We talk a lot about productivity at RD2. It’s extremely important for us to be able to be focused and efficient in our day to day. In reading my RSS feeds this morning I stumbled across this post from Dell’s VP of Global Marketing, Communities & Conversations and friend of RD2, Andy Lark.
Below are Andy’s “12 Key Habits to Start With” on your way to a productive day:
1. Set your 3 MITs (Most Important Tasks) each morning. I write mine on a yellow index card and carry it with me at all times.
2. Single-task. When you work on a task, don’t switch to other tasks. Multitasking is a result of defocusing. If you think you can do two things at once effectively, you can’t.
3. Process your inbox to empty. This is key – don’t leave anything in it. Touch them once – then archive, convert to task requiring more time, delegate, complete…
4. Check email just twice a day. And let everyone know it.
5. Exercise 5-10 minutes a day.
6. Work while disconnected, with no distractions. Close Outlook. Turn-off the notifier. Focus.
7. Follow a morning routine.
8. Eat more fruits and veggies every day.
9. Keep your desk decluttered.
10. Say no to commitments and requests that aren’t on your Short List.
11. Declutter your house for 15 minutes a day.
12. Stick to a 5-sentence limit for emails.
Essentially, the key is to focus. And I wholeheartedly agree. I am one of those people who work really well when I have a few large tasks to accomplish, but begin to lose focus if I have several smaller tasks to accomplish that I’m constantly switching between. For me, making and sticking to a prioritized to do list every day is my key to productivity.
What are your key productivity habits?