Being productive assumes that the outputs you're producing are quality products. A product can be something tangible or intangible. It might be a widget you create at work, or it could be a result from your community involvement or child rearing. Whatever the results of what you're doing, this is your unique human product.

Learning time management can increase your productivity and give you more time to create quality outputs by eliminating time wasters. We all have time wasters in our lives, even if we strive toward using good time management principles. Checking in with yourself occasionally to ensure you are making the best use of your time is useful, because frankly, sometimes to reduce stress spending the day reading a good book or going to the mountains or beach might be just what you need. Doing it every day, however, probably isn't a good use of your time.

Time wasters can sneak up on all of us if we're not diligent. In today’s Internet age and social media craze, a lot of time is wasted dealing with the email inbox, being distracted by games on Facebook, or by watching your dailybooth stream. These are obvious time wasters and the first ones you should tackle. Start small by setting up email rules and time limits for mindless fun.

Other time wasters aren't as obvious, but if you open your eyes and mind to change you're apt to notice them. Next time you spend an hour looking for your car keys, remember, with proper organization by putting everything in its place, you won't ever have to waste time looking for keys again. Implementing time saving strategies requires doing something about the chaos in your life. It's not impossible, in fact, it is very doable, but you have to do it.

If you work with teams (can be at work, or with your family) creating a good method of communication in which you send and receive messages, calendar events and tasks, and keep meetings short with a written agenda, will go far towards the creation of a productive environment without the stress of time wasters where you all thrive.

Regardless of your situation, you can learn and implement time management techniques that will increase your productivity and reduce or eliminate things that drain your time and decrease productivity. In addition, you can increase the quality of your work by spending time where it is important and less focus on unimportant busy work.

Author's Bio: 

Award winning author, Debra J. Slover's leadership expertise stems from 18 years directing a state youth services program, experience organizing 20 state and national conferences, and running her own consulting firm for over six years. Her website is http://www.leadershipgardenlegacy.com