How can you level up in your time management game? Shhhh… come closer, I’ll tell you the secret.
Let me start this way — Years ago I used to carry a heavy, large size bunch of keys in my pocket. I carry this group of little things wherever I go because I failed to do one important thing. And because I missed doing this thing, I suffered.
I stressed over it. I slowed down. I have lessened my productivity output. I threw away time. I failed miserably at time management. Now, what’s this got to do with you? It encompasses everything in your life, whatever you do. It doesn’t matter whether you are a physician, a teacher, a writer, or a technician. If you become good at this crucial thing, you’ll surely upgrade your performance in every area of your life.
Meantime… if you don’t want to move from where you are, if you think you don’t need to change, maintain status quo. Be disorganized. Multi-task all the time. Mix-up things together. Be in a chaotic workplace. What will ensue? You will be frustrated and you will not be productive, sad to say.
So what am I driving at? Why do I bother to challenge what’s been established a long time ago?
It’s this… Simplify things in your life and you’ll be a productivity rockstar. How can you turn yourself into one? Let’s say, like me, you are a freelance writer. When you write, you close all other windows on your browser. Just maintain one, turn off the TV, turn off the radio, close your door, focus on writing, only.
If you want to come up with something you can be proud of, and something you can use to attract more good paying clients, don’t multi-task. Switch your iphone to silent mode, don’t put clothes in your washer while writing, don’t turn on the rice cooker while you do your gig, tell your children to give you at least 30 minutes of uninterrupted writing time, tell them not to disturb you till the 30-minute session is over. You might not be aware, but divided attention will cause the quality of your output to be less than ideal.
What’s my point?
Simplify. That way, you can come up with better work quality and be more productive. When you put things in the most basic form, you can do excellent work. 20%, 30%, 50% or even 99% focus is nothing compared to 100% focus.
Apply this to writing and to other aspects of your life and you have unlocked a treasure box of articles brewing in your soul. Hurting, exciting, kicking, itching, bursting to get out and eager to please your audience.
Just a week ago, I discarded the other keys from my keychain. Those that I have not been using for years. It turns out I’ve only been using five keys. And in the bunch I carry all the time… I have at least fifteen!
Now, I can look for the key I want to use for that particular time in a second.
Simplify. You’ll have less stress, be more productive, and by so doing, you’ll be happier.
