Get More Done – Three Ways To Be More Productive

Do you ever say to yourself that you don’t have enough time to do everything you need to do? Most people are swamped with projects, books to read, and other responsibilities in their work and personal lives. But to get more done and to control your time better, you need to change the way you deal with your mountain of responsibilities.

Here are three ways to help you do this:

Practice Creative Procrastination

The truth is that everyone procrastinates on something. However, the difference between high performers and low performers is what they choose to procrastinate on.

High performers create both priorities and posteriorities. Priorities are things you do more of, and sooner. Posteriorities are things you do less of and later, if even at all.

Most people unconsciously procrastinate on big, valuable tasks that can have significant long-term consequences. To get more done, deliberately procrastinate on tasks of low value so that you have more time for activities that can make a big difference.

The best thing you can do is cut down on watching tv, and instead spend that time with your family, reading, exercising, or something else that will improve your quality of life.

Apply The 80/20 Rule

This principle, founded by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, states that 20% of your activities account for 80% of your results. For instance, 20% of your customers account for 80% of your sales, 20% of your products account for 80% of your profits, and so on. So if you have a list of ten things to do, two of them will be worth five times more than the other eight things combined.

Sadly though, most people procrastinate on the 20% of activities that are most valuable. Instead, they busy themselves with the least important 80% that contributes very little to results.

If you choose to start your day working on low-value tasks, you’ll develop the habit of always starting on low-value tasks. So always keep in mind whether the task you’re working on is in the top 20% or in the bottom 80% of your activities. Refuse to work on the bottom 80% while there are still tasks in the top 20% to be done.

The hardest part of any important task is getting started. Once you begin, you’ll be motivated to continue. And after you complete the significant task, you’ll get a tremendous feeling of pride and satisfaction.

Plan Your Day In Advance

Your ability to set goals, make plans, and take action on them is a large determinant of the course of your life. The better your plan, the easier it’ll be to get started and overcome procrastination.

To create a plan, work from a list. If a new task comes up, put it on the list before you take action on it. Make your list at the end of each workday, or at night, for the new workday ahead. Move everything that hasn’t been completed onto the list for the coming day, and then add everything that needs to be done the next day.

In making your list the day before, your mind will subconsciously work on the list while you sleep. You may even wake up with great ideas for getting your work done better and faster than you initially thought.

As you work through your list, you’ll feel more effective and powerful. Checking off items on your list as you complete them will give you a visual picture of accomplishment. Then you’ll find it easier to keep going, which will naturally motivate you to do even more.

How do you overcome procrastination and get more done?

This post was included in the Carnival of Money Stories, hosted by the Intelligent Speculator.