My wife is a master of efficiency. Every job she undertakes, she learns what needs to be done, figures out how it is done, and then tosses her teachers methods out the window and figures out a better way to accomplish the task. This has resulted in her taking on the responsibilities of what typically requires 7 people to accomplish, and her doing the job better than those 7 people.
Just about all of us have a tasks and responsibilities that we need to perform on a regular basis. This could be creating a report, processing some information, or writing up a review. If you are doing this the same way you have always done the work, you are probably wasting a lot of your time. So how can you do things better?
If what you are doing is computer based and repetitive I recommend looking into automation. There is an amazing automation language called AutoIT. AutoIT is a scripting language that can interact with any other application, it can simulate button clicks, entering text, or reading off information. The language is amazing and can automate tasks that may have taken you hours to complete in the past.
If what you are doing is process related. The improvement is a little more logic based than programming based. Sit down and think about what you are trying to accomplish. Of all the steps in your process, which steps are required, which ones are not? Can any of the steps be completed quicker?
How can you batch the work. Is there a way you can take the entire process and complete it start to finish without interruption. Studies show that every interruption can cause over 30 minutes of wasted time trying to refocus on the original task. If you can turn off email, close your door, and turn off your cell phone. That same task that used to take 4 hours to complete may now be finished in 45 minutes. The time savings resulting in focused effort is amazing.
All in all, there is always a better way to complete your work. Spend a little time to figure it out now will save you hours of effort in the future.
