Life as a background investigator can be challenging. With odd hours in odd places, time driving, and working around others’ schedules, it can be challenging to complete the necessary tasks. Juggling interview schedules and office work can lead to time between appointments feeling somewhat wasted. Here are a few tips to keep you productive and help you maximize your work time so you can get more done in less time. Because ultimately, it’s about having more free time to spend with friends and family and doing the things you love.
Find your most productive hours
Many people find that they are most productive first thing in the morning, and by the afternoon they are looking for a change of pace or a way to get out of the office. If your background investigator life supports this, try to schedule your appointments in the afternoon so that you maximize that productive time in the morning. Do your writing and paperwork in the morning hours, and then use your appointments to give you a change of scenery while still helping you get work done. If the opposite is true for you, schedule your appointments first thing in the morning so you can work in the afternoon. You may not always be able to fit appointments into certain times, but it’s something to at least shoot for when you’re setting up your appointments.
Maximize your Time on the road
If you have more than a few minutes between appointments, and no phone calls to make, it probably makes sense to find a place where you can sit at a table and do some work. The few extra minutes you spend driving to a coffee shop and setting up your laptop can easily be recouped by the increased productivity you will have when you’re comfortable and have room to spread out. Of course, the time on the road can also be a personal benefit for you to increase your knowledge.
Fit work into the amount of time you have
On the other hand, if you have only a few minutes until you need to hit the road again, use that time to set up appointments or make other quick phone calls which will only take a few minutes. Getting these little things off of your to-do list when you have a few minutes to spare means that you can maximize your larger chunks of work time without interruptions.
Little Adjustments Can Lead to More Productivity
Life as a background investigator has a lot of benefits, including autonomy and the ability to work remotely. With these benefits come a lot of challenges. If you’ve found yourself not being as productive as you’d like, see if making a few changes can help you get more done in less time.
