1, 2, 3 o'clock, 4 o'clock stop!
Posted on 20 Jan 2016 in Small Business / 7,469 Views
I found this article I wrote in 2010 and am reposting it as it still has some valuable information in it... particularly point 4!
If you finish work at 5pm, then you quite possibly actually finish work at 4pm! Whatever time you finish, I think it would be a fair comment that the last hour of anyone's day involves the work side of the brain slowing down and the social side of the brain ramping up.
So what can we do to promote the potential productivity of this period of procrastination? (say that 10 times fast ;) )
Here are a few suggestions:
- Social Media
Seeing as you are moving into social mode anyway, you could start with keeping up to speed with business contacts and social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to name a few. While some business owners might still debate the effectiveness of social media in business, if you're willing to give it a go, you can be sure @yourClients will be feeling the love. - Business Development
Probably only applicable to business owners, but you may still find it useful if you are wanting to suck up to your boss in a bid to get that raise you feel you deserve. Working on developing your business in the last hour of your day will give you the chance to review your business systems and processes – or write some if you don't have any, plan new initiatives, set goals and monitor objectives. Each week you could be 5 hours closer to the game of golf you will be playing as your business earns you money. - Plan Tomorrow
Seems simple, but it's a common thing to either forget this or have never considered it in the first place! By planning tomorrow, you will come in to work knowing exactly what you need to do, who you need to speak to and what time you will be drinking coffee and eating cake. - Drink Beer
If things are quieter than a Mongolian monk under a vow of silence, why not go home and drink beer? Totally unproductive, but you will be the envy of employees world wide who have to work until 5pm!
There you have it, the official guide to making the most of the last hour of your day. What do you do in the last hour of your day and how productive is it?