Strategies to simplify your workday!
Is your productivity level slipping a bit?
At the start of the year, much like new year's resolutions, we hit the ground running, place all our energies into making that resolution or intention happen.
Realistically speaking, many abandon their resolutions due to a lack of motivation, commitment, or simply boredom, something that may as well be happening to you when it comes to your overall business intentions for the year (plans, goals…).
Are you now at a point where you believe you would have had more projects completed each day but find you're just not able to do so?
If your level of productivity has dropped from last month, take time to ask yourself where you are spending your time. Now is not the time to feel disappointed in yourself, but instead, it's time to start prioritizing the tasks you should focus on that will grow your business each step of the way.
Getting more out of your day will increase not just productivity but also your bottom line financially.
That is why it is so important to:
Start your day ready to go. Whether you work from home or have an external office, start your day by thinking about what it will be like when you get there.
Do you have a master task list of the steps you need to take to reach your goal for the day?
Prioritize and focus on the top 3 tasks to complete each day.
Yes, only 3. When you have more than three, you create a to-do list for the day, making it more difficult to see actual results.
Focus on your most important task first, whether it's something new or a task you did not complete the day before that you would like to focus on as your most important task today.
Learn to anticipate. When you ponder what will be happening when you start your day, you'll be ready to meet whatever challenge is occurring at the time. You might think, "I know my team members may have questions about a project we're working on. I'll leave time in the afternoon to respond to their inquiries. Anticipate what might happen.
Develop a method of keeping track of tasks that works for you. Whether it's dictating your task list into your phone or adding them to your calendar, journal, or notebook, having a master task list to refer back to will help you become more focused as they are completed faster.
Having some way to review your items is helpful so you can tell at a glance which tasks you’ve completed, and which ones remain.
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution here, so try it until you find a way that is comfortable and works best for you. The one that helps you stay focused so you can get the most done is the one you should stick with going forward.
Politely say NO, tell others you don't "have a minute." If you're working on a task or project and someone calls or send you a text, at work and people stop by your office to chat, feel free not to respond to the call or text immediately, a good way to make sure you are not disturbed in is to turn the ringer off and your notification until you've completed that task.
Create boundaries by letting your friend and family know you are not available to talk during specific hours of the day but would love to catch up with them at a time that is more convenient for you.
Not allowing yourself to be interrupted will allow you to get a lot more done in minimum time. Inform others of your work hours to avoid unnecessary interruptions as you work on your more important tasks.
Optimize your time in the morning. Set aside personal time for exercise, meditation, visualization, to have breakfast, and get your priority list completed for the day. If you don't have time now, start by waking 30 minutes earlier for 21 – 30 days to create an ongoing habit. Respecting your needs, allows you to be better prepared and have more energy to emotionally focus on those important tasks.
Even if you feel like you're never getting anything accomplished, the great news is that you've got lots of choices for increasing your efficiency. Perhaps while reading this list, it inspired you to develop your own methods to get more done in a day.
Give some or all of them a try. The strategies that work best for you and your routine are the ones worth continuing.
When you put forth an effort to change how you approach your day, you'll be pleasantly surprised to see how much more you can get done.
To Your Prioritized Success!
Have you ever felt like you were working really hard, but getting nowhere? You go to bed exhausted, wake up exhausted, but you don’t feel like you have anything to show for it. You know there has to be a better way, but you just don’t know where to start.
These four pillars will help you achieve the sense of accomplishment that you’re really striving for. Instead of going to bed feeling defeated, with piles of work left on your desk or computer, you can go to bed knowing that you’ve done enough for the day.
