As commercial cleaners, every JAN-PRO® owner-operator knows the value of a clean and tidy workplace. But as business owners, they also know the value of a clean and tidy schedule. As much as any other entrepreneur, they need to maximize productivity, profitability, and waste less time.
One thing our owner-operators have discovered is that many of the same principles used to make workplaces more organized and productive are just as effective at creating an organized and productive schedule. By cleaning up your calendar and decluttering your workday, you can create a far more effective and productive routine.
Deep-Clean Your Calendar
A cluttered calendar can be a big barrier to productivity, but it’s one that can be fixed. Tidy up your calendar the same way you’d declutter your garage or your closet. Evaluate each item, decide whether or not it’s needed, and get rid of the items that aren’t worth your time.
After that, go through your remaining obligations and see which ones offer flexibility. Which tasks can you reschedule? Which meetings can you trim by 15 or 30 meetings? Which weekly obligations can you turn into bi-weekly tasks?
Once you’ve performed a deep-clean on your calendar, you can build a cleaner, more workable routine. Start with the obligations you know you can’t reschedule. Since you know where these fall on your calendar, start to organize other obligations around those items.
Build your schedule with two goals in mind: First, try make sure that you have 15-30 minutes free at the start of each workday and again at the end of your day. Second, try to group your obligations so that you have as many large blocks of time (90+ minutes) as possible in your schedule.
Once you’ve deep-cleaned and reorganized your calendar, you’ll be able to build a more productive routine.
Create a More Workable Routine
Here’s how you can maximize productivity with your new schedule: First, spend the 15-30 minutes at the start of each day planning your workday. Use this time to identify the three highest priority items on your to-do list. Reserve the free blocks of time within your workday for these priority items.
As you’re working, maintain a to-do list for all of the low-priority items that crop up during the workday: emails you need to respond to, calls you need to return, small tasks you’re asked to do. At the end of the day, you’ll use the 15-30 minutes you’ve set aside to take care of the items on this list. Once items are on the low-priority list, put them out of your mind.
This way, you spend more time focusing on priority items. Just as important, you can focus on these items for longer periods with fewer disruptions. This will allow you to get far more done than you would otherwise.
If you struggle to maintain a productive routine, you’ll be surprised at how much easier this system makes each workday. More important, you’ll be amazed at how much more you get done by the end of each week.
If you’re looking for assistance with your commercial cleaning schedule, connect with your local JAN-PRO office by calling 866-355-1064.