Get More Time To Think: 4 Tips
When's the last time you gave
yourself some time for quality, focused, creative thinking? Start here.
Without a doubt, the explosion of
the Internet and mobile technology has made business faster, more
efficient and less expensive. That’s the good news. The bad news is that all
this speed and accessibility creates an awful lot of clutter, mental and
otherwise.
When a client emails you with a request,
the typical reaction is to stop what you are doing and respond. The problem
with this is that our brains are not dual-core processors! It's been
proven in study after study that we are incapable of truly multitasking. We
must stop one task, even if it’s only for a very short time, to pick up
another.
Rather than making us more
efficient, the constant interruption of emails, IMs and calls is pulling our
mental and physical resources from bigger, more strategically important
projects. As a result, we are constantly left with half-finished or
barely-started micro projects. We’re constantly busy, but we’re not devoting
any time to quality, creative, focused thinking.
Unfortunately, our jobs require that
we be accessible. We cannot ignore our client or boss's request, and ultimately
we expect the same speed of response from our underlings. So the challenge lies
in balancing the two: think-time and real-time. Here a few tips that I
use to help keep a focus on the big picture for my business, while remaining
accessible.
Set accomplishments for the day
Set accomplishments for the day
Take ten minutes in the morning to
consider your goals for the day. Ask yourself what you want to
achieve? If you have a meeting, set your own mental goals/objectives and
envision that outcome. If you have to make sales calls, do the
same. Knowing what you want to accomplish allows you to create a
realistic to-do list.
Identify tasks that are best
completed offline
Treat yourself to quality work time
where you can focus and be creative: time away from email, away from IM and
away from the phone. Block out the time on your calendar beforehand and
let your colleagues know you will be busy.
Manage interruptions
There is nothing wrong with politely
saying “wait.”
Open-air offices may foster
collaboration, but they also encourage colleagues to wander into your space to
discuss things of varying importance. You can judge the severity of the issue
and then act accordingly. But you shouldn't constantly stop what you are
doing just because someone asks you to.
Take a break
A brief, planned change in your
environment can do wonders for your productivity. Stroll around the block. Get
a coffee. It will help your mind and body to refresh, recalibrate and
focus.
While we can't (and shouldn't wish
to) slow down the progress of business technology, we certainly can slow
ourselves down long enough to make some good decisions about how best to spend
our days.
http://www.inc.com/alexanndra-ontra/springboard-enterprises-four-ways-to-get-more-time-to-think.html?cid=em01020week08c&nav=su
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