If there was a magic pill you could take to put a few more productive hours into your day, would you take it? All signs point to YES – if you ask us! And if you ask Google for some time management or work productivity tips, you’ll be presented with all sorts of interesting philosophies and techniques…like make tomorrow’s to-do list before you leave the office for the day. Say no to meetings. Shut down social media. Take five-minute breaks throughout the day to stay energized and focused. The list goes on and on.
In a recent article for Inc.com, author/speaker/executive coach Joelle K. Jay discussed a time management strategy that was new to us – the 5 D’s. Read on to learn just what the 5 D’s are, and then give them a try and see if they help you increase productivity and get more out of your work day.
The 5 D’s
- Do it. If you can complete a task in 15 minutes or less, then jump on it and get it done and off your plate.
- Delete it. Kay shares that there are just some things that simply do NOT require a response. It can be tough to resist the immediate urge to reply to an email or a phone call, even if it doesn’t require an action. So if something doesn’t help advance a relationship or achieve an important goal, Kay says get rid of it.
- Delegate it. If there are other people available to help you with tasks, then delegate to them and get some precious time back in your day. Make sure you still follow up to confirm the work was done, but you don’t have to do the work yourself.
- Decide on it. Don’t sit on the fence! Make a decision to tackle the job at hand – whether it’s finishing a project, attending a meeting or making a phone call. Once you made your decision you can move on and forget about it.
- Date it. Determine how much time you need to accomplish a particular task, especially if it’s a big one. Set time aside in your calendar to do the task, but don’t think about it until the day arrives and it’s time to get started.
If you give the 5D time management strategy a try, we’d love to hear how it worked for you. Share your comments below or send us an email.