‘They’ say that the older you get the quicker the time goes.
This week, as Pam and I celebrate our 21st Wedding Anniversary, what ‘they’ say does seem very true to me it feels no more than about 5-years ago we stood together in front of the Registrar at Louth Town Hall, but no in reality it’s 21 years.
As I think about our big day on May 25th it also strikes me that I only just put the Christmas tree back in the loft a couple of weeks ago, but again, not so much.
In the immortal words of the little green philosopher … Kermit the Frog … “Time’s fun when you’re having flies!” That clever twist on the original saying goes to prove two things to me, first that Kermit is no muppet and second that I must be having lots of fun for time to be flying by quite so fast.
Author Brian Tracy’s hugely successful book on time management ‘Eat That Frog’ (sorry Kermit) is packed full of ways to increase your personal productivity. This short and easy to read book offers many strategies designed to help anyone who is interested to get more from their day.
For me though the one strategy that has consistently provided the greatest benefit and results is to create chunks of uninterrupted working time. I can get more done in say one hour or 90 minutes of totally focused and fully concentrated effort than I used to manage in a whole day.
You need to make sure that you have all that you need to hand so you don’t waste a second in searching for bits of paper or information on the computer. You also ensure that all distractions are eliminated and this might mean pre-warning colleagues that you are not available and putting a polite notice on your door, together with the basics like turning off e- mails and mobile phones.
If, like Pam and I, you work from home – and have cats that allow you to live with them – then you may also need to remove the little bundles of fur before you begin work. This will prevent the almost inevitable desire that they will have to lie across your keyboard right at the peak of your concentration and efforts! As I say, eliminating ALL distractions is vital.
The habit of creating these chunks of uninterrupted, highly focused work time is like a gift that keeps on giving. For a start you actually get stuff done! Then you experience the great feelings associated with achievement which make you want to do it again and so like Kermit getting things done can also be ‘fun’.