Powerful habits of highly productive people

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People... Putting off tasks only results in complications, since you´ll feel guilty and let negative thoughts occupy precio

By Andreas von

der Heydt

Senior Executive, Marketing Expert, Leadership & Executive Coach, LinkedIn Influencer, Author, Speaker

Today´s (business) world is more

complex, ambiguous, and demanding

than ever before

At the same time our working days

have only so many hours

Fortunately! I strongly argue

that it´s not the smartest thing

to add hours in order to increase

output Instead we should ponder

about how to work more

effectively and efficiently

The good news is that everyone

can apply some very powerful

strategies and techniques to

increase personal productivity

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

Many people strive for the "perfect“

outcome Bad (and good) news:

Perfectionism does not exist in an

imperfect world So, no need to

over-analyze and to reflect too much learn

on the go, and constantly improve Only

if you move you can improve and

perform

Give procrastination no chance Putting off tasks only results in complications, since you´ll feel guilty and let negative thoughts occupy precious mental space which you would need instead for drafting action plans and focusing on

execution

Organize yourself and

pro-actively protect your

agenda Do not be afraid

of saying "No" to

colleagues, peers, and

even your line manager if

necessary Do it tactfully

by giving background

information and agreeing

on next steps

Working from home is

another highly effective

strategy for

time-sensitive and complex

project work

During your work day I recommend

setting aside enough time (as a minimum 20-30% of total time) for

unforeseen tasks, for responding to

mails, phone calls, etc Have 3-4

daily slots of about 15-20 minutes

each when you check and answer

mails, phone calls, etc

Often it´s as easy as just writing a

quick to-do list before leaving the

office or going to bed

In order to become more productive you need to plan ahead your tasks and set up

a schedule Already plan your next day

the evening before

(4) Set-up rules that will be

automatically applied to an email

when it arrives (filtering)

Some key techniques:

(1) Set 3-4 fixed times during the day

to check your email

(2) Turn off the desktop

alerts that ping every time a

new message comes in

(3) Use the "two-minute-rule,“ i.e if

you can deal with an email within two

minutes then do so But if more time

is needed move the message to your

pending folder to action later;

To manage various tasks and/or projects

you can start with Microsoft either Outlook

Tasks or OneNote As a daily overview it´s

pretty efficient, since you get due dates,

task descriptions, priorities at a glance etc

If you and your team want to

bring your time and project

management skills to a new level

you might want to try a more

sophisticated tool like Toggl

Another good tool helping you to

ensure that you track what you do

is Rescue Time which lets you know

exactly how much time you spend

on which daily tasks

Meetings are one of the biggest time-sucks around Try to follow these meeting rules

to improve efficiency:

No meetings longer than one hour

No meetings with more than 8 participants

No meetings without agenda and minutes

No meetings with more than 5 topics

too many tasks at

the same time often

causes stress and

can even damage the

brain

Third, organize information unsubscribe from some newsletters, concentrate on consulting only 3-5 news sources, questioning RSS feeds, and limit the consumption of media and news to a maximum of 30

-minutes per day

First, keep your desk spotless

Second, set up an efficient filing

system and make quick and

straightforward decisions: take

action, file it (if you need to take

action within next 2 weeks), trash

it (aim at a daily trash rate of

80% or more) Take all notes

with your laptop or PC

We humans are designed

to sleep and wake in cycles Various studies have shown that we best function when our internal

cycles are synchronized with those of the external world.

well-Most importantly, you should plan your day accordingly

if you are an early riser (early bird) or a very late setter (night owl), i.e someone who gets to her peak performance only later during the day (or at night)

Rule: Never ever have your lunch at

your work space or in front of your

desktop or laptop You will not enjoy

neither your lunch nor work properly

on the task at hand

Break down your tasks into

smaller and digestible bits and

pieces Take it step by step

Take every 90 minutes scheduled 10-15 minutes breaks to improve concentration (why not going for a short walk during lunch break?)

I strongly suggest using the SMART formula for setting goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely)

whenever you reach a goal or

deadline give yourself a reward

Whether it be a dinner with a friend,

going to the movies, buying a new

book, give yourself a reward to

work towards This gives your work

or project a much more positive

twist and fits very well with human

nature

Research has provided exciting evidence for the influence of dietary factors on specific molecular systems and mechanisms that maintain and even develop mental functions For instance, a diet that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids is garnering appreciation for supporting cognitive processes in humans In contrast, simple sugars, like those found in junk foods, are unhealthy and good only for quick bursts of energy but not for

longer work periods

Physical exercise, even walking,

helps memory and thinking

through both direct and indirect

means

The benefits of exercise come directly from its ability to reduce insulin resistance, reduce inflammation, and stimulate the release of growth factors

Indirectly, exercise improves mood, sleep, concentration, focus, and reduces stress

and anxiety

Enough sleep is super important to realize a high level of productivity Try to avoid using your laptop or smartphone one to two hours before going to bed Much better preparing yourself in quiet for a good sleep by having done some sports, having gone for a walk, or having taken a relaxing bath or warm shower Also, expose yourself to lots of bright light during the day This will boost your ability to sleep at night (plus boost your mood and alertness during the day).

Make sure that once or twice a week you put 10 to 15 minutes aside to review whether your daily activities and your weekly schedule are consistently aligned with your overall goals If not, change your agenda to reflect back to what you really want

to achieve in life In case of doubt, just look at your personal life vision and mission statement It always will give you the reassurance you might need from time to time

Do What You Love And Love What You Do

Use A Planner And

Tracker To Ensure Working

On The Right Things

Get Enough Sleep

Exercise Regularly

Eat Healthy

Set Realistic Goals And Reward Yourself

Chunk Down Your Work Day

Respect Your Biorhythm

Embrace Lean

Avoid Perfectionism

Tackle Difficult Tasks First

Do Not Allow Interruptions And Say No

Be A Pro Active Planner

Handle Emails Smartly

Manage Meetings Smartly

Stop Multitasking

Uber-© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

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USA UK Germany Spain

Italy France Japan Canada India

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Senior Executive, Marketing Expert,

Leadership & Executive Coach,

LinkedIn Influencer, Author, Speaker

linkedin.com/in/avonderheydt

twitter.com/ConsumGoodsClub slideshare.net/AndreasvonderHeydt

youtube.com/user/BlondJames007

soundcloud.com/andreas-700932257 iTunes Podcast – Leadership XXL

facebook.com/ConsumerGoodsClub

© Andreas von der Heydt – Powerful Habits of Highly Productive People

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