Before leaving the office for the night, many of us optimistically make a To-Do list for the following morning. The next day, however, finds interruptions and distractions and little to none of what we had written down actually getting accomplished.
Its clear that one of the most critical factors to success in the business world is efficient time management, yet a recent study found that the average American worker spends 2 hours a day being interrupted and then trying to refocus.
Here we present five proven time management hacks – start by implementing just one into your daily routine and watch as you and your team’s productivity soars.
1. No Meeting Wednesdays
Dustin Moskovitz, CEO of Asana and co-founder of Facebook, holds “No Meeting Wednesdays” each week. Borrowing from one of Facebook’s policies, Moskovitz blocks off one day each week to be meeting free.
“With very few exceptions, everyone’s calendar is completely clear at least one day of the week – this is an invaluable tool for ensuring contiguous space to do project work,” he explains. Personally, Moskovitz uses this uninterrupted time to code and work on long-term projects.
2. Work in Airplane Mode
Many business professionals get some of their best work done on long flights. Once or twice a week, block out a chunk of your day and enter “Airplane Mode.” Treat this time as if you were in the air – turn off your phone, disconnect from the Internet, and churn out high priority to-do list tasks.
3. Two-Minute Rule
Author and famed productivity consultant David Allen is best known for creating the time management method “Getting Things Done.” One of the cornerstones of his method is the “Two-Minute Rule.”
Simply put, if you are confronted with a new task and see that you can complete it in less than two minutes, do it right away. Rather than tacking it on to your growing list, address it immediately and move on.
4. Utilize your “Golden Hour”
Determine the point in the day when you are at your most productive and actively protect it from distractions. Avoid scheduling meetings around this time and choose to tackle your biggest tasks during this hour.
5. Walking Meetings
LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner chooses to take one-on-one meetings outside whenever possible. Use this time as a way to get some fresh air and exercise out of the office, while still remaining productive.
