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Small Business Articles from Make-it-Fly®
 7 Keys
to Personal Productivity
Understanding Yourself
is the Secret!
By Victoria Munro
Printable version
We live in a fast-changing world. Products that were ‘state-of-the-art’ yesterday have become commonplace today and will be obsolete tomorrow. With ever-increasing amounts of new information to process daily, and escalating demands on our time, many feel they’re on overload. If you’re in business for yourself, needing to gain and maintain a competitive edge, it’s even more challenging. You can’t afford to be inefficient. You need practical solutions that will increase your personal productivity.
Knowing yourself
is key to being productive and reaching your desired goal in our changing world.
Key One:
Identify your core values.What are the non-negotiables that are really important to you? It’s worth investing some time to define your personal values. Unless what you’re doing lines up with those values, there’ll always be an inner struggle.
Key Two: Define
your future dreams. What do you truly want in life? Written goals that lead you towards your aspirations will motivate you.
Writing goals doesn’t have to be difficult. Keep it simple, but put them on paper or your computer. Adjust them as you move forward. Visualize your dreams – think about them, talk about them, write about them, and create realistic, step-by-step mini-goals to reach them.
Key Three: Acknowledge
your strengths and limitations. Identify your strengths and focus on them, use and develop them. Seek creative ways to delegate tasks in those areas where you don’t shine or you find more challenging.
Beware of self-imposed limitations, and accept the reality that you can’t do everything or please everyone.
Key Four: Be
aware of your barriers and weaknesses. Be alert to any little habits that might trip you up along the way. Do you tend to overbook your time? Say “yes” to requests you should decline? Procrastinate in certain areas? Rationalize self-defeating behaviors? Fail to make and/or stick with your plan? Being sensitive to your areas of weakness is a healthy first step to overcome them.
Key Five: Know
when your prime time is and make the most of it. When are you most productive? Schedule demanding projects then. If necessary, turn off the phone to help you focus.
Keep a healthy balance of work, play and rest. Know how much rest and exercise you need, and make sure you get it. Recognize when you need to take five minutes or an hour away from a project to reenergize—you’ll be more productive for it.
Key Six: Keep
your eyes on your major motivator. This has remarkable power to motivate. The increased efficiency and productivity needed to achieve it will require new behavior patterns and habits. It will take effort and discipline, but keeping your focus on the goal will inspire you to press on.
Key Seven: Learn
from your past and plan for your future.Evaluate how you’ve been spending your time. For several days, keep a record of exactly how you use your time. Identify your most productive activities, your time wasters and areas where you can ‘cut the fat.’
With your long and short-term goals in mind, plan each day. List all the tasks you must do that day, and then prioritize them using the ABCD method.
| A
= |
Absolutely
imperative that this get done today |
| B
= |
Important,
but not as important as “A” and, if
it’s not accomplished today, you and you business
will both survive |
| C
= |
Needs
to be done, but can be rescheduled if necessary |
| D
= |
Delegate
this one |
By understanding yourselfand applying these principles, you can create and work a plan to achieve your dream. You’ll enjoy the journey and learn much along the way.
(693 words)
© 2005-2007 Victoria Munro.
Click here
for printable version.
About the Author: Victoria Munro is
co-founder (along with husband Dave Block) of Make-it-Fly®
LLC, a company dedicated to creating success for
small-business owners through creatively designed programs
and tools. Victoria has started and run nine different
businesses. To receive FREE business success articles
with tips to help you with your business, sign up for
their award-winning ezine, “In-Flight Refueling,”
at: www.Make-it-Fly.com,
and receive a free copy of the eBook, Get
More Done in Less Time: 101 Quick and Easy Time Tactics
& Tips.
You’re welcome to “reprint”
this article in your ezine, print publication
or on your website, as long as it remains complete and
unaltered (including the “about the author”
info at the end). Please send a copy of your reprint
to info@make-it-fly.com.
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