Well, it's a new year today, and let's take a look at some ways to adjust some of the time-sucking activities that seem to add to our frustration, contribute to our procrastination, and generally reduce our productivity to get the new year started off right!

1.  Schedule your email time. Instead of stopping in mid-sentence to check on what's beeping, turn off your audible sound and plan on checking email when it makes sense during the course of your day. Much of the email you get is useless, anyway, so avoid being so reactive. You'll find that you have far more control of your day and you can stay focused on the task at hand, instead of finding out how to lose weight overnight right in the middle of preparing your six-figure proposal. Is that worth losing your concentration over? Put off looking at the email every few minutes, and you'll gain time AND increase the quality of your work.

2. Avoid so many impromptu meetings. If your boss, your colleagues, and yes, even some of your clients (you know which ones), are determining your schedule by bursting in, calling last-minute emergency meetings, and demanding your time, requiring you to react at an moment's notice, you are allowing others to control your time. You can take much better control of your time, stress, and even shorten your meetings, by scheduling a specific time and following through. For example, the boss says: "I need to see you in my office, are you free?" Respond with, "Boss, I am right in the middle of my Mega-Deal proposal and should be done in about 15 minutes. Is it OK to meet then?"

Next, what if you have Chatty Catrina or Chatty Charles coming into your office when everything is an emergency? How do you handle your colleague? First, avoid ignoring your colleague thinking that he/she will get the hint and go away (has that worked for you in the past? Yeah, right.) So, stand up. This physically says you are taking possession of your space. Look Catrina in the eyes and smile, with your body facing AWAY from her, so she is getting your "cold shoulder" position. Then say, "Catrina, I'm in the middle of a proposal right now. When are you going to be around this afternoon and I'll meet you in your office?" Then be quiet, and wait for her and negotiate a time.

"OK", you say, but what if it's a customer? How do I tell HIM that I'm working on a Mega-Bucks proposal, especially when it may be his competitor? When the call comes in, say, "Tom, I'm just finishing up a project and want to be totally focused for you. When is a better time for us to connect this morning so you get my full attention?" Customers LOVE it when they have your full attention and aren't sharing you with your email! 

3. If your consumption habits are an issue, read on. You get to the office and have to have the double mocha latte before having the energy to get moving. There's a process to this, and you know what the steps are. Dropping off your laptop, saying "hello" to the nine people in the halls, walking down to the cafe, waiting in line, ordering your latte, then standing at the coffee bar to fix it up with 9 packs of Splenda, there's the stirring, the mini day-dreaming, and then, after this 18 minute process, walking back to your office to get going. On your way back, you realize you'd better hit the bathroom, and now it's 30 minutes into the office and you have not accomplished anything at all.

Instead of consuming first, try DOING something productive first, THEN reward yourself with the latte. Finish up your forecast from the day before, call a client to check on him, plan your calls for the day, research the target company you're going to contact in the afternoon, DO something that is meaningful. I promise that instead of finding that your day is 30 minutes over, you'll see that you are getting more accomplished during the entire course of the day. Try it and let me know. It works for us here at SalesPEAK and it works for our clients, too.

Now, feeling better about the new year? Try these ideas and see how your time is "bought back" by the end of each and every day.

(c)Renee Walkup, All Rights Reserved, www.salespeak.com  678 587-9911