In another of my occasional series on time management and productivity, I want to talk to you today about building habits.
It is said we have to do something a minimum of 20 times before it becomes a habit. Once it becomes a habit, it’s almost like it is in our muscle memory, and therefore we do it automatically.
So, identify one thing that you want to do to improve your productivity.
Let’s say it is to not read your email as soon as you get into the office and tackle a really important task that needs doing instead.
Firstly, you need to make sure email is turned off on your computer before you leave the office each night – turning it on will become a conscious decision. Then write a post it note and stick it on your computer screen saying no email until after 10am, or whatever time works for you.
And finally, add a reminder that pops up daily to remind yourself.
It is going to be hard, but try to stick with it for at least 20 days and see what happens. I am willing to bet it will get easier and by the third week you will notice an increase in your productivity.
Obviously, you can replace email reading with anything you have identified. But just tackle one thing at a time, don’t try to radically change everything at once.