10 Tips for a Productive Day

Apr 022011
 
 April 2, 2011  Office, Organising, Planning, Schedule Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,  Comments Off

I believe having a productive day is all down to planning, prioritising and focusing.  Check out my tips below:

  1. At the end of your working day write out your “To Do” list for tomorrow and prioritise the tasks using the MoSCoW System (see previous blog for further information – ‘Week 2 – Prioritising’)
  2. Work out a timetable for the next day (see previous post – ‘Weekly Timetable – Upgraded’)
  3. The night before prepare your things for the next day e.g. clothes, laptop, papers, tickets etc.
  4. Ensure you have a good night’s sleep
  5. Start your day with a healthy breakfast
  6. Look at your “To Do” List and Daily Planner first thing. Get started straight away
  7. Take regular breaks but keep them short
  8. Avoid distractions like Facebook, MySpace, personal calls
  9. Take a lunch break away from your desk
  10. Be positive

Have a productive day!

Go on Holiday – You Deserve It!!

Mar 012011
 
 March 1, 2011  Office, Organising, Personal Assistant, Planning, Schedule, Twitter Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  Comments Off

For many working people taking a break can seem almost impossible.  I am not just talking about a coffee break or lunch but also a holiday.  Can you even remember what one of those is?

Ok, so you probably do take a holiday but is it really a true break?  I can just see you now stopping at the service station to check tweets, at the airport quickly checking your email before the plane takes off, searching the guide book for wifi zones.  This is not a holiday and you really must stop this as it is not good for you.

Come on you work hard all year round and this is your chance to forget about work. With careful planning you can really have that break you deserve.

If you follow me on Twitter you’ll know that the last two months have been madness for me.  Juggling a household full of sick people and a demanding work schedule there has been very little play time for me.  Feeling zapped of energy a break from the daily emails, calls and work load was well and truly needed.

I knew that there were certain client tasks coming up so a whole week was out of the question but with careful planning I was able to block out days to have two long weekends. And wow it was amazing, no emails, no calls, no daily task lists just pure freedom.  We enjoyed walks on the beach, trips to museums, lazy breakfasts, long lunches and lots more.

Not being tied to my desk, going from one thing to another, constantly checking the time was a chance to recharge those batteries.

I am back at work today and loving it!

Weekly Timetable – Upgraded

Jan 232011
 
 January 23, 2011  Free, Office, Organising, Personal Assistant, Planning, Schedule, Template Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,  Comments Off

Next week is set to be a busy week and I will need my weekly planner more than ever to ensure everything is accomplished.  The timetable has been a huge success so I’ve now upgraded to an Excel spreadsheet.  This means that I always have a copy with me and others can be printed off to be placed on my office wall and kitchen pinboard.

Below you can see my schedule for the week ahead.  For client confidentiality details of specific tasks have been deleted.

Personal Assistant Weekly ScheduleI like to start the week knowing what is going on and by transferring diary entries to the weekly timetable along with a plan of tasks to complete I feel prepared.   Not all time is allocated to a job or task, however much I like to be organised I am not that much of a control freak!  There also has to be a degree of flexibility for those unexpected issues.

Below is a Timetable Template which you may like to use for yourself.

Weekly Schedule Template

Improve Your Business with Good Housekeeping

Aug 142009
 
 August 14, 2009  Mac, Office, Organising, PC, Personal Assistant, Planning, Schedule, Twitter Tagged with: , , , , , , , , ,  Comments Off

Daily Task ListGood time management and planning help to improve business along with good housekeeping.


Keep task lists, plan your time and set yourself realistic time frames. Don’t flit between jobs and tasks, you will lose the thread and often feel that you haven’t accomplished anything.

Below is a list, which although may seem very basic will help you to be in control and free up time for paid work.

  1. Allocated days or hours where you will complete tasks. E.g. beginning of the month sort out your accounts, Friday morning file. Once a month or once a week update your contacts, banking on a Friday, stock take on a Monday…whatever suits your needs
  2. First thing in the morning and after 3pm is a good time to make phone calls as most people are at their desk
  3. Set your email to check at certain times of the day so you are not interrupted every time an email comes in
  4. A good filing system will save time
  5. An organised office is essential, have everything to hand that is needed regularly
  6. A task list is very important and try to prioritise.
  7. If you enjoy Social Media use it but set yourself times throughout the day when you will go on – I love #elevensestime and #afternoontea.

How do you manage your time?