22 Ways of Doing Things Faster

Each of us sometimes lacks time or energy to cope with the scheduled tasks for the day. There are many techniques and methods to increase your efficiency.

Geniusbeauty.com has collected the most efficient and proven ways to plan your day properly.

1. Decide what is really important to you. Otherwise, 80% of what you’ll be doing during the day will not bring tangible results.
2. Enough sleep, good food, and exercise will help you be in good shape, and this is important to achieve your goals.
3. The 2-minute rule. If you can do anything during 2 minutes (for example, respond to a letter or clean up the workplace), do it now! Once you postpone this matter until later, it will take you much more than 2 minutes or you will not do it at all.
4. The 5-minute rule. This is a great way to deal with difficult or boring tasks. Do not set a goal to be solved here and now, but just spend 5 minutes a day working at it. Perhaps, at some point you will exceed the 5-minute limit, but it will only mean that you have joined the workflow, and the task is no longer difficult for you.
5. Seinfeld’s success rule. If you want to be a pro in something, do it every day. Do it on any particular day including holidays, weekends, and the very judgment day too. There should be no exceptions!
6. Cultivate your good habits with the 5-minute rule. This will help you quickly acquire the desirable habits. It really works!
7. Your memory is a hard disk! You may write all important things anywhere: in a notebook, a diary, or a mobile phone. The main thing is to write.
8. Use as many tools as you need. In the today’s world, there are many programs that are designed to facilitate the workflow. Choose what’s right for you, even if it’s just a pen and paper.
9. Routine can kill any job. You need discipline in order to resist the routine. Start each day with planning tasks. This will help to stay in good shape during the day, to prioritize, to sweep aside all the useless tasks and to do what is really necessary.
10. Effective time management techniques. Set a time limit to complete the task in 25 minutes. During this time, try not to be distracted by anything. Take a short break for 5 minutes. And then resume doing the task again. After you spend four such periods, 25 minutes each, have a long rest for 15-30 minutes.
11. Use headphones. It is not necessary to listen to music, but it will be a signal for other people not to bother you for nothing.
12. Stop constantly checking your mail. Do not start your day with reading your mail and do not finish it like this either. Find the optimal number of times when you check your mail. For example, at 11, 14 and 17 o’clock. Remember that your mail is not the list of tasks. Try to unload it by removing the unnecessary files to the recycle bin. Do not mix business letters and personal correspondence.
13. The same rule is true for phone calls. It isn’t necessary to be constantly available. Switch the phone to a silent mode. This is important: some people will call you back, and others will not distract you.
14. Accomplish all the small tasks at the same time. These include checking email, talking on the phone, using social networks and so on.
15. The rule of the three most important tasks. Start your day with fulfilling the tasks you consider most important.
16. Your will power is not unlimited. Try to solve important problems in the morning. In the second part of the day, perform the tasks that do not require much willpower.
17. The main thing. Ask yourself what most important task you can do here and now. Then apply rule number 4.
18. Do not waste time reaching absolute perfection. You spend too much energy trying to make everything look perfect. The famous startup saying is true here: “If you are not a little ashamed of your product, you have produced it too late.”
19. Pressure can work wonders. The fear of punishment and the desire for praise are good means of stimulating productive work in the shortest possible time.
20. Plan your holidays. A little rest has never hurt anyone. And after the hard work, it is even useful – you will get new ideas. Get engaged in something else.
21. Remove. Say “no”. Ignore. Break down other people’s plans. Work only according to your planned schedule, and do not yield to someone else’s plan.
22. Fake incompetence. This diplomatic move allows using the previous rule. Finally, we finish our break and come back to work with renewed energy.