10 Steps For Your Everyday Work Routine
One thing is for sure: Opening your emails first thing in the morning is the deathliest thing you can do. Here are some tips and tricks how you can maximize your work day and rock your to-do list.
First: Read general news
Take about 15 mins to scroll across your favorite newspaper, headlines and need-to-know’s of the day.
Second: Update yourself on your industry news
Check the previous article “How to stay on top of your industry news” and take another 15 mins to get a quick insight in what’s new today.
Third: Check your Twitter account
If your company maintains a Twitter account (which it probably should), check today’s # and @ that have anything to do with you. Thank new followers for following, reply to direct messages and mentions.
Fourth: Check your Facebook account
Step 4 in your work routine: Check your company (not personal!) page, which in the ideal case is a fan page. See if there have been any new posts and network.
Same goes to any other social network. Note: Maintaining more than 3 social media channels in unlikely to make sense and is very time consuming. Choose only the most suitable!
Fifth: Enlist your company in 3 business directories
Create three different write ups about your company: short, medium and long. Different business directories allow a different amount of content, therefore you need to have your options ready. Keep a log sheet of your entries, including website, username, password and expiration date (if there is any on your posting).
Sixth: Check Google Analytics
Review your website statistics and determine where most of your traffic originates from. This should help you evaluate if your social media channels and business directory entries are paying off. It also shows you what parts of your website are most interesting to your visitors.
ALL OF THE ABOVE COMBINED SHOULD BE ACCOMPLISHABLE IN THE FIRST HOUR OF YOUR WORK DAY.
Seventh: Now it’s time to check your emails
Once you are ‘settled in’, check your inbox. Take note of new tasks that need to be accomplished, and mark those emails that need a follow up on.
Eighth: Get started on your to-do list with easy & fast tasks
Get easy and fast tasks done immediately so they are out of the way (plus you’ll get to scratch off something fast, which is more motivating!).
Ninth: Work on your more complex tasks toward the end of your work routine
Once you are through with your fast & easy tasks, move to the more complex tasks that you can spend the rest of your day on. This way you wont be pressured last minute to do everything else.
Some extra advice:
- The neater you keep your files, the easier you will have it to retrieve stuff.
- Keep both a hard and soft copy of your files.
- Use a calendar (either virtual or printed) to make note of meetings, deadlines and notes.
- Only plan for 2-3 main tasks per day. This is accomplishable.
- Don’t go back checking your emails while working on a task. Only check between two tasks.
Tenth: Make a to-do list for the following day
Organizing your work day only on the same day takes away time. If you leave the office knowing what’s on for tomorrow, you’ll feel more relaxed and do not have to think about them until you sit down at your desk.
BONUS:
Definitely check out Away Find, which we have listed here on mevvy. It helps you stay away from checking your emails too frequently. To keep track of your to-do’s we have several ideas for you. Check out our Tool Directory, under Productivity we propose several options for your To-Do Lists. Find what suits you best!
