I’ve heard people say, “I don’t have time to be more productive,” as a way to avoid making positive changes. To me, this is like someone refusing to drink the antidote after being poisoned.
We’ve talked before about the importance of investing time to reset your day and make sure you’re following a productive path. Usually, this suggestion is considered but branded as impossible due to packed schedules.
The solution could be just 90 seconds away. Those 90 seconds represent a very powerful amount of time, even thought they are roughly half the length of a pop music song.
I know this to be true from my time working in TV news. As a reporter, I had 90 seconds to tell a story. I’d set up the premise, showcase several interviews, and let the audience know why they should care.
As a reporter, you must learn how to maximize these 90 seconds. Once you’ve done it, you’ve gained a super power.
I learned a minute and a half can be a powerful amount of time. Even the busiest person can find 90 seconds a day to devote to productivity.
This could involve:
- Cleaning your desk. During a busy day, clutter can invade your space. Use the 90 seconds to declutter and ensure you won’t waste time looking for missing papers or pens.
- Checking to see if you’re on target for the day’s goals. If you’re not, then decide when you can commit to accomplishing them. Don’t let them fall into a vague time frame.
- We’ve talked about how writing a special email signature can save you time, by keeping you from having to compose the same email response to frequently asked questions. It can even say things like, “I haven’t forgotten your project and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.” It’s easier to resend that message instead of starting the reply from scratch every time.
These 90 seconds will empower you and give you some control over your day. You may find that you can fit in a couple of these breaks into your schedule.
When people get too busy with work, they start to miss things, like the changing of the fall leaves. It’s obvious but you’re not paying attention. Mistakes start to happen and productivity falls.
Retool your day by giving yourself permission to step back and find the time to be more productive.
Want to spark your creativity? Bring the Paper Hat Exercise to your next event.
Maybe it’s time to bring Ken Okel to your next meeting…
