1. Plan goals for the day. What are your goals for the day? How much time do you think needs to be allotted for each goal to be completed? Make sure that your plan is realistic and fits into your work schedule. Allow extra wiggle room for things that will invariably come up. In the planning phase, avoid being optimistic about finishing your goals quickly – chances are that some of your goals will take longer to complete (this is commonly known as the planning fallacy).
2. Keep a time journal. Keep a log of how you are spending your time. Have a timer go off every hour and write down how you spent your time during that hour. This exercise is a chance for you to observe without judgment what is actually happening during the course of a typical workday and will be important for reflection later on.
3. Reflect on accomplishments. How did your day go? Did you meet your goals? If not, why? Use your journal to help you reflect and learn about yourself. You are the greatest source of insight into your performance.
4. Redefine goals. Take a look at what you actually achieved, and what obstacles you encountered. If your goals were different than what you actually achieved, you need to ask yourself why, and whether you need to create a more realistic set of goals.
5. Prioritize tasks. Choosing to make something a priority means that you’re choosing to make other important things less of a priority. Everything in your daily goals should be of the highest priority. When something unplanned comes up during your day, ask yourself if it’s truly more important than your pre-scheduled task list.
Need help evaluating your workplace? Contact me at denglander@workstreamsystems.com or 443-450-3529 for a free productivity assessment and checklist.