Until you are really aware of how much output you’re getting out of your daily tasks, you have no idea what’s up. There are many types of awareness, that provide feedback and input to everything that you do and your overall productivity. Once you start becoming aware of these different types of awareness, then you can see the right path and start taking it by your own choice.
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This is enabling you to make the right decisions and get maximum efficiency out of your life. These four kinds of awareness really will boost your productivity and give you tools that you can use today.
#1: How Much Time You Spend Preparing For A Project
Think of the last time you started a major project or even a little bitty project at home. About how many minutes did you spend in preparation and thinking about what you were going to get done. 5, 10, maybe 15? Well those are all probably wrong. It probably should be hours, depending on the overall output your trying to achieve.
Brian Tracy has said that the first 10% that you put into a project will completely determine how the next 90% goes. If you’re willing to spend that extra couple of minutes upfront, you can cut off an amazing amount of time and have a clearer path of where you’re going.
#2: How Much Time It Takes You To Complete The Task
Chances are you’ve done things more than once. How many times you’ve actually tracked how long it’s taking you to do things. When you start keeping tabs on what you’re getting done and the amount of time you’re getting it done in, you’ll see that there are chunks of tasks that can be done in a certain manner.
So if you’re sitting there and you have nothing to do and you say hey, it’s approximately 10 minutes until this next big thing I have to do. Should I just sit around and watch TV, or can I get those two, five minute tasks done, that I know that I can get done in that time frame.
This is you going up above doing everything that you do and getting a greater feel for what you’re capable of. Realize that you can get much better use of your time, if you’re more aware of how you spend it.
#3: How Much Time Are You Spending With People
If you’re not spending enough time with people, you might not be learning very much. If you’re spending too much time with people, you might not be getting enough stuff done. Chances are you’ll be able to find that perfect balance depending on how you feel about your overall output.
If you’re at a point where your stuck and you just don’t feel like anything you’re doing is making any difference in the world, chances are you need an outside set of eyes to give you some feedback.
If you’re at the point where it seems like you really just aren’t getting anything done and people are complaining, it might be because, the instant you’re done with the hour and a half conversation in the break room, you go over to a cube and have another half hour conversation. There’s a fine balance between too much and not enough. And start being aware of how much time you’re spending and you can start noticing.
#4: How Much Time Are You Wasting On Sloth Acts
Sloths acts are those things that don’t need to be done right away, and really could probably disappear off of your desk and no one would really care. This is about prioritization and urgency.
You should be able to take a greater look at everything that’s on your plate and determine what’s the most important and the most urgent. Anything else needs to either be delegated or deleted. You don’t have enough time and hands to get everything done. So stop wasting that precious time on things that don’t matter.
A Deep Awareness Brings Clarity
Start becoming aware of the four kinds of awareness that directly affect your productivity and overall output. Boost your overall affectivity by seeing how much time spend preparing for a project. How much time it takes you to complete tasks. How much time you’re spending with people and how much time you’re wasting on sloth acts. These are just a couple quick tips that will help you get more out of everything that you do.