At the end of the day do you often feel like you’ve done a little bit of everything and a whole lot of nothing? It’s safe to say we’ve all had days and weeks that felt this way. There’s no secret recipe to productivity and for most of us each day is a little different. When your day takes an unexpected turn, your productivity doesn’t need to suffer. Just by implementing a few easy strategies, you can end each day with a few more things crossed off your list and a determination to do it all again the next day.
- NOT YOUR ORDINARY CHECKLIST:
Writing down what needs to be done is an effective way to remember all the tasks at hand. But sometimes we need a checklist for our checklist. Between our personal life and our business, the list seems to grow every day.
What has helped me: When you have a task that you must get done, or a goal you want to start working on, write it down on an ongoing master list. At the end of your day, go to your list and choose three things that you want to accomplish the following day. I recommend choosing at least one task that moves the needle of your business. Time is money, and productivity where it matters will move you and your business closer to your goals. Don’t forget to display your three tasks in a place that you will see as soon as you start the day. Work on completing those tasks and don’t move on until you can cross them off!
- GIVE NOTIFICATIONS THE BOOT:
I love my smartphone. The apps, the games and the easy access to just about any piece of information I could hope for. But with it comes the ability to suck the productivity right out of my day.
What has helped me: I turned off almost all my notifications. You know, those little notifications that let you know you have an email, a personal message, a new comment, the latest sale or a news alerts. If you were like me, you get dozens a day. That little ding or vibrate beckons you to pick up your phone and see what’s going on. Usually, it’s nothing earth shattering, but you find yourself 20 minutes later still on your phone because you ventured down a rabbit hole that has nothing to do with why you picked up your phone in the first place. Do yourself a favor, go into your settings and turn them all off except for one or two that are REALLY important. Now don’t panic, because you’ll still get to check all your important notifications and the not so important ones, just much more efficiently. Here’s how! Think of 3-5 times throughout your day that you can dedicate 5 to 15 minutes (depending on your workload and business) to check your messages and notifications. When that alarm goes off, go ahead, pick up your phone and check out what you’ve missed. Chances are you’ll find that the earth didn’t stop moving and no one is mad that it took you two hours to respond instead of two minutes. Except maybe your Mom!
- A CLUTTERED DESK IS A CLUTTERED MIND:
Have you heard that one? Well, it holds some truth when it comes to productivity. It’s a lot harder to focus on the important aspects of your life and business when your work space looks like a paper explosion. So maybe put this as one of your tasks to get done tomorrow!
What has helped me: Avoid loose paper, sticky notes and small little note pads, instead opt for a simple spiral bound notebook or journal. Papers. If you have papers or bills that need to be kept, file them or invest in a 3-hole punch and put them in an accessible binder for quick reference. Shred or toss the rest. Magazines. If you’ve read it, ditch it. No need to save the whole magazine for one article worth remembering. If you really need to save the information, tear it out, hole punch it or take a picture to be saved on your phone. Knickknacks. Opt for one or two items that bring you the most joy or motivation, like a picture of your family or an award you’re really proud of. Think simple, and don’t over complicate it. This step can feel overwhelming, but once your work space is functional again your productivity level will function too.
READY, SET, ACTION!
Alright, I’ve just given you three easy steps to kick start your productivity. Now it’s time to put these steps into action! Goals are great, but we must act on them every single day if we want to see results. Create daily habits and don’t be surprised when you start seeing that needle move.
Do you have any great tips and tricks for staying on track? Drop it in the comments below.
