A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

productivity tips - kitkat

Posted: Jan 13, 2015

I'm wondering if anyone has any productivity tips for staying focused that they'd like to share. I've been doing this for so many years, but it seems like a daily struggle to sit still for six to eight hours a day and just type report after report, especially when the laundry and housecleaning always seems to be calling out to me. I've tried the 25 minutes on/5 minutes off without much success and am wondering what else works for people.

Thanks for any shares!

What helps me is to keep a notepad by my desk - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Then as I think of other things I need to take care of, I jot them down. This helps me put them out of my mind until the transcribing time is finished.

Your statements just burn me up - Let me tell you why

[ In Reply To ..]
You have a job that you are allowed to stay at home and work. Not everyone has that opportunity. You disregard it as a "real" job because you don't know how to stay interested, thinking about housework instead? I will tell you probably have done this about twice as long as you and never have any problem with outside things taking my attention away from my job. If not for the occasional cup of coffee or glass of water my behind would be in my chair for the entire 8 hour shift. I would call names but do not care to be thrown off here. I think people who talk about I need to do the dishes, take care of the kids, blah, blah, blah must be people who have never had a job where they had to get their behinds out the doors and then they would be glad to have a job comfy like now. I hate and I mean hate ridiculous statements.

Me too, I've done this a LONG time--long enough to watch - income go from $60K to $40K

[ In Reply To ..]
That $60K was while doing laundry, dishes, running errands, and NOBODY cared. The work was done and everything was great. Now, they have me tethered with a ball and chain, and I miss my freedom. Don't tell me about your wonderful discipline. I did a magnificent job for the people I worked for. I worked when they NEEDED me to work. Never had a problem with being called in the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT if they wanted something. I worked for a company that I had never met anyone I worked for or with. Got paid on time. I even ran $800 phone bills that they paid on time. There was mutual respect. Now they micromanage you to the nth degree and you have to worry about everything.

There isn't much love for the work left. It is a struggle to stay interested. I agree with the original poster.

Tips for the original poster -- come up with a challenge for yourself. If you have it in you, make it a productivity challenge. Unfortunately, anymore it is all just empty false rewards as the money isn't there anymore.

BTW--that $40K I'm working lots more hours than I was for $60K.

Am not feeling bad about your plight either - Let me tell you why

[ In Reply To ..]
You are the only one who can allow bad treatment if that is what happens to you. Why stay in a business where you feel tethered to a ball. If you are micromanaged, again on you. If I had such a bad job, I would change but you on the other hand let others bother you and micromanage you.

Better harness those unicorns and rainbows - Your compassion is out of control

[ In Reply To ..]
No message. Just imagining what a delight you must be at dinner parties.

My productivity tip is...SM - Old Anon

[ In Reply To ..]
not to think about laundry and housecleaning. I use my days off for that or do a few small house chores before my shift like loading the dishwasher and picking/tidying up the place. I worked a number of years inhouse, so housecleaning just never entered by mind and still doesn't. What you really need to do is take well-spaced breaks and walk around. My MTSO builds time into our shift for breaks and I need them and take them. But all in all, the most powerful motivator for me is that if I don't make money, I can't pay my mortgage and would have to move into senior subsidized housing. I have always said "take me out behind the barn and shoot me" if I ever have to move into a senior highrise. Yuck!

Time Management - Kindred

[ In Reply To ..]
I start early, finish late. Aim for 12-hour window. Get up about once an hour for 7th-inning stretch and take that time to do stuff around the house. Kids are older now and in school all day so nowhere near as many distractions. (Except husband is home from lay-off almost all the time now - drives me nuts!) Things were a LOT different when the kids were younger. Seemed like then I could not finish a single report without being interrupted. I prayed every day for more patience back then!

productivity - Maria

[ In Reply To ..]
When I was a transcriptionist (my last day was earlier this week), I put in my hardest/most productive editing during the first few hours of my shift like the first 4, edit as much as I can, so I could take a break or two (15 minutes each) later in the shift, when my concentration was decreased.

Also, I set a goal of how much I want to make each day, so I would have the money I needed two days before the end of the pay period, because there is hardly any work left toward the end of the pay period. So if we ran out of work, I could sit back relax and do little things around the house.

RE - MTguy

[ In Reply To ..]
I recently bought a book to help with my production called "How To Increase Your Income As A Medical Transcriptionist" and it has helped me a LOT. The book is available through Amazon.

Does it help with editing at all? nm - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

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