Do the To-Do List

Purchasing colorful post-its and pretty organizers is the easy part. Ticking off those tasks on your to-do list is another thing. Get work done with these modern techniques:

Clean Your Desk
“Desk clutter creates stress, confusion and cuts down on your productivity,” according to topten.org. “It is estimated that people waste an average of 30 minutes per day searching for papers—that translates into 10 hours per month or a whole three weeks per year of unproductive time.” But cleaning your desk isn’t as simple as dusting off the dirt and throwing away pieces of paper. Whether you’re working at home or from the office, follow Coachville Coach Training Center’s ten steps in a achieving a clean, work-conducive desk:

1. Take everything off your desk and out of your drawers. It will help you start from scratch and see your desk space’s potential. 2. Give your desk a good dusting and wiping, down to the dirt lurking in the dark corners. 3. Get a large bin bag and start dumping everything you don’t need, down to the outdated manuals and catalogues that you’ve only read once in your life. 4. Start putting the equipment back on your desk. Display only what you use everyday, such as a few pencils, the phone, and a notepad. Keep the rest in the drawer. 5. Keep just one calendar and one organizer. If you received a lot of calendars and planners last Christmas, give them away or toss them in the dump. 6. You don’t need too many photo frames, mementos, and toys on your desk—they can actually be very distracting. 7. Don’t turn your desk into a storage area. Keep only the items you use daily. 8. Have a wastebasket nearby and make sure you use it. 9. Keep an organized filing system for your books, magazines, booklets and papers so they won’t pile up into a mountain of junk. 10. Maintain your clean space by allotting 10-15 minutes every morning to tidy up your desk. It’s a great way to start your workday.

Prep Your Body
Zenhabits.com suggests the following rituals before you start doing work: First, take a shower. “The act of grooming ourselves can make us feel much better.” Then take a short walk. It gets your blood pumping and helps you get a jumpstart on work. You may also try a few minutes of yoga or stretching before you sit down at your work desk. It even helps you shed off a few calories.

Determine Your Time-Wasters
“What are your time-bandits?” asks Susan Ward of about.com. She suggests tracking down the personal activities that you spend too much time on, such as grooming your nails, watching TV, or surfing the net. Make an activity diary for three days and jot down everything you do per hour. You’ll realize that instead of doing important tasks, you’re wasting your time watching reality TV or checking your personal email.

Unplug the Distractions
“The biggest distractions come from connectivity,” says zenhabits.com. We’re talking about your instant messenger, mobile phone, TV, personal email, and other unnecessary technologies that keep you from doing your work. Turn off your IM, put your phone to silent mode, and unplug the TV. It will be easier to concentrate on one task when you’re disconnected from the techie world. You can always reconnect when you’re done with that overdue report.

Reward Yourself
Don’t allow yourself to do personal stuff such as checking email and surfing your facebook account until you’ve completed about 30 minutes to an hour of work. Set a timer. When your allotted work period is up, reward yourself with five to 10 minutes of personal time.