The Productivity Pro® Blog by Laura Stack - Time Management, Getting Things Done, How to Be More Productive

We all want to do our part to help the environment. But if you can give the Earth a break and increase your productivity at the same time, that’s a real no-brainer!  Luckily, a lot of the things you can do to help sustain the planet can help sustain your productivity as well.  Read on for tips on how to green-size your life and get more done at the same time.

Use less paper.  About 80 percent of papers that are filed are never referenced again.  What a waste! A good solution? File less.  An even better solution?  Produce less paper to begin with.  That doesn’t mean you have to constantly inconvenience yourself or feel guilty about ever sheet that comes off the printer.  It just means you should think twice before you hit “print.” Do you really need a paper copy of that e-mail message or status report?

Why you’ll get more done: The less paper you allow into your day, the less time you’ll spend managing it.  I’m talking about filing things, shuffling them around, and tearing through the heaps to find what you need. Keeping less paper means you’ll have an easier time finding the things that really matter and also eliminate some of the stress that inevitably comes from stacks of paper clutter.     

Give your PC (and yourself) a rest.  When was the last time you gave your PC a break?  Letting it sit with the screensaver on doesn’t count.  I mean actually shutting it down, all the way.  The next time you finish working for the day, turn your computer off (black screen, no blinking lights).  You’ll save energy and let the machine cool down for the night.   

Why you’ll get more done:  Shutting down your PC at the end of the day not only saves electricity, but it can also work wonders for your personal energy level.  It’s easy enough to leave a computer untouched at the office, but I’ll bet your home computer is buzzing away whenever someone is nearby.  This leads to technological burnout.  You’re constantly checking e-mail.  Mindlessly surfing the web.  Compulsively scanning social networking sites.  The next thing you know it’s deep into the night and you never really took time to unwind.  Shutting the computer down means you’ll be less likely to plop down in front of it for “just a minute” and more likely to accomplish things around the house, spend time relaxing with family, or go get some exercise. 

Drive smart.  Does it ever feel like you’re losing time every day running errands or zipping around from appointment to appointment?  If you think ahead, you might be able to consolidate all those quick trips into one or two longer outings, especially if you can batch them together based on where in town you need to go.  Also consider making your regular commute outside of rush hour.  You’ll travel the same distance in a shorter time and pollute less along the way.

Why you’ll get more done:  Driving smarter isn’t just going to save gas, money, and harmful emissions, but it’s also going to save you time.  Planning ahead and spending less time running around or stuck in traffic will do nothing but add precious productive minutes (or hours!) to your day. 

Recycle and declutter.  Don’t you always feel better after getting rid of stuff?  It doesn’t matter if you’re at home or the office, getting rid of clutter is always a liberating experience.  Tackle problem areas one at a time by identifying clutter and dividing it into “storage,” “trash,” and “recycling” piles.  Recycling can mean sending junk to a traditional recycling facility or simply passing items along to those who can make better use of them than you can.  Sites like www.freecycle.org can help you find a good home for your unused stuff and local schools and libraries often have a need for any extra office supplies you may have lying around.

Why you’ll get more done: Getting rid of clutter is just plain good for your state of mind, which is good for overall productivity.   On top of that, getting rid of clutter will have the same effect as getting rid of paper – less junk to sort through, fewer storage hassles, and more space to live and work. 

Travel less.  Lots of companies learned this lesson from the recession, but there’s an environmental impact as well.  Is all of your business travel necessary?  Think about the trips you take, whether they’re across town or across the county.  Would it be possible to get the work done remotely?  Technology allows us to accomplish an awful lot from afar, from conference calls to complete virtual presentations.  If you can manage to stay in town in a few instances where you’d usually pack up the car or hop on an airplane, you’ll be doing Mother Nature and yourself a favor.

Why you’ll get more done: Business trips can eat a lot of time.  Sometimes you’ll literally need to spend days on the road for the sake of engaging in a few hours of productive activity once you’re there.  Sure you can get work done on the go, but it isn’t the same as being close to home base.  Skipping an out-of-town trip or two can free you up to make a serious dent in your workload. 

When you get down to it, greensizing is just a matter of paying a little more attention to the habits that you wouldn’t usually give a second thought. Often, productivity is the same way.  I hope you’ll join me in thinking twice and finding simple ways to conserve not only precious resources but valuable time as well.  The planet will thank you and you’ll get more done.  That’s what I call a win-win.

Make it a productive day! ™

(C) Copyright 2009 Laura Stack.  All rights reserved.  www.TheProductivityPro.com

Look around you, at work and home. Do you feel overjoyed or annoyed? Your environment affects your moods, attitudes, emotions, and energy level. What things sap your energy? You need to figure out ways to reduce, eliminate, or change your environment, so that it lifts you up rather than brings you down. These tidbits might help.

1. Clear the clutter. This requires effort and can be time-consuming, but the real reason people dread clearing clutter is emotional attachment — and because you no idea how to organize what you keep. Focus first on the areas of the home that are most important to your health and vitality, especially the bedroom.

2. Thin out the incoming stream. We all have a constant stream of mail and new possessions coming into our lives. If you don’t develop a regular habit of thinning it out as it walks through the door, it’ll pile up and zap your energy in no time.

3. Create space with the right layout and equipment.  If you get buried in clutter simply because you don’t know where to put things, learn to make creative use of the space you have — including vertical space.

4. Learn to live more simply. Instead of piling on new possessions until you just have to many, stop buying and take a hard look at what you have. Don’t equate material possessions with wealth or happiness, or — worse yet — self worth. 

5. Get rid of it. If you don’t learn how to get rid of things, you’ll be overwhelmed with your possessions. Unworn clothing, unwanted gifts, ancient paperwork — get rid of it.  If you haven’t used it in two years, ditch it.

6. Accentuate the positive. Separate the trash from the treasure. You don’t need to keep unwanted gifts simply because they’re gifts. And don’t be afraid to get rid of things that are dragging you down with emotional baggage: there’s a reason women burn photographs of their old boyfriends. 

7. Keep your office desk organized. No, a clean desk isn’t the sign of a simple mind: it’s the sign of an efficient, energetic mind! The more space there is, the less crowded your energy is. File rather than pile, and gather up those sticky notes!

8. Make a list of the home improvement projects you want to accomplish.  Nagging, incomplete projects not only create clutter, they also drag your mood down because another thing on your to-do list is staring you in the face. Dispatch routine tasks as soon as possible, and work to get the others off your calendar.

Clearing away clutter may seem like too much work, but you need to learn how to do it effectively for your own benefit. Once you cut down on the clutter in your life, you can move on to more productive levels of emotion and energy that put you ahead of the game.

© 2008 Laura Stack.  Laura Stack is a personal productivity expert, author, and professional speaker who helps busy workers Leave the Office Earlier® with Maximum Results in Minimum Time™. She is the president of The Productivity Pro®, Inc., a time management training firm specializing in productivity improvement in high-stress organizations.  Since 1992, Laura has presented keynotes and seminars on improving output, lowering stress, and saving time in today’s workplaces.  She is the bestselling author of three works published by Broadway Books: The Exhaustion Cure (2008), Find More Time (2006) and Leave the Office Earlier (2004).  Laura is a spokesperson for Microsoft, 3M, and Day-Timers®, Inc and has been featured on the CBS Early Show, CNN, and the New York Times. Her clients include Cisco Systems, Sunoco, KPMG, Nationwide, and 3M.  To have Laura speak at your next event, call 303-471-7401.  Visit www.TheProductivityPro.com to sign up for her free monthly productivity newsletter.