What do you like to do more than anything else? What do you absolutely hate doing? How would your life be different if you could do whatever you wanted all of the time and never have to worry about doing the things you loathe? Probably pretty good, right? Yes...and...no.
Come on. Let's think about it for a second. If life was all butterflies and rainbows - and you never had any responsibilities - it'd probably get a little dull. You might not believe me at first but it's true. There's really no doubt it when you stop and ponder it for a second.
Laundry Rack Folding
At the same time though, avoiding extra stress and getting things done quickly and easily (especially the less-than-enjoyable stuff) is never a bad thing. Not only does it leave more room for you to do exactly whatever it is that you actually enjoy doing, but it also keeps your more relaxed - which ultimately leads to greater happiness. This is a big thing to remember when it comes to staying motivated at being productive and getting stuff done: the better you are at doing what you hate, the more often you can do what you love. That's why this stuff is so important. It's a big reminder I use when my productivity starts lagging.
But work sucks though, right? Sure. It can. Whether it's the "necessary evil" stuff involved in going to work, maintaining a business, or staying in shape - or the "part of life" stuff like trying to maintain relationships or work on extra projects, work - and life - can get dreadful when you get bogged down.
So don't get bogged down then, right? Right. And don't ever bust your ass, just try to avoid work, and attempt to be lazy as often as possible then, right? Not quite...
Not that sipping mojitos on the beach for the rest of your days is bad if that's your thing. It's just this: you have to realize that doing what you want to do - whether it's a whole lot of nothing, a bunch of hustle and bustle, or whatever, is always going to be a byproduct of getting stuff done that you have to do fast and efficiently. Side note here: I'm going to assume that regardless of what your version of work is, it's something that you don't want to do. In fact, there's a very good chance that you hate it. I'm not saying that you must loathe all work, but since what most people do in their free time is the opposite of what they have to do, there's a good chance (unless they're lucky) that hating or at least not optimally enjoying those responsibilities is probably the norm. But the key - again, this has to be emphasized - is that doing what you hate (or simply may not like, i.e. responsibilities) is going to potentiate your ability to do whatever the hell it is you would do if nothing stood in your way.
So if being lazy and vegging out is your thing, then have at it. Just realize that the fact is simply that intermittent effort will help you get done what needs to be done and allow you to have more time that can be spent doing what you love.
So, in an effort to free up more time to do the things you prefer to do, let's get to work. Detailed below are my 7 tips for getting things done fast. Here's to productivity.
1. Figure out what's most important in your life - this is the most important step when it comes to getting things done because every single other step that follows is contingent upon this. You have to determine what's most important and where your priorities lie (and if they're in the wrong place, straighten things out). Assuming you know what is most substantial, you can then create a hierarchy of tasks based on their significance. The easiest way to do this is to figure out which tasks are just plain important as well as which ones are prerequisites for other to do's. Then, simply tackle the tasks that matter the most as well as those that need to get done before anything else can be completed.
2. Batch your Tasks - once you have created a hierarchy to help with task importance, the next step is to look at what things can (or need to) be done together. This is related to both which things can be done together because you have the time, or freedom during a particular period, but also, which things should be done together purely out of convenience. Whenever I'm trying to get stuff done, batching is very significant for me because it greatly improves efficiency and time organization in general. For instance, I consider Sundays to be a "catch up" day.
This means that I tend to pile a bunch of my to dos together and tackle them all on this day. Since there typically isn't a whole lot of hustle and bustle on this day (and I chill at home for the most part) I try to get "domestic" chores done all together. This includes laundry, cleaning, sleeping in, and more cleaning. And it makes perfect sense. Although I totally loathe laundry and should outsource it, throwing threads in the washer and taking them out in a timely fashion is entirely dependent on staying at the house. So this is exactly what I do - and during the few hours that it takes to get a few loads of laundry done I stick around the pad and clean. I take care of stuff that has to be done while I'm at home because, well, I have to stick around.
3. Use the Pareto Principle - the pareto principle is relevant in many realms of life, but it's super important when it comes to productivity. If you're not aware of the pareto principle (or even if you are and could maybe use a reminder) here's the deal. It's the same thing as the 80/20 principle and it means (for our purposes) that 20 percent of your effort will produce 80 percent of your results. You could also say that the most important portion of your to do's comes from 20 percent of your total efforts. Think about it this way: most of your results comes from few of your efforts. If you can get most of your stuff done, getting the rest finished is normally a breeze.
4. Use Parkinson's Law - this one is huge. Parkinson's law is the idea that work expands to fill the time available for it's completion. This might at first sound a little esoteric or even supernatural, but it's rock solid truth. I'm not saying that work is mercurial and grows and shrinks entirely on it's own. What I am saying is that you are the master of your fate, whether we're talking about your life's mission or simply what you want to accomplish on a particular day. So really, the work doesn't expand to fill time on it's own. You make the work expand when you forget to set deadlines.
Get it now? And, honestly, how true is this? When you fail to set a deadline for the thing you are trying to get done, your pace is slower, your focus is less honed, and your motivation ebbs and flows like the tide. Let's make one thing clear: you don't want your motivation to be here one minute and gone the next! While some drops in drive are natural (and unavoidable), you want to have clear focused ambition and energy when you need it. The beautiful thing about using Parkinson's Law is that by design, it allows you to maximize productivity because you set the proper work pace. Setting your deadlines too soon? You'll get the work done (or not) but the quality will suffer.
Setting your deadlines too far out? You'll labor over the smallest details and lose sight of your end goal; or you'll get lazy and never complete the things you need done at all. That's why you have to tinker with the deadlines a bit, but as long as you set a target date or time that gives you just enough time to get your stuff done, you'll be good to go. You'll get more done in less time whereas without Parkinson's Law you'd get less (or nothing) done and time spent would actually be irrelevant.
5. Trivialize the Unimportant - at first this might sound like a misnomer, but here's the juice: trivializing the unimportant sounds obvious and can be easy to understand logically, but you have to. actually. DO IT! Getting rid of all of the crap in your life, closing your ears to all of the noise, and narrowing your focus to lie on the few significant things in your life is incredibly powerful. Most people even understand why it makes perfect sense. The problem is that most individuals are too unorganized or undisciplined to do it. Here's the really cool part though: you don't have to be ultra organized and ultra disciplined to just make that first leap of discovery about what matters. Sure, I like to be organized and being disciplined is good too, but if you lack both of these traits from the get go, the idea isn't to try to change your whole persona overnight.
The simplest way to get started with trivializing the unimportant is to figure out what really matters. Once you've got this figured out you have to categorize all of these items as your 5%. Then ask yourself do these things really comprise the top five percent of important stuff in my life? If they do, great. If, on the other hand, you placed some things in that category that don't matter, then get rid of them. By the same token, if there are some important things that you left out then add them in. The objective is to narrow your focus down to the most important stuff in your life. The rest (yes, the remaining 95%) is not that important and was probably taking up valuable emotional and physical space in your life. The key is to focus on the significant 5% and forget the trivial 95% because most things in life are just that - trivial.
6. Visualize achievement - this is an incredibly powerful strategy for getting things done and it's one that is often overlooked. Most people have heard of visualization but they either don't believe it will work for them or they simply fail to commit to giving it a shot. There are a ton of studies out there indicating that visualization can be used effectively for everything from combating illness to improving outlook and productivity. The problem with people and their lack of results is that they rarely are consistent with this practice - if they try it at all. Here's the thing though - visualizing doesn't have to take a lot of concentration and it doesn't have to take a ton of time.
It doesn't really need to involve much work at all. In fact, when it comes to visualizing for getting things done, you don't have to do much at all. The easiest strategy I've found is to visualize the goal or task as already completed. That's right, meditate on the idea that whatever you are trying to get done is already done. Sounds simple, but it's amazingly effective. Here's why: most people who have something to do that they are really anxious about don't even like to think about the process of doing it. (sidenote: you need to make sure your aversion to doing something isn't a result of it being incongruent with your long term goals or moral code) Assuming you simply resent the mere idea of doing something simply because you think it will be hard or time consuming, this type of visualization is for you and you should get fired up about it.
Once you've held the idea of the thing being done in your mind - and you've viewed the task or goal as already completed - you will be much more likely to actually get it done in reality. The reason is two fold: first off, you'll be more motivated and less apprehensive about all of the sequential steps involved in getting it done. Secondly, you will have almost made yourself believed that the thing was already done. This means that unless you want to experience a lot of internal conflict or frustration, you'll just do it.
7. Do a little bit each day - this is another little tip that might seem obvious but it's extremely effective and easy to follow. Whether we're talking about tidying up your work space, doing chores, or getting stuff done on the job, the fact is that pacing yourself is important. Too often we get caught up in the idea that something needs to be done immediately. We get stressed because whatever it is that we're tying to accomplish isn't done (and we wanted it done yesterday). This is where letting go of the white-knuckle grip you have on your to do list is crucial. Realize that while having a deadline is good, you have have to set a realistic time frame for getting your stuff done. Then break up your task into smaller pieces and, well, simply do a little bit each day. Give yourself enough time and keep in mind that giving yourself a little longer to get something done is probably better than rushing if it means that quality is compromised.
Getting things done doesn't have to be hard, no matter what you're trying to accomplish. If you set your expectations from the start, pace yourself, hone efficiency, and avoid distractions you'll be on the right rack. Decide what you want the next five, ten and even twenty years to look like for you and break that vision down into it's component parts. Figure out what steps you need to follow to get there, turn off the noise in your life, and get started.
Black Friday Whitmor Folding Clothes Drying Rack, White 2011 Deals
Nov 17, 2011 12:00:39
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Black Friday Whitmor Folding Clothes Drying Rack, White Feature
- White clothes drying rack to save energy and help clothes last longer
- Clever accordion design made from coated steel for durability
- Waterproof epoxy coating helps eliminate stains and mildew
- Lightweight and easy to drop into position for use; folds flat for storage
- Measures 14-1/2 by 29-1/2 by 41-3/4 inches; also available in chrome
Black Friday Whitmor Folding Clothes Drying Rack, White Overview
Holds up to 40 lbs with a frame that easily sets up and folds away for easy storage. Epoxy steel hanging bars and frame create 25' of drying space. Epoxy coated steel hanging bars and frame. 14.50x29.50x41.75.SAVE NOW on Black Friday offers below!
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