Do you ever feel really busy, but have nothing to show for it at the end of the day?
It’s so easy to get overwhelmed by emails, phone calls, and other day-to-day activities, that we often feel we have to do them all immediately. Maybe we think that we’ll be able to focus on the important parts of our work once we get those little things out of the way. Unfortunately, we can lose the best part of our day trying to “clean up.”
“It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants.
The question is: what are we busy about?”Henry David Thoreau
It’s not easy, but you can benefit so much by getting the important jobs done first.
I’ve changed my email settings to only download messages when I click on Send/Receive. That way, when I’m working on a client project or something important for my own business, I’m not distracted by the knowledge that there are new messages waiting to be read and the curiosity of seeing who they’re from or what they’re about.
To reduce interruptions, I’ve also changed the way I leave voicemail messages. If I’ll be working on a project for the rest of the morning after hanging up the phone, I let the person know I will try them again in the afternoon. If I’m returning their call, I let them know they can reach me sooner if it’s urgent.
I’m hoping that these new procedures will lead to increased productivity, reduced stress, and an even greater enjoyment of my work.
What are YOU busy about?
Busy is my middle name! I’m ALWAYS busy. And then at the end of the day I think “what did I get done today?” and I usually don’t like the answer. I may have read a lot of emails and blogs and updated my Facebook status, and played 3 hours of Bookworm (my latest addiction
) but I was not terribly productive.
All that is changing this year. I’ve cleaned up my office and my way of dealing with my email. I’ve structured my day so I have time to WORK and time to PLAY. I’m getting so much more done now! And I’m not afraid of that “end of the day question” anymore
That is excellent, Melodee! I think too often when people decide to get a handle on their time, they forget to include playtime, and we do need it – just maybe not 3 hours per day.
This year (all 8 workdays of it) I’ve been doing quite well at ignoring email until lunch time in the interests of staying more focused on my writing. (I do allow myself one early morning peek before breakfast.) Knowing how tempting it can be “just to check”, especially when the writing is a tough slog, I muted the sound so I wouldn’t be ‘told’ when a tempting new message came in. Now I’ve changed my settings too, so that email only comes in when I say so, and I just know I’m going to like the feeling of being in charge. (And Janet, that is NOT an invitation to comment on any aspect of my personality!)
In that case, no comment.