Seven Ways to Have a Productive Day

Why is it in life that when something is working, you stop doing it?

Jack has a well-established electronics business that he started ten years ago. Over this time, the business has grown, and he now has a team of seven people. When Jack initially contacted me, he was at a point he felt like walking away from his business. He was working in the business at least ten hours a day, and it was consuming his life. There was no time left for him to do anything else - or so he thought.

After clarifying what Jack really wanted to achieve both in business and personally, the first task I had him undertake was to fill in the special timesheets I have devised. He did this for two weeks. We discovered that Jack was wasting at least two hours each day because of his lack of planning. He'd arrive at his office, and whatever happened, happened. It took some time, but eventually Jack got into the habit of writing his "to do" list at the end of each day in his diary. He then used Friday afternoons to plan for the week ahead. And guess what? He achieved much more than he'd ever done before.

It's such a simple thing to do, yet how often do you stop doing the basics on a daily basis and then find your business and your life spiralling out of control?

Here are seven ways to have a productive day:

1. Write your "to do" list at the end of each day.
2. Say "no" to unscheduled interruptions.
3. If you get distracted easily, focus on one task for at least ten minutes.
4. Keep your office free of clutter.
5. Constantly ask yourself, "Is this the best use of my time?"
6. Do the worst thing first.
7. Schedule "desk" times in your diary to get things done.

Act on these tips consistently, and you'll be amazed how much more you'll achieve each and every day.

Just do it!