It’s Not How Much, It’s How Well!
September 22, 2007 Posted by Gyutae ParkMany of you may have heard about Tyler’s recent 46-hour week challenge where he is trying to keep up a 46 hour work week. Sounds pretty impressive, huh? Let’s see if he’s really up for the challenge.
All this is great, but I don’t think time is the appropriate metric to be using when measuring how productive a week really is. Anyone can sit on their bum surfing the web for 40 hours a week and say that they “worked” the entire time. In fact, this is what a lot of employees do. However, as an Internet entrepreneur or publisher this is completely unacceptable. No work means no income and no income means you’ll be a hobo on the streets. Is this what you want? So in conclusion, it’s not how much or how long, it’s how well you spend your time that really defines productivity. Below are some steps of action to save time, work smarter, and increase efficiency.
Stop checking your mail
This is a big one. If you’re like me, you constantly check your inbox waiting for new messages, hoping someone commented on your Facebook profile, or dreaming about a love letter from your imaginary girlfriend. The fact of the matter is that this a huge time killer and severely detracts from your focus and productivity. Get rid of the auto alert message that informs you of new mail and check mail twice a day – once during lunch and once in the evening. Just twice! This alone can have a significant impact on achieving your goals.
Leave your stats alone
Another big one. Checking your Adsense and income stats will not make you any more money. Are you surprised? Leave your stats alone and focus on building content and improving your sites. Check stats once a day if you’re an Adsense addict and absolutely have to in order to survive. Otherwise, once a week is optimal.
Write goals for yourself on paper
You may be asking, “Paper, what’s that?” Yes, paper. Writing your goals and tasks for the day on paper will help you to keep your focus and remain on task. Don’t use too big of a sheet either. Keeping the paper size small will only give you enough room to focus on things that matter and are really important.
Work smarter, not harder
Just because you spent 50 straight hours building links through crap directories, does not mean you were productive. Work smarter, not harder. Outsource menial tasks and things that you are not good at. Focus on your strengths and let others do everything else even if it costs you. In the long run, this strategy is more cost-efficient anyway. Also, automate where possible. Learn to use scheduled tasks and macros to do things for you that you don’t have to. Finally, do your most important tasks first thing in the morning. It’s so easy to procrastinate but you’ll have less baggage and more free time if you start off with big tasks and then taper off into smaller tasks.
So, are you using your time wisely? Tyler’s going for 46 hours, but the real challenge isn’t really how many hours. Rather, it’s what you’re doing with the limited time that you have. Stop wasting time and you’ll see success more quickly.
Gyutae Park is an Internet entrepreneur and SEO. One of his latest web projects is EssayLift.com, a site devoted to providing premium college application essay editing services.
I think these are super tips. I am horrible about the email thing–almost obssessive. And I use a 5×7 tablet to jot things down all the time. I actually have one in each room so that when I’m chasing my 1yr old around the house, and come up with some great content, I can jot it down:)
Anyways, really good tips.
Thanks Lori. I’ve also found those sticky post-its to be really helpful. I’ll always carry around a small pad which fits neatly in my pocket and then if something comes up or I’m hit with a great idea, I’ll write it down and stick it somewhere – on my computer, on the fridge, etc.
Good luck!
Same here, I keep a few 1 subject notebooks by my bed at night and I use all the time. I actually wrote a post about having a notebook and pencil with you on my last blog, but I sold that blog, and it has since died.
I agree about the adsense thing I checked it /forever/ when I first started. I found a cool plugin, though, to add it to Firefox…it’s constantly updated, giving me that “Cha-ching!” high. 😉
Sounds like a neat tool – although it could be horrible for actually increasing that income. I bet someone could spend all day just watching that thing go cha-ching.
They have one for Azoogle too which is good, if only they would get it working without freezing my browser!
Haha, I know the feeling. Sometimes the google adsense doesn’t work too well. It’s been fine since the last update though.
I never knew there was a plugin like that. Now I can spend less time having to login to Adsense every half hour or so, I can just open up Firefox to see it. Let’s just hope it doesn’t slow down Firefox.
I agree with everything except emails. Some things have to be done urgently.
Sure some things do need to be done urgently, but if you always have that mentality, you’ll drive yourself nuts worrying about potentially urgent matters that don’t even exist. By spacing out two email checks strategically during key points of the day, you’ll still be able to see “urgent” emails in time and respond accordingly. This will give you more free time to work on more important things and to free yourself from constant worry.
I suggest email checking at 11 am and 4 pm. The first one after you get your most important task done in the morning and then 4 pm after you accomplish your other tasks in the day.
That, combined with “The Critical Six”, and writing objectives to reaching those goals.. I’ve found amazingly helpful.
Hey Gary, what exactly is the “Critical Six”?
20 Ways to bring order to a busy life – #11
The best productivity tip ever
Basically..
Write down the 6 most important tasks for that day; Then work through them in that order.
Ah, I do that every day. I didn’t know I was being cool and organized. Lol! 😛
#13, rather |:
Thanks for the tips Gary
awesome read.
i guess the only thing you could add would be to stop reading blog posts on how to improve productivity and just do it 🙂
[…] Not how much – how well. [Tyler Cruz] […]
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Working smart is what most people do not do. If you work hard but not smart then you work without purpose and this is not healthy. If you focus not on how much but on how well then you are able to give better results.