We all wish we could fold time so we could have twice as many hours to whittle down our constantly growing to-do list. And guess what? While you can’t actually change the space-time continuum, you can develop a system based on your own unique qualities that will make it feel like you can.
In a recent MeetingsNet webinar, I shared these three practical strategies you can implement today to get more done—to become your own productivity superhero!
1. Conquer the world in 15 minutes. Are you saying, “But Neen, there’s no time.”? You’re right: No one has an hour any more. But everyone has 15 minutes. Think about all you can do in 15 minutes! Clear emails—boom! Make a phone call—yes! Call a property to organize a walk-through—yep!
Invest in a 15-minute strategic appointment with yourself every morning and choose your top three, non-negotiable activities to complete before your head hits the pillow tonight and voila, instant superhero status!
2. Say No. I hear you saying, “Neen, I don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings” or “I don’t want to disappoint people.” I know, I know! But “no” can be your new best friend when it comes to productivity.
No is a complete sentence. We need to say “no” more often so we can say “yes” and give our attention to those things that really matter.
That’s my focus. My very simple “why.” I use the very simplicity to determine where I want to spend my time, which in turn becomes a filtering system for time choices. What do you need to say no to so that you can focus on the things, people, projects, and events that are most important to you?
3. Schedule recovery time. As busy meeting professionals, we are always standing in service of everyone else. Make time for you.
When you are planning a huge event or meeting, schedule a recovery appointment for yourself. That might involve time with your family, or time at the spa (my fave), or a catch up with a girlfriend. What do you need to do to top up your energy and feel strong for the next big event or project? Protecting your mental and physical energy is vital if you want to be a productivity superhero and save the world, one event at a time!
Some of my go-to apps to make life easier (and to help you get more done include:
Cozi—a shopping app you can share with your family for grocery shopping and calendar management.
Freedom—a website-blocking app
Moment—but only use this one if you want to scare yourself by seeing how much time you spend on your device daily
Hootsuite—to pre-schedule tweets for your events and manage multiple conversations
If you want to be a productivity superhero, choose one of these strategies, and implement it, and then tweet me @neenjames and copy @MeetingsNet and let me know what you implemented!
Don’t forget—you don’t have time to do everything. You only have time to do what matters.
Wishing you success and superhero productivity status in 2017. I’m here to help!
