Without clearly defined goals you will always do what is most urgent at the given moment. You will be easily distracted and use time inefficiently. Establish your priorities; set your goals on a monthly, weekly and daily basis. Rank the goals according to importance and urgency. They can be of high, medium or low importance and the same applies to their urgency. Always work on the most urgent and important tasks first. Here are some other tips on how to be more efficient; they were published on the management.about.com website. Every day start with the most difficult and most important tasks and goals.
Apply the Pareto Principle
This principle says that 80% of results come from a mere 20% of one's actions. Therefore you should prioritise into what you invest your time. Are you really focusing on that 20%?
Say no when necessary
Sometimes other people just expect too much from you; their requests are in direct conflict with your own important goals. Even if you just don’t have time, it is usually pretty difficult to say no. Learn to be assertive. It is fine to be helpful and nice to others but sometimes you have to make it clear that you cannot handle a request. Try at least to negotiate a deadline that will enable you not to lose sight of your important goals.
Eat the frog
The frog is the biggest task on a given day. And according to Brian Tracy, the frog is also the task with which you are most likely to procrastinate. Start with this task when you are full of energy and your motivation is high. Then the rest of the day will feel like a relief.
Be organised
Eliminate clutter. Make a plan. Utilise workflow management tools. All this will enhance your effectivity and you will be much more productive.
-jk-