Archive: March, 2015

productivity tips

Productivity – Go Further, Faster Tips Part 1

Productivity and maximising it are essential in a busy world with a multitude of tasks and constantly shifting priorities. Here are a few pointers to help you get more productive.

1. Plan out your list of things to do the night before – you’ll wake up feeling organized and knowing what you have to do

2. Jot down any creative ideas as soon as you wake up – your subconscious has been busy processing information overnight. Trust it. And remember that in order to have good ideas, you first need a lot of ideas
3. Take 3 full slow breaths, hold and then exhale slowly and fully whilst still lying in bed

Meditate

4. Meditate – for 10mins during the day. Sitting down, place your focus on a small object in front of you, close your eyes, breathe, pay attention to your breath as it comes into and out of your body. Allow the myriad of thoughts to criss cross and do what they will. Don’t try to control your thoughts, you can’t. Just acceptwhatever is going on within you and don’t judge it.
5. Hum quietly, imperceptibly as you walk around throughout your day – it keeps you in a good mood and we get more done when in a good mood
6. Delete frivolous apps on your phone – return your phone, tablet, laptop to being a functional device, not your primary source of entertainment tool. Similarily never watch the TV idly – record shows you
7. use the odd 10 minutes here and there to get something done as opposed to checking twitter – make that call or say hello to that new recruit you haven’t spoken to yet.
8. have a proper lunch – not just a rubbish sandwich in triangular plastic wrapping. get out, eat well, meet a friend, move around, have a change of scene

Have Effective Meetings

9. don’t have meetings for the sake of it – half of meetings in business are a pointless waste of time. replace with a quick conversation wherever possible
10. take meetings for a walk wherever possible – mediators often take a heated party in a dispute for a walk and it’s amazing how calming a walk can be. Also, when struggling with a problem and desperately looking for a solution, going for a walk can give a new perspective on the issue
Sartaj Garewal is the founder of Dynamic Presenting – a creative, leadership development consultancy, adapting theatre training to create leadership programs for business.

Dynamic Presenting – Enabling Powerful Communication