Getting more done in the day

As Nikki Karnowski of Metamorphosis Coaching, Consulting, and Training tells us, many of us are busy, but this isn’t the same thing as being productive. “We can all get into that mode of ‘I have so much on my plate’ or ‘I have so much going on!” Nikki suggests we ask ourselves the following questions.

• Am I focusing on the right things? 
• Are the things I am doing bringing me closer to my goals?
• Do they align with my values?  

“We often times can be doing a lot of things, but they’re not necessarily getting us to where we want to be.” So once we ask ourselves these questions, we need to figure out how to find the right things to focus on.

“You’ve probably heard of the term, ‘Eat That Frog.’ It’s looking at what will give us the greatest return in our day — and with our time — and to do that first,” Nikki means doing the most difficult task first.

She offers these steps:

• Focus on one thing at a time. 
• Eliminate distractions in your work space. 
• Make a to-do list at the end of your day for the day ahead. 
• Figure out your daily frog(s).
• Implement the “Do It Now” Philosophy.

“If you’re somebody who has things constantly pinging around your head- this is for people with creative brains and things like that. Carry that notebook with you and just get it off your brain by writing it down.” Nikki explains. “In the day-to-day, make your list for the following day. That way when you get to work you can hit the ground running.”