Top 7 Ways To Save Time And Hit Your Numbers Faster

Time is the scarcest resource. The say Time is Money. I say Time is Budget. Investing your time in stuff that matters will help you achieve more with less. It will help you complete your daily tasks on time, you will be able to work 40 hours workweek, spend more time with family, play your favorite video game few times a week, and live more fulfilling life. Allocating strict time boxes for stuff that matters helped me to do it all and some more. It surely can help you too. Here is the plan.

1. Say more No than Yes.
   
   Or say conditional Yes's. "Hey, can you write this report?" – "Sure, no probs. I am in the in the middle of other report you asked me to complete, should I postpone it?" – "Ehm… no, please continue to work on it, it is much more important."
   
   
2. Prioritize.
   
   Same as Tip #1 but self directed. You are your biggest distraction. When you write that report for your boss – just write it. No Internet, no Dilbert, no phone calls, no chit-chat, no nothing. Focus on what you have to do right now. Context switches will kill you. Prioritize and focus on what's important right now.
   
   
3. Keep cool.
   
   Yes, emotional intelligence (EQ) turned out to be both the biggest catalyst and drainer for me. When I am cool I can focus and I can say easily No to noise. When I am angry or impulsive I spend my precious energy on non-productive activities that last for long time, dead time. Keep cool, practice EQ. Failed? – do not be mad, learn what was wrong and avoid it in future. Succeeded? – Celebrate!
   
   
4. Kill dead time.
   
   There is plenty dead time around you. Look around. You are sitting and waiting for a file to complete download. You are sitting and waiting for a customer that is late. You are sitting and waiting for… Look around yourself, there is plenty completely dead time around you. Kill it! Have something handy to do. Have self help book in your pocket, subscribed to helpful RSS feed and download it offline – it will be available for read anytime. Turn dead time in productive time.
   
   
5. Build your network.
   
   Invest in making connection and creating you virtual team of peers. How? Make your move first, offer value, help other, create trust. Be there when they need it and they will be there when you need them. This investment will help you complete more complex tasks in even less time – surefire way on your fast way up.
   
   
6. Test yourself.
   
   Relax. Escape the rat race. Pause and reflect. Ask yourself "Am I on track? Am I doing the right thing? How does it contribute to stuff that matters?" Then ask others same questions. What they see from there you do not see from here. Put yourself at test constantly – annually, monthly, weekly, daily. Avoid investing time in something that never gets you result or gets you very little.
   
   
7. Productize yourself.
   
   Even most creative workers like poets, painters, film makers – you name it – have procedures to follow. It is hard work to be creative. That is why they try to make it routine. When you follow your routine you do it faster - both effectively and efficiently. Productize yourself. Create procedures for common tasks and follow it, write it down and do not be ashamed to read it aloud when you need it.

Alik Levin is a Principal Consultant with Consulting Services at one of the world's largest software company. He spends his time helping customers design, build, test, and deploy faster and more secure information systems. Fast. Alik likes to constantly learn how stuff works and how it breaks. When Alik is not focused on Software Performance he is completely dedicated to Personal Performance happily sharing practices that get him results at http://www.PracticeThis.com where you can easily contact him.