Four Simple Steps to Achieve your Goals in the Fastest Time Possible

​Back in December 2018 we published one of our most popular blog posts entitled ’10 Steps to Manage Your Workload Better’. Having decided to elaborate on each step individually, last month we published ‘10 Steps to Manage Your Time Effectively’. This month we continue the theme by elaborating on Step 2 which was ‘prioritising your workload’.

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Read on to discover how you can achieve your goals in the fastest time possible using our four simple steps on how to avoid pressure, focus on what is truly important, make more informed choices and increase productivity through effective time management.

“Don’t get more done, give yourself less to do”
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​Isn’t that a refreshing thought? With this in mind, here are our four top tips to make you more aware of how you may be spending your precious time in the wrong places, and how you can effectively organise your time in a way that makes your workload suddenly manageable (yes, we really believe this is possible!)
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Step One – Only focus on what is truly important
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​The first step to getting things done is to re-group and push aside any thoughts and feelings you have swirling around inside your head. It is so easy to get overwhelmed and rush about spending too much time on things which really aren’t that important. You must draw a line and only focus on the task at hand or the item which is of top priority at that given moment.
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It is also important to avoid distraction by focusing on what others are doing and spending too much time obsessing over trivial things, for example:  The things that others achieve quicker, the promotions you are missing out on or your ambition to be better than somebody else within your field. Focus on the present and you will give yourself a better chance of proving yourself on your own merits.
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• Avoid Pressure – Forget the past, you can’t change what has been and gone so focus on being successful right now! Avoid negative thoughts such as ‘it didn’t work last time; it’s not going to work again’ etc. Every day is a new opportunity to improve and achieve and you should never let self-doubt get in your way.

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Step Two – Determine where to spend your focus and your time
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​The second step to getting things done is to filter everything which comes into your working life and organise it in a way which ensures you don’t get swamped in a pit of unnecessary tasks or paperwork. Office environments are particularly awash with meetings, memos, new rules and regulations, team briefings to name but a few. Although these all hold weight, most do not affect the work you are desperately trying to get done. Take note of everything but clear it from your mind as you work so you don’t get swamped by all the finer details.
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Additionally, always make sure that you are working on a plan which has been set by yourself and is not subject to another person’s demands. Yes, you will often have to do work set by others, but you shouldn’t necessarily do it in the way you are told or in a demanded time if you already have other things to do and the deadline isn’t pressing. Avoid being a people pleaser and stick to your plans as much as you can.

• It’s Your Choice - Always make your decisions based on what you enjoy and where your passions lie. Don’t be distracted by anything which doesn’t serve your own interests, or which doesn’t drive or excite you. If you do, your lack of passion may show in the work you produce and you run the risk of under achieving. 

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Step Three – Decipher what you can control versus what you can’t control
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​The third step to getting things done is to only focus on what you can control. The best person you can control is yourself, so focus on your own ability, focus on your own success, and focus on your own positive attributes. Likewise, keep a positive mindset and focus on the obstacles you can overcome rather than the ones you cannot overturn or get around.

People who struggle with control are often more likely to succeed if they follow a routine. Creating a routine can take away pressures, particularly relating to time, as it helps you to determine what you can get done in a certain time, and it also aids in streamlining processes so that you can get things done quicker.
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• Finding Focus – Always remember that you can only control yourself. Analysing what you wish you could change is just a distraction so avoid obsessing over anything trivial or unnecessary, and don’t get distracted by the silly things which are never going to matter in the long run anyway.

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Step Four – Time management
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​The fourth step to getting things done is plain and simple: Time management! Without good time management you don’t have time to focus and apply everything that you hope to deliver. All the work you produce can be planned, applied and implemented better with effective time management.
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The focus of time management is the ability to work effectively and with purpose. If you can master the ability to listen and learn, you will begin to understand problems quickly and find solutions faster. Time management is not only a skill to get more done, it is also a form of self-improvement which you can carry through to your life outside of the office.
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• Prioritise Productivity – Manage yourself and your workload in relation to the time assigned to do the job. You cannot stop time or create extra time, but you can manage what is achievable in any given hour, day, week, month or year.

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​Millennial Procurement providers of professional business training and executive coaching services. Visit our website now for more great 'how to' blogs and top tips from www.millennialprocurement.com