There are only so many hours that we have. Each day, week, and month’s successes will be determined by how we maximize our time, and conversely how distracted we allow ourselves to become in activities that don’t forward our short and long term goals.

Everyone from executive leaders to the service workers on the front lines are susceptible to “Career Clutter”, some of which is invited into the front door and some of which seems to sneak into the back – however if we have a clearly defined set of rules for the disruptions we allow to occupy our time we’ll find ourselves more productive by the hour, every hour, and give our careers’ far more clarity.

Here are 10 tips to implement into your life immediately – watch your productivity and general work enjoyment soar!

1.      Determine How Others Use Your Time

Whether you are the president of the company of a front line supervisor you need to create guidelines pertaining to how others can use your time. It’s up to you to communicate that to your team, and then draw the line appropriately. When dealing with them ensure clarity, ask them to be prepared when possible, and set boundaries. Don’t stray from the path. Some people will ask for an inch and take a yard if you let them. Be Consistent!

2. Get in Early and Go Home on Time

Research shows that your most productive work is done early in the day. Get in early, plan your work ahead of time, and put your nose to the grindstone immediately. If there is no pending deadline for a project create one in order to move the work forward. TAKE YOUR LUNCH. Get out of the office to clear your head and recharge your energy so that you can be productive upon return. Spending time at your desk doesn’t always equate to production. Work smart, work early, and enjoy your life at the end of your day rather than scrambling into the night to finish.

3. Visualize Success

Have you ever noticed that good golfers don’t just walk up to the ball and swing? They stand behind it, visualizing the flight path, take practice swings – all designed to put their mind and body into synch for when they step up to their ball. Take several minutes to visualize your successful day. What does it look like?

4. Take Notes

It is human nature to internalize mistakes. Processing information on failures is a key piece to how we survive and avoid pitfalls.  We don’t take the same amount of time to think about our successes. Because we expect to succeed we simply add it to the chart and move on. However, by taking the time to break down a success we can create processes for creating efficiencies so that next time we can achieve even greater, more time effective success. Make winning a habit!

5. K.I.S.S.

This is a rule we all know. The “Keep It Simple, Stupid” maxim has been around for a hundred years. How is it holding up in your life? How are you applying it to others? When you or someone else has made their point but continues talking all that they can accomplish is to undo what they have already made clear. Know when to walk away, and gently let others know when you have received the point but they haven’t stopped talking.

6. Know Where You’re Going

Before you begin any project you should have a clearly defined end in mind.  This will help you avoid “scope creep”, keep your timelines tighter, assist in managing a budget, and steer you clear from time wasting chases that don’t meet the need to begin with. Any time you have a meeting or task investing the time to chart your path will pay you back several times over. It’s also a strong indication of leadership ability.

7. Delegate & Share Work Appropriately

When determining what is needed to complete a task you should also be noting who would be the most helpful in completing them. Chart how long a task will take, and who will be involved with a line. Circle the portion of the line at which the task goes from your desk to theirs, and focus attention on ensuring that these points are handled effectively. Any files, physical pieces, or information that will need to be transitioned can be planned for. This will reduce confusion, rework, and finger pointing if things go poorly.

8.  Apply the Golden Rule to Time Management

There may be nothing more inconsiderate and frustrating than a lack of respect for someone else’s time. When you make a point of respecting the timelines of others you’ll keep your projects moving and you’ll get the same respect in return. Make a habit of considering each meeting you attend as the most important meeting of your career. Get there on time, pay attention when others are speaking. You may not get extra credit for arriving on time, but you certainly will make an impression if you become known as someone who consistently arrives late.

9. Clarify Everything

We’ve all gotten assignments that left us anxious because we weren’t certain of what we were trying to achieve. Once charged with a task get all of the details you think you may need. Ask about timelines, resources, desired outcomes, and clarify anything that you don’t understand. You will always look better asking one more clarifying question than you will if you pretend to understand and wind up with a completely different results than what was requested.

10. Set Limits for Interactions

Human beings are social animals. When we are making requests, or are answering the requests of others, there are temptations – or silent expectations – that an amount of additional conversation should bookend our major points. Most conversations and interactions can be handled within 5 minutes (usually much less) but our training to not “eat and run” sometimes carries over. Your work, and the work of others, will benefit from reducing the extra time spent chatting.