Category: Business Tips

Tags: Mark Joyner, simpleology, time management, distractions, Pomadoro Technique, HIME, high impact, minimal effort, prioritize, align, dreams, goals, impact, beh

In this video interview, Internet pioneer Mark Joyner explains some simple time management tips that can help businesspeople become much more productive during their day. There are so many distractions, says Joyner, especially from the Internet -- e-mail, Twitter, Facebook. One of the first things you can do is to set aside time slots when you're completely disconnected from everything, with a clear objective to accomplish. When ideas come to mind, don't open Facebook, but write down your ideas in a "dream catcher" or notebook to consider later. This frees your mind to concentrate on the task at hand. One approach is to set a time, then force yourself to work productively until the timer goes off. In fact, the "Pomadoro Technique" (pomadoro means "tomato in Italian) from Francesco Cirillo uses a simple tomato-shaped timer to break down periods of work into 25-minute intervals separated by breaks -- which increases productivity. A second tip is to prioritize your tasks using the HIME (high impact, minimal effort) scoring method. Annotate a task list by which task is likely to have the highest impact -- rated on a 10-1 scale. Then rate which take the least effort. Then add the numbers. The highest score will give the highest impact for the least effort. This allows you to priortize your tasks by impact and effort. Third, try to align your daily tasks with your long-term dreams and goals. On a regular basis ask: What do we really want to accomplish at the end of all this. Figuring out what your life goals are helps you spend your limited time on what is important to you. Finally, become aware of the impact of your behavior throughout the day, a concept basic to the discipline Cognitive Behavior Therapy. To become aware of your behaviors, begin an "observation log," then over time look for trends you can learn from. It often takes us long-term concerted observation for us to "connect the dots," so we can recognize and change our behaviors. Mark Joyner is an Internet marketing pioneer. He developed a product known as Simpleology that automates some of these time management principles, and helps people simplify their complicated lives. This interview was recorded at the SES Conference in San Francisco, August 16, 2011.

 Send to a friend