BUSINESS CLINIC
phone. Take it one step further by using Cold Turkey WriterTM, a tool that claims to be ‘the toughest website blocker on the internet’, to block your virtual Achilles heel/s.
5 - But use technology to your advantage Of course, technology can be your best friend in terms of time-saving solutions. This includes using collaboration and data organisation tools, which help cut down on duplication and endless time-consuming discussions. A shared drive on Google Docs is simple to use and keeps track of who has been working on a piece of work.
WeTransfer.com is a free sharing service for data-dense files such as images, sending items within seconds.
6 - Keep an activity log Management and leadership advice website
Mindtools.com advocates this simple method to help you identify the time stealers in your day. Their simple downloadable template asks you to record every task of the day – and yes, that includes that 30-minute tea break and 10 minutes loading the dishwasher – noting the time you spent on each one, and more tellingly, how you felt and then rating the value it contributed to your working day. A week’s worth will give you a good overview and highlight the activities that need to be excluded. Productivity apps like Harvest and RescueTime are good virtual alternatives. It could also highlight the tasks you could delegate to other members in your team. As the company owner, it can be all too easy
to think you have to deal with every detail, when your time might be best served on the ‘bigger picture’ aspect of the business.
7 - Avoid ‘work creep’ When it’s your own company, it can be hard to step away at the end of each day. It’s even harder because, unlike an office environment, there’s no official finishing time. But getting the balance right is key. Stick to a regular time to shut down the computer every day – and mark the transition by heading out for a walk or catching up with personal phone calls, for example.
8 - Work on your wellbeing, too It’s all too easy to feel guilty about stepping away from your computer when issues crop up. But it’s long been recognised that exercise not only looks after your physical health, but boosts mental abilities, too. A Harvard study showed that it improves creativity, learning capability, memory and concentration. So, heading out for a walk in the park or a gym session is a really
good idea. It can also help ward off feelings of isolation. We’re social creatures and need interaction with other people to feel connected and to look after our mental health.
9 - Daydream for a while Though it might sound counterproductive, allowing your thoughts to roam for a spell of time can act as a kind of reset. According to University of Florida Psychiatrist Eugenio Rothe, letting our minds wander activates different parts of our brains, accessing information that may have previously been out of reach. This means that a solution to a work problem you have been struggling with might suddenly appear.
10 - Don’t be scared to change the rules A perk of being in charge of your work life is that you have the flexibility to try new approaches. If working at home suddenly feels stale and suffocating, there are plenty of shared workspaces you could try out, or simply pop to your local coffee shop for a couple of hours for a change of scene.
Abstract thinking – which is associated with creativity and long-term strategising – increased when formal clothing was worn."
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