This is the key to being productive

The key to being productive is to use your time wisely. Time wasted is time that can never be recovered, so get organized and use all of your day to maximum efficiency.

The first step in organizing your time wisely is to put together a to-do list, so you know exactly what tasks need to be completed each day. Rank each job in order of priority and put the most important or least favorite task at the top of your list to get it out of the way.

Use the gaps in your day to do small tasks. For example, you could load the washing machine or dishwasher while you’re “on hold” making a phone call, or send e-mails from your phone while you’re in line at the supermarket checkout.

As a sidebar…

Grocery shopping is a terrible time-waster. Ordering stuff online and getting it delivered at a time that’s convenient to you is much more efficient. Believe me when I tell you it’s well worth the service charge!

If you commute, put the time you spend traveling to good use. If you take the train, bus or subway, use the time to catch up on correspondence or to compose your to-do list for the day ahead. If you drive to and from work, then obviously you’re more limited as to what you can do, but you can still use your ears while keeping your eyes on the road. Listen to podcasts or audio books. I know of a guy with an hour long commute in each direction who is using the time to learn to speak Italian. Pretty neat – or as he would say now: “Molto bene!”

Despite what I’ve just said, you should quit “multitasking”. It’s fine to fill the gaps in your time, but concentrate on one thing at a time so you can do it more efficiently.