The longer I am in business, the more I have come to realize how much I don’t know. And I have discovered there are really smart people out there who do!! One of those really smart ( and nice) people is Josh Brammer of Spinweb. Josh has a real gift for organization, and process and great suggestions for small business owners. And with very little arm twisting ( he actually volunteered) I have convinced him to share some of his expertise here. So enjoy today’s post and look for more content from Josh on April 14th and April 21st!
Technology has taken business to new levels in the last 50 years, but living and working in an “always on” society can take its toll on a person’s energy, passion, and creativity. Just as you are happier and work better after a full night’s rest — the following tips can help to get focused on better results at work.
- Plan your day in advance. Reserve time in the morning for planning your day ahead of time. This could be 15 minutes or more. You wouldn’t start your day without coffee — why start without a basic plan?
- Write down your daily goals. Write down the top 3 things you must accomplish today. Big or small, if you could only do 3 tasks — what would they be? Write them down and accomplish them no matter what.
- Do the most important task of the day first. The defining characteristic of highly productive people is not time management, extra hours in the day, or more brainpower. Instead, they have realized that important tasks must be accomplished regardless of how urgent they seem. Do your most important task of the day first — and work until it is finished. This will unlock untapped energy and creativity for the rest of your day.
- Don’t check email in the morning. Email can often distract and catch your attention, derailing your focus from the important task of your day. Keep your email program turned off until your most important task is complete.
- Work from a list. Something amazing what happens when you take the 20 seconds needed to define a problem into a written goal or action. Procrastination and fear lose their hold when you see your work in small, easy to swallow bites.
- Schedule an email dash. While email is important, it should not be your master. Train yourself, coworkers, and customers that you will follow through in a timely manner. Process your email in short bursts, called an “Email Dash” (think foot race). Do not leave your email program open all day, but instead process email for 15-20 minutes at a time, every 1 or 2 hours.
I have to admit I struggle to work this way, but will give it a try for the next few weeks, and see how it goes!
Author: Josh Brammer
A process thinker, Josh Brammer helps knowledge workers balance work and family life through workflow and habit management. Josh Brammer is VP of Operations at SpinWeb and believes: Character + useful technology – distractions = saving time without becoming a robot.
In his spare time, Josh enjoys his family, good films, making outlines & creating more spare time. Josh shares a personality with Walt Disney & Ben Franklin (ENTP), which makes life much more interesting. If not behind a Mac, you’ll catch him reading or enjoying double espresso macchiatos. Contact Josh at josh@spinweb.net or 317-324-1100.