As a court reporter your day doesn’t end when the depositions end. In fact, in many ways it’s just beginning. How can you be most productive? It takes planning and focus.
It’s happened to all of us. You think you know what you want to accomplish and the phone rings or an email comes through that changes everything. If you’re having trouble staying organized, here are our tips. Let us know how it changes your day to try these.
- Plan your day before your day plans you. Block time for tasks like transcribing and editing. Ignore the phone, email, and social media during those times. We also recommend the last task of your day to be reviewing your schedule for the following day. That way you know what time you need to be working and what you’ll be doing. It will help you to awaken focused and fresh.
- Set reasonable goals. We all need time for breaks to eat and take care of administrative tasks like email. Make a list that includes these activities so you’re not scrambling to get it all done only to be left feeling like you’ve accomplished nothing. It might seem silly to put check email on the schedule but it will feel productive when you get to cross it off the list.
- Take breaks. Working from home seems like a good idea until you’ve spent hours in front of the computer without so much as a glass of water. Set a timer and take breaks. Whether it’s working 50 minutes and taking 10 off every hour, taking a lunch break, or enjoying a vacation, you will return feeling refreshed and more productive.
- Get an accountability partner. When someone else knows what we should be doing and is checking in on a regular basis, we find it makes us more productive. It doesn’t have to be another court reporter. It can be someone else who works from home or a trusted friend. Just knowing someone is going to ask what we got done makes us work toward meeting goals.
- Turn off notifications. One of the best things I ever did was to take email off my phone and silence other notifications like social media. I realized I had been spending my day listening to beeps and dings and wasn’t focused on the task at hand. Now I can focus on each task and block time for checking email, voicemail, and social media.
We each have the same number of hours in the day. How we choose them determines our level of productivity. Planning, taking breaks, accountability partners, and eliminating distractions help us reach our goals. And if it didn’t go well today, figure out how to make tomorrow your most productive day.
If you’re seeking a court reporter for an upcoming case, contact us today!
