Q:Every day I come to work with the best of intentions, but things keep getting in the way. The small things. Busy work. How do I actually clear my productivity calendar?
A:I know what you're talking about. I call them low leverage activities. They include wasted meetings, activities others should be doing for themselves, extended phone calls, and chasing things you need because you are unorganized. These are activities that do not lead to the desired results. Most people burn 15-20 hours a week doing things they shouldn't be doing. If you want the best results, you need to be more organized and deliberate.
Think about how much time you spend doing the things that really matter most, then think about all the activities you do that cause you to lose your time every day. This can be a real problem. Let me give you my four keys to eliminating distractions.
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1. Make good daily to-do lists.
2. Be as organized as possible.
3. Plan your time on your calendar! (To own your calendar, you must learn to say "no" to certain things.)
4. Audit yourself constantly. At the end of the day, ask how did I do? Was I actually productive and focused on results, or did I just do a ton of activity? Activities don't count! The results do!
