5 Productivity Mistakes that Make You Look Like an Amateur (Part 1 of 5)

Significant Other - So... how was your day to day honey?
You - Ugh!  Don't ask!!
Significant Other - Why?  Were you slammed?
You - Yeah.  It was just crazy!
Significant Other - Really?  What did you get done?
You - Uh... well... uh... er... I don't remember now.  But I was buried all day!


If this sounds familiar, you should know two things:

1. You are not alone.  And...
2. You are not as "Busy" as you think you are.

That's right!  I said it!!  YOU ARE NOT AS BUSY AS YOU THINK YOU ARE!!!  The 'all-caps' and the 'bold' type should get the angry responses going.

Here's the thing.  The word "busy" means that you are occupied with the tasks required of you by your business.  But you have a choice:

You can either be busy being busy,
or you can be busy being productive.

In order to be productive, you have to plan your daily work and work your daily plan.  There is no other way.  If you do this correctly, the necessary tasks of your daily work become organized appointments that are just as immovable as that $300,000 listing appointment, or the appointment to pick up the kids from school.

So here is number 1 of the 5 productivity mistakes.  If you are busy getting nothing done, chances are you don't use a daily written to-do list.  Stephen R. Covey wrote a book entitled, "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People".  In it he found that highly effective people "begin with the end in mind".  Whether they are planning their life, their decade, their year, their month, their week, or their day, a highly effective professional uses a hand-written to-do list.  In fact, if you are one of those people who has a hard time getting to sleep at night, it's probably due, at least in part, to you laying there, going over in your mind what you need to get done.  Try this tonight:

• Take a pen and a legal pad to bed with you.
• Before you close your eyes, write down everything you can think of that you need to get done tomorrow.
• Set it on your night stand and go to sleep.

Chances are good that you will sleep like a baby.  The second part of that same habit is this:

• Start each day at 8:30am or earlier with a new to-do list.  
• Carry over items that did not get done from yesterday's list
• Add the items from your night stand list
• Put your least favorite tasks first
• Clear your voice mail and your email as you are writing the day's to-do list
• Keep your list with you as you are running around and check off the items as you complete them

Remember this... busy days lead to sleepless nights, busier tomorrows and stress.  Productive days lead to checks and more personal play time.

In part 2 we'll look at time-blocking and break it down into a few simple steps that will have you wondering why you didn't do it sooner and how you ever got anything done without it!