Multitasking
We all get 24 hours in a day, yet some of us get way more done in a day than others. How is that possible? I wanted to know. So, I Googled “how to be more efficient with my time”, and one of the results was this.
Entrepenuer.com featured a post with 10 strategies for using time more efficiently, several of them were pretty common, but I particularly liked this portion of their post:
“Strategy 3: Optimize.
At this point, your to-do list is down to a list of what you yourself need to (or want to!) do. Spend time considering how each item on this list can be done more efficiently. Here are a few examples of what’s worked for me:
- Meetings expand to the time we give them. To counter this, go through your calendar and cut your meeting times in half. When you get right down to business, you’ll find you can usually accomplish just as much in far less time.
- Batch tasks together to keep distractions at bay throughout the week. Do necessary errands all on the same morning, make all of your calls before lunch and book check-in meetings back-to-back rather than staggered throughout the week.
- Wind down faster. I like to watch an episode or two of TV before I go to bed, but I watch it at 1.3x speed. After a few moments you don’t even notice that it’s sped up, and when combined with not watching commercials or the credits, it fits an hour-long drama into a 30-minute time slot. Every second counts!
- Head outside. Just because you’re tied to work doesn’t mean your family has to be. Reading, in particular, is an excellent activity on the go — our family has spent many days at the beach or playgrounds while I was immersed in a textbook in the shade. My son wasn’t stuck at home just because I was busy, and the change in scenery was good for me, too.
- Block off your most productive work hours on your calendar so meetings don’t get added (for me, this is first thing in the morning). Then, use this as heads-down focus time. Close your email, set Slack or other social tools to silent and use a tool like Brain.FM to clear your mind for the task at hand.
Finally, one of the most critical factors in a successful time management strategy is to regularly re-evaluate it. If we actively look for ways to focus on priorities and where to remove, outsource or optimize activities, we’ll be able to tackle more with ease. And hopefully, with these tips, we can all feel just a little more super-human!”
Another suggestion the writer had was using a competent Virtual Assistant to handle certain types of tasks. If you have an assistant and you work together for a while, you get to know each other’s strengths and he or she can offload tasks they know how to respond to for from your workload. The same goes for our Answering Services, Dispatch Services, E-Commerce Support and Virtual Receptionist services.
Give us a call, let’s talk, and see what we can help YOU offload from your to-do list.
Central Comm at your service.
