Summary: <br> How to Improve Productivity<br> If you want to know how to improve productivity a simple way is to use your diary as a productivity tool.<br> Scheduling time strategically and grouping activities together is a great way to become more efficient and to get more done.<br> A simple way to do this is to utilise your diary and plan days when you are in your office and days when you are out (or half days if this works better for you).<br> <br> <br> <br> There are two main advantages to scheduling your diary in this way;<br> Firstly you set yourself up for being focussed on the days when you are working from your office (or home office).<br> Simply knowing that you are going to be there enables you to schedule in some of the important work you want to focus on and knowing that you have a half day or day to focus will help you settle down and make progress. You will naturally start becoming more productive.<br> <br> Secondly, scheduling being out of the office for a day or half a day in one go means you are not having to switch your thinking from focussed to listening. <br> You can relax and pay attention to whoever you are with because you know you have some focus time coming up to work on the things most important to you. This will help you be more productive.<br> This technique sounds so simple, and perhaps obvious, that it may not even sound like a technique.<br> Don’t let that put you off trying it. This technique is very effective because it helps your mind shift to where it needs to be more quickly and easily.<br> The most difficult thing about using this time management tool is the discipline of arranging your time in this way.<br> There will often be pressure to try and squeeze meetings and activities in when you plan to be in your office.<br> When this happens you need to make a decision if the benefit of what you are being asked to do is worth changing?<br> Can you move your focus/office working time to elsewhere in the week?<br> Whatever you do try not to lose your office/focus time completely. Moving it around now and again is fine and of course it doesn’t have to be the same time each week.<br> <br> Think of it as protected focussed working space and time.<br> <br> To make this technique easier to use start slowly and build up.<br> Perhaps you need to start with a half day of office/focussed time?<br> <br> <br>
