There has been much talk of improving productivity within the workplace, within industry and within the overall economy. However, the drivers of productivity are the human capital that makes all these wheels turn. That means you.

The Jamaica Productivity Centre (JPC), which offers consultation and training sessions for companies to improve their efficiencies has come up with a guide for you to improve your ‘personal productivity’. Here are some tips on managing your time courtesy of the JPC.

1. Review how your time is spent: Keep a log for a week or two showing what is done hour by hour. This will show you how much you accomplish during a day.

2. Write down your goals: Set targets in writing of your day’s tasks. Decide what you’ll do; then do it.

3. Prioritise: Use the 80-20 rule originally stated by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto who noted that 80 percent of the reward comes from 20 per cent of the effort. The trick to prioritising is to isolate and identify that valuable 20 per cent. Once identified, prioritise time to concentrate your work on those items with the greatest reward.

4. Worst first: To defeat procrastination learn to tackle your most unpleasant task first in the morning instead of delaying it. This small victory will set the tone for a very productive day.

5. Break large, time-consuming tasks into smaller tasks. Work on them a few minutes at a time until you get them all done.

6. Peak times: Identify your peak cycles of productivity, and schedule your most important tasks for those times.

7. Establish routines and stick to them as much as possible: While crisis will arise, you’ll be much more productive if you can follow routines most of the time.

8. Get in the habit of setting time limits for tasks: For instance reading and answering emails can consume your whole day. Instead, set a limit of one hour a day for this task and stick to it.

9. Be sure your systems are organised: Be organised so that you can quickly lay your hands on what you need. Do not waste time looking for files on your computer, take time to organise a file management system.

10. Don’t waste time waiting: From client meetings to dentist appointments, its impossible to avoid waiting for someone or something. Always take something to do with you, such as a report you need to read or just a blank pad of paper to plan your next campaign. Technology makes it easy to work wherever you are. Your PDA or your cell phone will help you stay connected.