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Christy Geiger, Executive Business Coach & Trainer,  Minneapolis, MN

1) Assess how you are spending your time. Here are a few common time eaters to watch out for:

• You have a long list of things to do and focus on all the little thing so you can mark off more things in an hour.
• You are straightening, cleaning or micro-working.
• You are spending hours on e-mail.
• You can’t find things and spend a lot of time looking and discovering things you have not seen in a long time.
• You spend social/idle time on the phone.
• TV, newspaper, errands & shopping (things that don’t contribute to bottom line)
• Maintenance items that absorb time
• Internet, computer games, chat rooms, etc

2) Identify your weakness. Look at what is holding you back from doing the really important things on your list. Some common reasons our “BIG” projects are not accomplished are:

• Lack of planning
• Lack of time
• Overwhelmed with the project
• Lack motivation
• Distractions/Interruptions
• Other priorities
• Emergencies
• Tired & frustrated
• Lack of resources
• Lack of clarity of vision
• Excuses (life)

3) Create a routines and strategies for how you operate.

• Simple and effective Daily Habits.
• 10 min. daily pick-up time.
• Keep a clean desk.
• Check e-mail 3x a day; limit time to 30 min. for each checking.
• Touch it once and put it in its place (file it, toss it, etc.)
• Pick one big project you need to do each day and complete it before doing anything else
• Keep a weekly plan of activities with the top 5 things you will do each day
• Keep regular tools as your fingertips (healthy snacks, water, books, Palm, etc.)
• Develop management systems – templates for things you do often.
• Block one hour a day for quiet time to focus exclusively
• Pick one news source & read as reward for task completed.
• Have a system to organize contacts, calendar and tasks (Outlook is a great tool)

Bottom-line.When you have systems in place and are neat and organized you can get more done. When you do what is important first, it will free your energy to have the big project done and also give plenty of time for all the little things. When you assess, identify and strategize you will easily maximize your productivity!