"Get More Done"

Lately, I've been adding "tips to get more done" as my Facebook status. It's not that I'm particularly efficient or an expert in productivity. What I am is a percussionist and educator who likes to stay busy. As a result, I've collected concepts that work for me and posting these ideas helps keep accountability to myself.

As musicians, we generally carry around a feeling of unfinished business- there's always more to practice. More to learn. Coming to terms with these feelings in an ever-busy world can be the ultimate challenge and an indicator of success or failure.

For the time being, my blog will elaborate on these "Tips to Get More Done."

To follow my daily tips, friend me on Facebook.

1. Walk faster: Well, this isn't exactly fair nor applicable to all, but through casual observation, mopers tend to produce less. Move a little... it's good for you.

2. Close Facebook: Ironic being I am using it as my platform. Like any tool, it can be too much and can become an endless time suck. I challenge you to keep track of your Facebook usage for one day.

3. Enough already. Stop talking and start doing: You've heard the phrase, "death by committee." Talking is easy. Doing is the hard part.

4. Do one thing at a time: Trying to do otherwise is overwhelming. This, too, is ironic being percussionists are known for doing more than one thing at a time. However, we are never really doing things independently, but interdependently.

5. Set tangible deadlines: As in, I will get my inbox cleaned out before the continents revert back to Pangaea. Seriously... work expands to fill the time allotted. Give yourself a realistic deadline and do what you need to do.

6. If you're going to bother doing it, do it right the first time: Think about how you approach practicing. When you get in the practice room, do you learn systematically, relating what you're doing to time (a metronome), working out things correctly? Or do you mess around, hoping you magically absorb the music? Doing it right the first time prevents a pile of mental interference.

7. Stop making excuses. Woman up. Or man up. Take your pick. No one likes a whiner: What more can be said about this one?

This is a week's worth of tips. What are your best tips for getting things done?

Thanks for reading.

Visit my website at www.jameswdoyle.com