don't have time." The rude awakening is that we all have exactly the same 24-hour period in a day. So, why is it some people seem to accomplish everything they want to and you're still on number 2 of your "To Do" list. You actually have more time than you think. Here's some hints from Don Aslett, author of How to Have a 48-Hour Day, on how to use time wisely and double your productivity...

DEJUNK

A little subtraction adds up to a lot of production. The number-one step to becoming a high producer is to stop accumulating and start eliminating. Get rid of anything you don't use or want.

1. Eliminate desk clutter. You can't be efficient if your desk and the areas immediately within your reach are disorganized.

2. Ask yourself, Do I use everything on my desk? Your desk is the highest-priority things on it. If you use something only once a month, get it out of your active work area.

3. Create your DESK FOR SUCCESS: "A place for everything and everything in its place." File and re-file immediately; Clear all clutter off the top of your desk; Use Tickler Files to keep track of deadlines and projects; Set aside time daily for doing paperwork and clean your desk every night.)

4. Eliminate excess paper. Use the following four categories for sorting papers - out.. route...doubt... and sprout.

* Out: Anything outdated, defunct, defiled or useless should go right into the trash.

* Route: For worthwhile stuff that belongs somewhere else or should go to someone else, stick a note, address, routing slip or shipping label on each document and send it along.

* Doubt: For stuff you are not willing to get rid of, work on it every day until all the doubts are resolved and that file is empty. Carry it with you if you must.

* Sprout: These are the things from which great ideas and projects sprout - the things your really need. This pile may be surprisingly small. It is the pile that stays in your active work area. When prioritizing tasks, always deal with items in this pile first.

5. File to find. Once you set up your filing system, you can say good-bye to those messy, dusty piles of papers forever." Think of 4 D's - Do, Dump, Delegate, Delay. Do be careful of Sprout - use a colored project file to keep those ideas in. Things get buried in a pile and great ideas and projects should not be buried but filed for
immediate access.)

BE EARLY

Learning the "power of early" is one of the most important things you can do to improve your productivity.

6. Arrive places early. This eliminates time wasted waiting on lines. It also provides you with bonus time - to make a few phone calls or get some paper work done.

7. Start a file as soon as you get an assignment to give a speech or write a paper. Drop notes and ideas in the file, and over time you will develop the basis for a speech or paper without having to waste much time thinking about it.

8. Use a colored project file. Utilize a project planner or meeting planner to organize thoughts and anticipated outcomes.

9. Pack early for a trip. Don't wait until the night before. Leave your suitcase open and drop things in it during the week prior to your departure. By the time you're ready to go, you'll probably be almost packed.

10. Compile a travel planner as soon as you know you will be leaving. Use one of these not for business trips and also for personal trips. It saves alot of time.

11. Use early morning hours, before the phone starts ringing at work, to increase your productivity. Being consistently early also raises a "flag of competence" and adds to your reputation.

12. Use the early part of the day for your most important work - projects that require undivided attention. If you need two or three uninterrupted hours to complete a project, early in the day is the only time you're going to find those hours. Or use those early hours when you feel alert and aggressive to tackle those piles of paper. You will be a lot less inclined to hang onto things you don't need.

CONTROL INTERRUPTIONS

It is impossible to get work done if you are constantly being interrupted. The worst culprits are visitors. Make your free and busy times known to everyone. Train them to visit during the free - note the busy - periods.

13. Leave your door halfway open during busy periods. This signals that you should not be needlessly interrupted.

14. Encourage and expect people to make appointments to see you... or at least give you advance warning. This makes it easier to stay productive.

15. Look busy. When visitors show up unexpectedly, try to be busy or in the middle of something. This will remind people to make their visits brief.

16. Develop some stock phrases that work for you if visitors overstay their welcome. Examples: It's too bad you happened to come when I was in the middle of this project...or, I'm sorry - could we talk or get together another time? If all else fails, excuse yourself to use the rest room or say you're late for a meeting.

DO IT NOW AND PERFECT IT LATER

A lot of us worry - and even punish ourselves - when we aren't 100% pleased with our projects. Just remember that none of us can do everything perfectly. You'll find that expediency generally outdoes perfection.

17. Do the best you can with what you have...and get the project out there so that you and others can see and critique it. High standards are important, but perfection is not paramount. You can get more accomplished by getting something done than by polishing it indefinitely or procrastinating.

18. Set time limits for yourself if you are a perfectionist. Limit yourself to 15 minutes or a half-hour more on a project - and, if necessary, set a timer to remind yourself.

19. Test for doneness: Constantly ask yourself, What will be the benefit of spending any more time on this project? If all you're doing is polishing, get it off your desk.

20. Stop procrastination by developing a "Do It Now" attitude. Procrastication is the intentional and regular pattern of saying or promising you will do something and then not doing it.

21. Keep a time log of tasks. Things really don't take as long to complete as you think. Be opportunistic. Use "waiting" periods to do something.

22. Write down "5 Things I want to Accomplish Today"; and promise yourself a small reward.

ORGANIZATION is:
Being able to find what you're looking for - getting things done - being in control of your life.

By following these few simple steps, you will give yourself peace of mind and a gift of time. It's not a myth - it really is very magical!)

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