3 Ways to Positively Gain Time

Daylight Savings Time starts this weekend in most of the U.S. We “lose an hour” to supposedly gain more sunlight at the end of the day.

So how do you deal with this lost hour? And all the other lost hours of productivity at work?

Here are 3 Ways to Positively Gain Time:

Prioritiesr
Dr. Covey was fond of saying, “The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”

What are your priority tasks and activities that contribute the most to your productivity and profitability? Once you identify them, you positively gain time because your focus sharpens. You consciously aim for achieving these priorities in a timely manner that keeps your business moving forward.

Your priorities grow roots in the unique contribution you bring to your team. You do your part. Diversity among teammates unifies around these priorities with each member utilizing her/his different skill set to give wings to the company’s mission. Productive, profit-enriching activities are priorities.

Productivity
A Work Positive lifestyle coaches you to do more in an hour than many of your peers accomplish in a month. One of the keys to this productivity leverage is to understand how to set boundaries, especially around technology.

The intrusive nature of always-on, how-do-I-escape technology leaps with ease over the necessary boundaries for creating maximum productivity today. To be more productive so you generate more profit, you must choose to erect boundaries like turning off your automatic updates and notifications, setting appointments with yourself to return emails and voicemails, using the DND and off buttons regularly, and other such attention-defining activities. Multi-tasking is a myth. Intuitively you know it. Doing something consciously to rein it in is your next step.

Profitr
The obvious profit metric is money. More money equals better priorities and productivity.

What about other metrics? A less tangible but important profit is your personal satisfaction with a job well done that calls upon your native talents. This profit insures your continuing emotional engagement with your work.
Also, you profit from work activities that align with and give expression to your core values. You benefit from opportunities that give expression to your integrity or other such values.

Such profits that grow from your productivity and priorities prompt you to gain time to invest with your family and friends. And that’s how you create your Work Positive lifestyle!