The Keys to Productivity

Why?

With the hustle and bustle of each day, people find themselves more and more taxed for time. If only there were some keys to advancing in your field, keeping all your appointments straight, and maximizing your time to get everything that needs to be done, finished on time and done well!

The keys to productivity will make you look smarter, be more productive during your day, and ensure nothing is lost in-between.

Key 1: Planning

The best key to productivity is to plan your day the night before. First of all, I recommend a planner, and, since I am old-school when it comes to planners, I use a paper one from Staples. I prefer the monthly view so I can see major appointments coming up during the next weeks, as well as weekend commitments. Many people enjoy Google Calendar or another online solution, but for me, there is nothing like the old pen and paper for this. So, do what works for you while not missing the point: you need to have an accessible planner that includes all duties, assignments, tasks, and appointments. Often co-workers are astounded that I never miss an appointment, online meeting, or another important event. Using a planner and consulting it regularly allows me to be on point with all engagements.

I enjoy looking polished on all occasions. This takes planning as well. Each Sunday, I ensure all of the work clothing I want to wear during the week is clean, dry, and pressed. I even go so far as to lay out the next day's selection so choosing clothing in the morning won't make me late for my first meeting. There is no added anxiety in the morning having to make such decisions. Rather, I am able to stick to my "get-ready routine," knowing I won't have to fret about what to wear. One key to being successful in this area is to perform an overhaul of your closet, ensuring all pieces are of high-quality, well-fitting, and in style. That way, selecting clothing, even the night before, is a seamless (pun intended!) activity.

Upon waking each morning, I maximize my time through strategic planning and multi-tasking. I wake exactly five minutes before I physically have to leave my bed. This gives me just enough time to check Twitter for new posts on my career field, some of which I may re-tweet. Since I am an auditory learner, after showering, I listen to my favorite podcasts: How to Be Awesome at Your Job among them. Listening to inspiring people and stories sets me up with a needed dose of motivation for the day.

Key 2: Multi-Task Appropriately

In order to get everything done during the day, I have to think strategically about how to do it and when to multi-task. For instance, my parents live about an hour away from me, and they telephone every day. Every single day. Retired life is good. However, since I am very busy, I have to plan when to call them back, and I have found that calling them back when driving from location to location has worked out well. I am able to catch up with my father and mother ten minutes or so at a time without losing out on all of the other tasks that must be done during the day.

Key 3: Delegate and Combine Trips

When it comes to delegation, it's important to understand what I mean. Yes, in some cases I will ask another person to do something I simply do not have time for, but it goes so far beyond that in today's day and age. For instance, instead of spending the time to pick up groceries myself, my local grocery store offers a full-service delivery. While I do have to pay slightly more for the products and have to tip the delivery person, I get an hour or more of my time back and I don't have to fight through people and wait in grocery store lines. To me, that's worth it.

I have also become a huge fan of subscription services. These can be useful for the person on the go. Target is my go-to for this. Instead of going to the store every time I need shampoo or deodorant, I have put these items on a subscription cycle. I pick the products and the frequency of delivery and Target ships them out for free! I even get a discount for using this service through their website. This has freed up time I would otherwise use up at stores buying essentials that are neither fun to buy nor adding anything extra special to my life.

Key 4: Be Present

I take this tip from the mindfulness craze that is still sweeping the nation. Really, it comes down to this: when you are somewhere, be there. Period. I work diligently to ensure I am not thinking about other things. Rather, I am focused on the task and people in front of me. I focus on the work, if at work. I am fully present. This is a major key to productivity since it will allow you to do more in the moment and also cut down on having to back track later to finish things that should have been done earlier.