Right Thing at the Right Time

How do you focus on getting the right things done at the right time?  

This seems to be more of an art than a science.   Right things and right times are as different as we are in each of our roles.  With the rapid pace of change, and the ongoing flexes that happen in our lives and our businesses, knowing when to do what can sometimes be a challenge.  Here are a few tips that could help you with this:

1. eat that frog:  do the big, ugly stuff first - it gets it done…and usually its the stuff you keep putting off
2. plan at least 1 fun thing a day:  fun has a different meaning for everyone - it could be planning 10 minutes of extra surfing time on Facebook or Twitter, or it could be an ice-cream treat at the end of a long series of meetings.
3. know what is making you money right now - this changes just like the seasons do - who is buying what and in which quantities changes - set your sites on marketing to the ones doing the buying next so that you can ‘prime the pump’ as they say.
4. know when you are most productive:  some people are more productive in the early morning, some late afternoon, some are night owls….put your most creative tasks into those timeframes - you will get them done and build momentum for the rest of your work.
5. step away:  from your desk, from the phone, from anything that is connected and find some fresh air…then breathe in and out, perhaps adding in a stretch or two.  This will help you focus on what you are next going to tackle.