What do you hate to do?

For all of us there are pieces of our lives that we don't enjoy doing. It can be in our personal lives or in our jobs. These are the things that we put off, procrastinate on and allow to pile up and the longer we ignore them the more daunting it looks. Often when we do tackle what we don't like to do we are grossly inefficient at it. After all we are not motivated to get it done. For those who are normally disciplined it creates dissonance knowing that the pile of stuff accumulating in a corner of the office is unattended to.

Even when we are in our perfect job there is a percentage of our time (20 to 40%) that requires us to attend to things that drain rather than fill us. For me it is taking care of small details. At periods of my life I have had administrative assistants who loved the details (a great blessing to me). At other times I have had to do them myself. I just don't enjoy doing them so it is easy to put them off. For some it is phone calls, for others meetings where there might be conflict. Whatever it is, it is important to deal with it.

The key to this dilemma is to develop habits (actions done enough times so they become habitual) that help us overcome our aversion and allow us to stay on top of important details. I have several suggestions.

First, schedule regular time weekly, in a block, to deal with those things that you really don't want to do. One can get a lot done in a two to three hour block of time. The key to this is to focus completely during that time so that one gets as much done as possible. When finished you have the satisfaction of knowing that a great deal has been accomplished.

Second, schedule a short period of time each day for the things that need to be done immediately but which you would otherwise be tempted to put off. 

Both of these should be in one's calendar and the more often we practice it the stronger the habit will become and the less aversion we will also have. In addition, the dissonance of undone work is no longer an issue and our tendency to procrastinate will be lessoned. It is, after all now a habit in our weekly and daily work. 

Of course we can always put this off....

5 things that get in the way of our productivity

Sometimes it is the small things that get in our way from being as productive as we could be with the time that we have. It matters because time is our most precious commodity so the more productive we are the more time away from work we have. 

Here are five simple things that can get in the way of our productivity. They are everyday issues that can be managed for better personal results.

One: Not having a plan for the day
Sounds simple but many of us head for work without thinking through the issues we will face, schedule we have or things that need to be accomplished. A twenty minute review before the day begins, or even the night before can help us prepare mentally for what needs to be accomplished that day. Even having a standard half hour to review the coming day first thing after getting to work can help remind us of what needs to completed that day. A small thing, but we forget easily.

Two: Not prioritizing our work
Not all work is created equal. In fact, some work is more important than other work but unless we take the time to prioritize and identify the most important we will often settle into the comfortable and easy - rather than doing the not so easy but most important work first. Prioritization of our energy at work separates the average from the most productive. Every day we should be able to identify what work is absolutely critical for that day, important but not critical or neither important or critical.

Three: Procrastination
Most of us are tempted to procrastinate. Some of us specialize in it - even very bright people. Procrastination is used by some to force themselves to get things done up against a deadline. However, our best work is rarely done against deadlines but when we have time to think deeply. Procrastination as a habit is really about not wanting to live with appropriate personal discipline. That will filter into other areas of life as well. Procrastination is the enemy of productivity.

Four: Constant interruptions
When someone tells me that they love to multi-task what pops into my mind is that actually they are easily bored and don't like to focus. Our minds are most productive with focus rather than multi-tasking. This is why controlling our interruptions is a healthy thing do to, especially when focusing on the most important work which usually takes the greatest concentration. Don't allow an open door policy to get in the way of your productivity. Closing the door for a period of time has many advantages.

Five: Our smart phones
It may be that our smart phones are actually making us less productive rather than more productive. The same can be said for the constant interruptions of social media, all of which distract our minds from deep work and rob us of an amazing amount of productivity. With every interruption the mind must reorganize itself to refocus on the issues we were working on. In many cases vital thoughts or insight were lost because we allowed our smart phones to distract us.

All of us are susceptible to allowing things to get in the way of our productivity. In most cases, it is our own lack of discipline that allowed our productivity to be compromised. Being aware of those issues and sensitive to them can help us become more productive.

Work harder or work smarter. Eight tips

Almost everyone I know works hard. Most, very hard. If we put as much attention into working smarter, however, we could accomplish more and free up time for other activities. After all, there is nothing more precious for most of us than time. And as we get older we realize that time with family and friends and our own development is a higher priority than spending more time in our work.

The premise of working smarter is based on a simple truth: Not all work yields the same result. The secret is knowing what practices will give us the largest return on our effort. Those individuals who are most productive practice these disciplines.

One: They prioritize and focus their energies. They take the time each day and each week to determine what are the most important tasks to complete and resist the temptation to be sidetracked by other issues that pop up and distract from the most important. They keep the main thing the main thing, stay focused and don't confuse mere activity with results.

Two: They keep track of their main priorities. They have a written or electronic system for tracking their priorities, their obligations and their progress. It is not "all in their head" which usually means we are not paying close attention to what we need to be doing. On any given day or week we ought to be able to quickly articulate what we are working on because we are keeping track of our priorities. Some will say, "But I like to multitask." Multitasking is overrated! Often it is an excuse for not staying focused and research shows that multitasking is actually a detriment to focused work.

Three. They delegate to others those things that they don't absolutely have to do. Many of us find it hard to delegate tasks we have traditionally done. Those who work smart are quick to delegate anything they don't need to personally do to capable people so that they can concentrate on what they do best. This is part of what it means to focus and to understand the unique role that we play and then make time for that role.

Four. They use their calendar to prioritize their work. If you look at the calendar of those who work smarter you see that they have put into their calendar those activities that are the most important to accomplish. They keep those commitments and use their calendar to prioritize their work. They realize that not all activities are equal. They also recognize that they must calendar their most important activities first, before other activities crowd them out.

Five. They understand the value of time
Time is the one thing that we cannot get back. Money comes and it goes but time just goes. It is a precious commodity because it represents opportunities to invest in what is most important to us. Therefor working smarter means that we use time wisely, focusing on what is most important at work so that we have time outside of work to invest in other meaningful activities and relationships. They don't waste time.

Six. They understand the value of relationships and nurture them
Healthy relationships are the foundation of life and work. Those who work smarter actively nurture relationships around them because relationships nurture trust, cooperation and teamwork.

Seven. They evaluate their work regularly
Working smarter means that we evaluate our own work critically and often. Are we focused on the right things? Are we neglecting key areas or are we spending too much time on peripheral activities because they are easier? Where do we need to recalibrate or adjust? Asking the right questions helps us to evaluate our work and adjust where necessary.

Eight. They take regular time to think
Taking time to think deeply about what we do, why we do it and how we do it is a secret of those who work smarter rather than harder. All it takes is  the intentionally to set aside time to think! Again, how we spend our time makes a difference in how we work.