| |
| |
|
Creativity Information |
|
|
|
9 Steps to Supercharge Your Productivity with Creativity
Time is the great equalizer. Everybody has the exact same number of hours in each day. For most people, the hours available are usually less than the hours needed to get everything done. However, by using the following principles of creativity, you should be able get more done in less time, while making certain that you are doing what's most important and moving yourself closer to your goals. 1. Start with quiet focus When you have a lot to do, your first instinct is probably to hit the ground running. If you feel you have a tremendous amount to do, you may feel the urge to jump in and get started on your work. Rather than doing that, take a few minutes to get calm and organize your thoughts. Think of this as a short form of meditation; just try to empty your mind. After you have done this, your focus, energy, and perspective will all be improved. Taking a few minutes up front to center yourself can make you tremendously more productive. 2. Brainstorm your day Take a piece of paper (it can be a loose sheet, but it can be helpful if it's part of a designated notebook or planner) and write down everything you need to do that day. Let your mind flow, and get everything out. As with all creative exercises, don't criticize your ideas. Don't think of something you'd like to do and then not write it down because you think you won't be able to do it or that you shouldn't do it. The most important thing here is that you get everything onto the page. 3. Apply the 80/20 Rule to your List Take this list you've created and apply the 80/20 rule to it. Remember, 80 percent of your results come from 20 percent of your effort. Circle only the 20% of items that will yield 80% of those results. This step will focus your day down to the critical tasks you must get down. 4. Chunk Up For each circled activity, chunk up. Put the bigger picture in perspective. This will refocus and motivate you to work on it. Or, it may make you realize that the task is not as important as you thought. Having a 'why' is very helpful in getting us to work towards our goal, especially if the task is something we're not excited about doing. 5. Chunk Down For each circled item remaining on the list, chunk down. Break the items down into smaller parts. You should strive to get them to a point where each task is broken down into a series of single action items. How big each item is depends on your work style. I like my action items to be things I can complete between 15 minutes and 1 hour. 6. Prioritize your list Prioritize every item on your list. A simple way to do this is look at your list and ask yourself, 'at the end of today, what one thing on my list, if finished, will have the biggest positive impact on my life?' The answer to that is your number one priority. Ask that question again with the remaining items on your list. That's your number two item. Continue this until your list is complete. 7. Schedule those activities For every action item in step 5, schedule when you will do it and how long it will take. Resolve to stick to the schedule. You can take two approaches to scheduling. First, and the way to ensure you get the most important work done, is to schedule your first priority item first in the day, then your second, and so on. You can also schedule your high priority items during your most productive hours. You have high and low productive times during the day. You know when they are, not me (if you don't know, pay attention to yourself for the next couple of weeks and figure it out). Scheduling this way ensures you devote your best time to the most important activities, but if your most productive time is not first thing in the morning you run a greater risk of your high priority items not being done. 8. Go with the Flow Be aware that the day has a way of stealing your time. Keep your 80/20 priorities in mind when new things come up. Make sure to prioritize and evaluate new things that come. Don't sacrifice an important item on your list to do something less important. At the same time, keep an open mind and be willing to flow with new items. Your schedule and list is there to help you. If something new comes up that will be more beneficial for you, go with it. 9. Go one at a time Work through you list and schedule in the order you have it. For big tasks, don't be overwhelmed by the number of tasks, just work through them one at a time. Put your attention solely on the task at hand. For the vital action items, try to remove distractions. Turn off the phone, close the door, or work at a time when everyone else is asleep. You can finish a task that you might think would take you three hours in one hour if you put 100% of your attention on it. Try following these 9 steps and watch your productivity explode! Avish Parashar has a refreshingly unique approach to speaking and training: identify the fundamentals of success and then give people the tools to implement those fundamentals. Avish's approach can be deceptive; it's fun, funny, interactive, engaging, entertaining, and ridiculously simple. Success isn't complicated, it's simple. So visit the web site to learn more about the "Ridiculously Simple Ideas That Everybody Needs and Nobody Uses." Learn More: http://www.avishparashar.com Free Creativity Mini-Course: http://www.avishparashar.com/creativity-free-minicourse.html
MORE RESOURCES:
Creativity - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Creativity and Communication Lessons from Crossing the Street Spring is in full bloom, which means it's 'get back in shape time!' For me, that means strapping on the sneakers and going for a run (well, at this stage it's more of a slow loping jog.. Our Limitless Quantum Reality Modern science tells us that on a sub-atomic level -- nothing is solid. That the entire universe is really one big web of vibrating "energy stew. Seeing Problems From Their Creative Side Did you know that winning actually puts less wear and tear on the body than worrying? And did you know that you could worry yourself sick to the point that you'll end up in a hospital bed? And that, depending on the severity of the problem, when it becomes chronic and acceptable mode of conduct, it could lead to options beyond hospitalization? It could very well lead to imprisonment or interment!Dr. Charles H. Top Ten Brainstorming Techniques for Business Success We experience creativity every time a fresh idea pops into our minds. We recognize creative imagination in everything from a pastel painting to a business plan. Are You Creative? Have you ever heard the saying, "The harder I work, the luckier I get?" Guess what? That's the way it is with creative inspiration too.Don't Wait For Creative InspirationGraham Green, the famous English writer, attributes much of his success to a simple habit: He forced himself to write at least 500 words daily, whether he felt like it or not. Take Time To Think I recently saw a program on television wherein the participants discussed the degree to which present day computer technology has contributed to our economy, well-being and our ability to communicate. They pointed out the many ways that this technology was already obsolete and that further refinements will impact our future in ways we dare not imagine. What Every Manager Should Know About How to Think Creatively You may have heard of Roger von Oech's book, A Whack on the Side of the Head: How to Unlock Your Mind for Innovation. It's as much fun to read as its title suggests. Analysis of The Monkeys Paw by W. W. Jacobs: A Study in Lateral Thinking I first read The Monkey's Paw as a youngster in Junior High School. I was touched by how an elderly couple received the gift that everyone would want, three wishes, and how the gift turned into a curse. Why Do We Need Creativity? Creativity is central to the management of our individual lives, but in modern times few people are able to access this as a resource. Alan Watts writes in The Wisdom of Insecurity:"We have allowed brain thinking to develop and dominate our lives out of all proportion to 'instinctual wisdom'; which we are allowing to slump into atrophy. Mindfulness and Poetry: Delicious Word Awareness Everyone's a poet.Of course, everyone's a critic, too! This means that there are plenty of opportunities to heighten our awareness of words and how we use them. Tap the Creative Inside You Imagination is the source of creativity. It's a place where unlimited possibilities reside. Gifts of the Inner Voice Now that I no longer awaken to the sound of a jarring alarm clock, I've learned to welcome the early morning hours.Because that is the time when I can hear my inner voice most clearly. The Creativity Creed I believe that creativity is a natural order of life itself and it provides my life with the purest of energies.I believe there is an underlying creative force infusing throughout my life. Top Five Journal Exercises Keeping a journal is a form of creative expression that enhances the creativity coaching process. Keeping a journal develops emotional awareness, reinforces self-esteem and aids in problem-solving. Unleash Your Creativity and Think Your Way Out of the Box The brain is a strange organ. It works in ways we don't yet understand and manages to create everything we see. The Power Of Your Intuition We all have enormous reserves of mental capacity that we habitually fail to use. There is no problem that we cannot solve, no obstacle we cannot overcome, and no goal we cannot achieve when we learn to use the incredible power of our mind to its full capacity. Trying to Create From Distorted Perceptions? We've all met people who are "negative" - negative thinkers who consistently see the glass as half empty.In certain situations, particularly stressful ones, even the most positive person can fall victim to this distorted thinking. Self-Care for Creative Artists: 10 Reasons To Care About It 1. To be more comfortable in performance situations - performance anxiety usually stems from a variety of causes - physical, mental and emotional. Forget Thinking Outside The Box....GET Outside The Box I happened to overhear a conversation the other day between two men?Young man has started learning about real estate investing. He has read books and attended seminars put on by some gurus who make more money selling information about real estate investing than they do investing in real estate BUT at least he is taking the initiative to learn more. 10 Ways To Boost Your Creativity Creativity is your birthright - but can often be hidden in the everyday. To facilitate your personal development and self growth, here are some creativity tips you can use to resurrect, refresh and enhance your creative faculties.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
