Processes

‘Use processes to increase productivity.’  Anyone that has ever worked in an office understands that statement.  As a matter of fact, everything we do, whether it’s income generating or not, revolves around a process.  The word ‘process’ is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as follows, “a series of actions that produce something or that lead to a particular result.”

The particular result in regards to using processes is increased productivity.  You save time by not having to think about the steps you need to take to produce a particular result.  When you repeat a process regularly, it becomes routine, you don’t have to think about it, you automatically perform the steps.  The more frequently you repeat the process, the more proficient you will become at performing the action steps which will take less time to perform the process.

Typically when we are learning how to do something, especially something we have to do more than once, we write down the steps.  When we do this we are documenting step by step instructions to help us remember how to do it. Referring to this document, or process, is a great way to not only save time, but to increase efficiency.  We are less likely to forget a step in the process, which could result in making a mistake.

As stated early on in this post, everything we do, or tasks that we perform, revolve around a process.  This includes any task; tasks such as grocery shopping, learning how to drive a car, performing your job, scheduling appointments, or even walking the dog.

Steps in a process are arranged the way they are for a reason; sequentially starting with the first step.  For example, you can’t walk the dog without attaching the leash to his collar.  Or you can’t bake the cake without first mixing the ingredients.  Or you can’t work on taxes without gathering your documents.

It’s beneficial to document steps for repetitive processes, even for the most mundane tasks.  As a small business owner, and working in an office in my previous work life, I appreciate the need for documenting processes.  It takes less time to review a document to perform a task, than it does to correct a mistake.

I use processes all the time, whether I think I can remember the steps to a task or not.  We all have so much to remember that using a process allows you to go on auto-pilot to get things done quickly & efficiently. You don’t have to think about what you have to do because the list of steps is right there.

In my quest to help you increase your productivity, I designed some digital processes, or guides, for tasks we perform in our daily activities.  You can print them, or simply store them on your phone to access them quickly when you need them.  They have been updated with a fresh look and I will be adding others in the future.  You can find them on the products page on the SOS website.

Take a look and let me know what you think!