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I am a small business Conversation Consultant and public speaker that uses the power of the internet to leverage your success. Productivity in Context is a web magazine focused on Productivity and tools for organizing. Make this your headquarters for improving your life and work through increased mindfulness, education, and workflow practices.

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Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Jason Womack, noted Getting Things Done expert. Jason’s website is at jasonwomack.com
Everyone is looking for improvement, it seems, in all areas of their lives. It’s human nature to want a little bit more. A lot of our clients say the “more” they want is time.

Here are three ways to get better at what you do. The more efficiently you move through the “have-to’s” of your life and work, the more time, energy and focus you will have for all those things you want to do, be and have!

Have More Ideas

Make it OK to have random ideas. As you move through the day, carry a note card or a note pad with you wherever you go. Stop as soon as you notice yourself thinking about something else and write it down. When I’m in a meeting and my mind starts wandering, I actually write down where my mind is going. If I’m on a conference call and I start looking around my computer, BlackBerry or desk for something else to do, I simply write down all the places I want to look when I’m done with the call.

I share with all our clients how absolutely critical it is to allow yourself the luxury of writing down the ideas you’ve already had so you can go get the new ones. An idea you have never had is coming your way. You don’t want to miss it because you’re thinking of the things you’ve already been thinking about…right?

Organize Yourself and Your Reminders

Organize your ideas and reminders in an “easy to review” manner. Make it easy to have an idea “here” and remember it when you get “there.” Oftentimes people ask me HOW to set up an organizational system. They want to know what supplies to buy, what order to put things in, etc. Instead of prescribing some “one-size-fits-all” system that may or may not work, I encourage them to simply spend moments each day reviewing their current organizational system.

Try this out: Pick an area where you have collected materials for “possible use” or “later review.” For me these are areas of my organizational system such as my “to read” bookshelf, filing cabinet, bedroom closet, digital address book (yes, literally ANYwhere I may have stored potentially useful information!). I like to go through these areas once in a while (my “to read” bookshelf twice a month, my closet and filing cabinet once a year) and move things around. Likewise, I like to update my own reminding systems so that they are current and it allows me to “know” where something is if/when I need it, but not have to work hard to keep it in my mind, or “hope I don’t forget” later on.

Implement Structures and Habits

Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes habit. So, if you’re looking to change anything about the way you work and what you achieve, it is time to look at some new and enhanced structures to practice.

By integrating these systems and opening up your work and home life to these ideas, you will see a change in your ability to get better at what you do.

Jason Womack travels the world teaching people and their companies about workplace effectiveness and productivity. He is a small business entrepreneur, a former teacher, a busy business traveler and an active triathlete.

He can be reached at 805-640-6401 and by e-mail via jason @ jasonwomack dot com

If you found this post useful, please share it with your friends on Twitter using the tinylink http://tinyurl.com/5lrex3. Thanks, I appreciate it! Feel free to comment below, I enjoy discussing these ideas. ~@Stephen