Simplifying Your Workday

Do you work too much every day? Do you wish you worked less? Don’t those questions sound like the start of a cheesy Rx Drug Commercial? There is a better solution to dealing with your work day and it is far from being Over-The-Counter.

I have spent many days working too long. It is something I struggled with for a long time and to be honest, I still do. But I have discovered new ways to lighten the load and make the day easier and more productive while taking up less time.

Here are a few simple suggestions that make a huge impact on the productivity and simplicity of your day time.

WAKE UP EARLIER.

I am the type of person who can sleep for days on end unless woken up. That is why it is a struggle for me to get up in the morning and so I am trying new methods to do it. The first thing I do now is put my alarm clock on the other side of the room, forcing me to get out of bed to do my work.

Waking up earlier has so many advantages. When you wake up earlier you accomplish more at earlier hours and finish earlier, giving you time for friends and family. Waking up also motivates a lot of people to work harder. It is remarkable how much less motivated and lazy I feel when I get up at a later time and slouch over to my office.

As a mini suggestion: Get more sleep as well. Going to bed earlier allows you to wake up earlier and have a clear-focused mind to start the day. I cannot stress enough how beneficial the sleep cycle is to professionals who need a sharp mind.

DEFINE YOUR TASKS.

Without your goals for the days, you will most likely be lost in the abyss. Having a list of tasks needed to be accomplished is the best way to get your day on track.

I think it is best to start your day off by making this list. Start with your goals, then write down what you need to accomplish to get one step closer to them. Keep your day completely focused on achieving your business goals.

SIMPLIFY YOUR TASKS.

This is a new step I have been trying with great success. By taking your lists down to the bare minimum, you have lightened your work load and allowed yourself adequate time to accomplish the most important things with extra effort.

When you really start to narrow your list of tasks down, you will find it remarkable how the mediocre things are the ones you normally want to do first. By getting them out of the way, you are forced to do what is best for your venture.

KEEP COMPLETE FOCUS.

Turn off the POP mail server, shut down Firefox or Safari (or IE/AOL for the minority of you who should upgrade, no offense). De-clutter your desktop, virtual and physical.

Making it so there are no distractions can increase productivity exponentially. The mind drifts so easily, especially when you work primarily online. Keeping a strong goal focus throughout the day is a key to simplifying the work day.

I have gone so far as to buy a monitor that is also my TV in my office so it is impossible to have the TV on while working. I also put on music to drown out other ambient noise that could distract me while working.

TAKE A BREAK (OR TWO).

Do you remember nap time in pre-school? It is a joke now I have heard asking: Why don’t we have that as adults? That is actually a good question. Why don’t we? People are not programmed to work as a string. Breaks and time outs are needed to keep a person from a daily burn out.

It does not really matter what you do during your break. Just take a half hour to (or two quarter hours) to do something non work related. Make sure you fit it into your Timeframes (see below) but do try it.

I like to take the time to stretch, do a few simple exercises or meditate. There is also reading, taking a walk, and yes, actually napping (set an alarm if you do). I do not recommend activities that will draw you in like TV or web browsing. Time will disappear with these activities.

HAVE SET TIMEFRAMES AND LIMITS.

When you give yourself less time to accomplish tasks you are forced to focus all your energy on them. This does not mean sacrifice quality, it means keep focus soly on a task by limiting your time.

Above that, since I almost guarantee as a professional there is more than one thing you need to get done in a day, set different timeframes for different tasks.

A personal example:

9-10 Task List, email, phone calls, etc. Basically, kicking the day off.

10-12 Writing articles for Zen Problog and Various other freelance work.

12-1 Lunch (sometimes lunch meetings)

1-4 Get down to the nitty-gritty design work.

4-5 More correspondence and wrapping the day up.

Now this is an ideal day (even though it is the infamous 9-5 schedule) and rarely works out exactly to this but it gives good structure to really accomplish goals.

CREATE YOUR OWN FLOW.

An important part of simpifying the day is finding your flow. The flow is the process in which you work best. I set up my Timeframes to fit the flow I have found works best for me. I write best in the early mornings. I can do my design work best in longer increments of time. I like to get all my correspondence out of the way.

Everyone is different and it is a great improvement if you can find what works best for you. The way to do this is keep in mind to monitor your natural activity during the course of a few days. See when you do what, see how long it takes you, see what tasks flow into other tasks easily. Once you figure it out, you can plan your day more effectively.

Do you think you can simplify your workday? What are the best suggestions you think can help?

Photo by Aaron Geller