There is a big difference between being busy and being productive. Organizing papers, flipping through reports, updating or cleaning outdated contact lists are tasks we all do and can occupy us for hours. But have we been productive or have we just been busy?
Working from home, the two concepts can often get confused, so follow these tips to be more effective:
Decide what you will do today. Be clear about which tasks have a deadline created by other people and which are your own deadlines.
Write. Don’t just think, but make a written daily task list and print it out. Be brief, 1, 2 or 3 mandatory items are probably enough.
Be specific about the purpose of each of your daily mandatory items.
Get the job done. Good intentions are important, but not enough if you don’t finish what you intended.
Take a break. Enjoy the fact that you have done what you intended to do and be sure to communicate the completion of your work to your bosses.
