Being efficient is a worthy goal in business and personal life, and it comes down to the ability to complete a project quickly and well. The ability to be consistently efficient is possibly the largest hurdle.
Creating a To-Do List
The trick to getting more things done at home or at work is to be more efficient, which may be easier than expected. It all begins by creating a plan and sticking to it. The first step when there is more than one goal awaiting completion is to make a to-do list, arranging tasks in terms of priority, with easily-completed or fun assignments interspersed around those requiring more time and effort. A list helps reinforce focus and can take the form of a spreadsheet, a legal pad, or a whiteboard. Some very effective workers start each day by compiling a list to be completed that day. By refreshing the list on a legal pad daily, not only are completed items crossed off, but attention is also drawn to every single item, bringing it to the forefront, even if only briefly, rather than remaining lost in the clutter. When the list is in the form of a spreadsheet, it can be easy to overlook some tasks. Even the few minutes required to write down every single task trigger full attention to each one, which may well spark an inspiration for how to recategorize that item from hard to easy, time-consuming to quick, daunting to “this will be a breeze.” Another plus of using a legal pad is its portability, as it can be carried from place to place, consulted during lunch, or while in a meeting. A whiteboard is an alternative to a legal pad if the list isn’t overly long or you want to focus on high-priority projects. Some folks use a large whiteboard to list tasks due that week and a smaller one to keep track of that day’s priorities. There is a large sense of satisfaction to be had when crossing off completed tasks.
Following Through
With the list in place, next comes the challenge of working it. Distractions are the main nemesis of efficiency, making mitigating them important. It’s not likely all distractions can be avoided, such as chatty coworkers, but muting the phone, closing the office door, or using sound-canceling headphones if in a cubicle or otherwise noisy environment can help create and then maintain a sense of focus. Prioritize the tasks ranging from ASAP to “whenever.” They can also be grouped from Easy to Difficult. Take care not to focus only on those projects with an impending due date; working on those due soon and on those that can be completed in a few hours, days, or weeks keeps the overall list under control. This approach also helps prevent a slew of otherwise ignored projects from suddenly all being due at once. A secret of very efficient workers is to nibble away at long-term projects in between “due soon” tasks. Another trick is to find new ways to complete tasks faster and with less effort. Bill Gates explained it this way, “I choose a lazy person to do a hard job, because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.” While laziness is not an attribute to pursue, devising more streamlined ways to accomplish a task is a worthwhile goal. This could mean enlisting assistance from others or considering alternative approaches. Another secret of efficient workers is that, unless they are brain surgeons or rocket scientists, they always strive for a great job but not necessarily for perfection. This may seem wrong, but consider that if perfection adds to the time needed to complete a task, it then delays the completion of waiting tasks. Just as it is important to look away from the computer screen every so often to avoid eye strain, take time to take breaks to get a snack or walk around the office or back yard. This is a good time to check the emails, phone calls, and texts that may have arrived while working, responding only to those that require an immediate answer and making a note to get back to the others later. Another efficiency skill is being flexible. If a project suddenly pops up that needs to be completed immediately, set aside the current task and come back to it, picking up the previous task where it was paused. Highly efficient workers know when to say “No.” Bosses will ask their most efficient workers to take on more tasks, but at some point, overload can occur, transforming the most capable person into one who is less effective.
