Everyone is busy these days! Isn't it amazing that we have all sorts of technology to help make things more efficient for us, and yet our society in general is at an all-time high for stress and lack of spare time for the things we really want to do? I know that cell phones, microwaves, the Internet, computers and many other tools fall into this category (haven't you ever seen someone standing in front of a microwave, which will cook their meal in 2 minutes, tapping their foot in frustration going "come on, come on"). =-)
Here are some quick tips that I have read about in Positive Thinking books, seen on videos and listened to on CD's from professionals, millionaires and other very successful people, which I am practicing in my own life. Hopefully you can find one or two items here that can help you, too!
In everything you do, work smart! Chances are whatever task you are doing has been done before - research your more complex tasks in books, on the Internet, or from someone you know has done it already! They will have tips for you so that you can do it once, correctly, the first time!
Eliminate procrastination: the easiest way I know of to do this is to do it once, then move on! As soon as work comes into your hands, do it! If you put some paper work on the counter, or in your "In" box, you'll more than likely forget about it for an hour, a day, a week, or who knows how long? Get it done, now! You'll feel better for accomplishing a task, which will give you more energy to tackle the next one!
Focus on your strengths - outsource the things you hate doing, or are simply not good at! Tracy and I do this a lot - there are many tasks that she is great at and has no problem doing, that I just hate doing, or that if I do them, I do them poorly. She is great at it, it is already a strength, so go for it! And the same thing vice versa. If we focus on our strengths, and split the tasks to our strengths, each task becomes easy, takes less time to do, and also gets done at 110% quality. If neither of you have a certain task as a strength, see if you can get a 3rd party to do it instead.
Use technology properly: it is meant to automate tasks to free up your time to do something else. For example, you don't need to sit and watch the oven cook something. Set a timer, then go complete a different task - when the timer goes off, return to it! This is the same with software programs you may use - get a process running, and while it is working do your paper work, or use a different program! You don't need to watch the computer do "nothing" while waiting. Multitask and let technology take tasks off your plate!
The number one key is to remember that you may not always get it right. Don't worry about it! You make a mistake, waste some time - that happens to everyone! If you whine and complain about the task you forgot or messed up, then it is a real failure and it ends there. But if you learn from that failure and use it to make corrections the next time, it becomes a stepping-stone to your next success!
Andreas (& Tracy) Z.
Zimmermann Enterprises
http://www.zimenterprises.biz/
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