It’s important to plan our day, otherwise other people will plan it for us. If you let it, the whole day will fill up with little tasks and answering questions and just quickly lending a hand – then you sit down at the end of the day and wonder why you haven’t made any headway on your goals.

You need to plan your day around the most important priorities and activities otherwise you’ll end up running around after other people and not getting things done.

True productivity isn’t about “getting lots of things done.” Rather, it’s about getting the most important things done. You could only complete 2-3 tasks in one whole day but if they’re the right ones, then that’s more productive than most.

Here are some helpful tips for making sure you’re picking the right things to focus on – and how to get them done.

 

1. Identify the most important task of the day

  • This is something that no matter what happens, this needs to get done. 
  • You might want to schedule it for the very first thing in the morning to make sure nothing has the chance to interrupt.
  • In other words, nothing gets done until this gets done.

 

2. Limit the number of projects you’re working on at any one time

  • Projects tend to involve lots of little tasks and moving parts, so it can be tricky to keep track of everything.
  • Work on no more than three projects at any one time – one is great, two is okay, three is your max.
  • This way, you can ensure things get done properly and you’re not half-finishing things.

 

3. Each night, invest 5 minutes in creating your agenda for tomorrow

  • This is a small time investment with massive pay-offs in terms of distilling focus, removing distractions, and keeping your tasks top-of-mind.
  • Physically write down, using pen and paper, what you need to get done the next day. 
  • You can prioritise them, list chronologically, or tick off as you go for extra satisfaction.

 

Using these methods and putting productive systems for dentists in place will allow you to stop expending energy wondering what’s slipped through the cracks, playing catch-up, chasing after tiny details.

Now, you save that energy and can use it to actually get things done!