Change is coming, and we’re not just talking about the color of the leaves. As September 23rd marks the first day of fall, it’s no surprise that many people associate fall with change, impermanence and balance. Additionally, something about the new crisp air is inspiring and invigorating.
As we leave the hot summer days behind us, it’s time for a change of pace. And with the temperature dropping, we’re starting to feel especially productive with our sights set high on what we’d like to accomplish before the holidays set in – Because we all know how infamously demotivating turkey can be.
So, here are 5 tips to take full advantage of this fall momentum:
- Set “time-of-day” based goals a little earlier if you can.
We’ve all noticed the sun inching down earlier in the day, so trying to accomplish certain tasks before this starts to happen might help keep up with the day’s energy and savor some of that sunlight. Sending all important emails before lunch time is a great place to start!
- Utilize your travel time.
Whether you make a daily commute or simply travel a lot for work, travel hours can add up. Plus, for a lot of people, holidays mean traveling. Utilizing this time can help you stay focused, avoid interruptions and check small tasks off of your to do list. Or, if you want to stay engaged but need a little break – you can use this time to do some research by reading, or listening to that audio book that’s been sitting in your phone for 6 months! Bryan Guido Hassin found this so useful, he established “Airplane Days” for himself.
- Set aside time for daily activities like checking your email.
We’ve all been in the middle of doing something and then bam! All of the sudden we’ve lost our focus and our inbox is open and we don’t even know how it got there. For many of us, checking email is such a habit that we fail to see how big of a distraction it can actually be. In order to avoid this and make sure we’re actually reading our important emails (instead of mindlessly skimming through as a way to take a break), Harvard Business Review suggests creating an “Email Budget” for yourself. Set aside a certain amount of time (10-15 minutes) a few times a day devoted to checking email. This ensures that you are staying in control of your tasks and time, instead of the other way around.
- Follow David Allen’s 2 minute rule.
David Allen’s theory is that if something can be done in 2 minutes or less, you should do it then. This eliminates the inefficiency with waiting since it will cut out the time it takes to re-familiarize yourself with the task enough to organize and complete it. Not only will this make you more efficient, it will de-clutter your to-do list and free up your headspace.
- PRIORITIZE.
We know you know, but here’s a friendly reminder that prioritization is key to success. Let be honest, no matter how invigorating fall can be, crisp air and colored leaves will not buy you more time from now until the end of the year. Maybe we can learn something from the way the trees shed their leaves and start to clear out the clutter to create a fresh, workable space. Pick a project or two and give them your all. A great project to focus on (and a great way to start to wrap up a productive year) is collecting and analyzing any 2015 data that will provide insight and help you with your 2016 goals. Think of this as a way to finish up a project, while also getting a head start on the upcoming year’s goals. It’s a win-win.
We hope that these tips help your productivity so you can focus more time on friends, football, festivities and everything else fall brings!
| Check out these posts for more productivity hacks: |
| 5 Ways to Keep your Contacts Organized |
| Your rezora Email Checklist |
