Have you been feeling overwhelmed by all the things you must accomplish in your day and week? Many people struggle with how to be more productive. They think they must learn how to DO IT ALL, and that if they figure out how to accomplish everything, their business or life will improve. The truth is, WE can make our lives busy by filling our days with unnecessary tasks that feel important, but in reality, they just distract us. In this post we are going to share our best productivity tips for your business and life.
Are you feeling less productive than usual and wishing you could learn how to juggle everything in your day?
Or perhaps you are feeling burdened by an endless amount of busy tasks which never seem to get complete…
Many people struggle with how to be more productive in their work and life. We all have to-do lists, and sometimes we can have “good days” and accomplish everything, and other times the whole day goes by and nothing gets done.
What gives???
I’ve had major productivity spurts where I amaze myself with all the things I accomplish. And the happy feeling I get at the end of the day is priceless!!! Maybe you know what I’m talking about. It feels incredible!
Other days… I’m looking at the clock at the end of the day wondering where the time went, and I haven’t accomplished A THING! Well, maybe I ended up organizing a bunch of emails and got side tracked reading the latest negative news (NOT PRODUCTIVE AT ALL!)
Those days where I get distracted are very frustrating. And they happen so easily!!!
I feel like being productive and focused is an area I’m always working on. When I am able to eliminate distractions and stay on task, I’m able to get ahead and feel more present with my loved ones.
I’m currently trying to get ahead on as much as possible so I can enjoy some upcoming trips with my hubby and dogs! With these important tasks out of the way, I know I’ll have a better time while away.
The benefits to being more productive
One of the greatest benefits to learning how to be productive is you will have more time to focus on the things you love. Your mind won’t be busy with all the things you still need to do, and you feel peaceful living in the moment.
Maybe you have experienced a feeling of distress because you have not been able to get to your important tasks. And then thoughts are constantly nagging at you to get those things done.
It can give you a sinking feeling.
But if you are able to become more productive, it allows more room in your life to do some things you may have not been able to do before. Things like:
- Spend more time with your loved ones or friends
- Increase your income by starting a side hustle, blog or business
- Learn something new, take up a hobby, or perfect a skill
- Eliminate your debt
- Travel more
- Exercise more
- Read more
- Volunteer
- Relax and enjoy life more
Related Reads:
- Life Coaching Business as a Side Hustle- How to Get Started
- A Plan to Reach Financial Independence at an Early Age
- 25 Most Valuable Money and Life Lessons Learned
11 productivity tips to help your business and life
Learning to be more productive can be somewhat of a challenge in this busy world… but IT IS POSSIBLE! Just know that becoming more productive does not always happen overnight. Rather it takes the practice of putting some systems and tools in place, and with time, you will see great results.
We suggest you start with just one of the ideas below. As you read through this article, pick one idea to help you become more productive and put it into practice today. Then add more layers as you get some systems in place.
Hopefully these productivity tips will help to add more hours for fun and learning into your day. Here are our top 11 productivity tips to improve your business and life:
#1 Clear Clutter
Clutter can act as a major distraction in your life. Too much clutter can make you feel sluggish, and it can keep you from finding what you are looking for quickly.
Taking dedicated time once a week to do a simple clearing of your home, car, and work space can have immediate benefits.
I chose Friday’s as my day to tidy up and eliminate trash and clutter around our space. This way, we enter the weekend with a fairly tidy house and if friends pop in, I feel like I don’t have to scramble to clean up.
We take a weekend once a month to do a more major cleaning of bathrooms, kitchen cupboards, closets and the garage.
Once a quarter, we do a round up of clothes, books, and other items to donate. This helps us create space for new items and also helps us evaluate if we need new clothing or updated items for each season.
#2 Eliminate Distractions
Think of some of the things that distract you during the day and might be robbing you of precious time.
Once I started to pay attention to how I was spending my day, I realized I was losing focus because of things like alerts showing up on my phone (which I would immediately check and then get distracted). Other things that distracted me easily were social media, email, calls from friends and family.
I’m not saying to eliminate friends and family!!! But I am saying, put your phone on silent (or flip it over to hide your screen) while you are committed to a task.
If email is piling up and you feel overwhelmed by needing to read or respond to everything, dedicate one hour a day to looking through your email. Also, unsubscribe from anything that doesn’t truly serve you. There is an unsubscribe link at the bottom of most emails which makes this very easy. I only stay subscribed to blog newsletters I love and people I learn from.
#3 Replace TV time with reading, learning something new, or exercise
Television can be a MAJOR sucker of precious time. Also, I noticed that certain shows or things like the news made me feel more angry or emotional. It’s hard enough to stay positive and focused in your day, then add in all the negativity and drama from tv, and boom, you are off worrying needlessly.
Replace tv time with things you have been longing to do for some time, such as reading a good book, learning a new language or starting a new hobby. Exercise is also a great replacement for watching tv for hours upon hours.
#4 Wake up earlier
Waking up earlier was a game changer for me and is one of my best productivity tips to share. Once I started waking up and working out in the mornings, my day just seemed to flow better.
If you have a busy family life, the morning hours can provide you with a peaceful time to focus. I found that by setting my alarm for one hour earlier in the mornings, I was able to get many extra tasks done without getting distracted.
I won’t lie; it was a bit of an adjustment to change my schedule and wake up earlier, but after doing it a few mornings in a row, it got easier. And I noticed how much better I felt because I was more productive in my day. Now my internal alarm clock wakes me up automatically in the mornings, and I get up craving my morning workouts.
#5 Meditate
I know what you might be thinking… how can meditation make me more productive???
Actually, meditation not only has health benefits, it also helps your mind focus.
The reason I consider meditation one of my favorite productivity tips is because everyone struggles with distractions. And the whole point to meditation is to learn how to let go of distraction and negative thoughts and return back to a calm and peaceful state of being.
There are many meditations out there to try. You can find them on YouTube, or add a meditation app to your smart phone.
I have found that just simply sitting for about 20 to 30 minutes in the early morning and focusing on my breath helps me feel more centered and calm. I also take this time to focus on my highest desires for my day and week. This helps me feel more clear and aligned to my tasks.
#6 More positive mindset
A positive mindset really is one of the most important things to strive for in life. Focusing on negative things like guilt, regret, shame, blame, etc. can all be such a huge waste of time. And once you realize those are just thoughts coming from your mind, you will notice how much power you have to create a better life for yourself.
A positive mindset is crucial for helping you get tasks done, and it’s why I consider it one of the most crucial of productivity tips. Have you ever tried to attempt to take on large tasks with a negative mindset? If you have, you probably had a hard time even starting your task.
With a positive mindset, you can get even more done than you thought possible. I’ve even used positive thinking to help me get through really large projects. I’ve noticed that by simply approaching a situation knowing that I will somehow figure things out, it really does end up working out.
Coming to problems with a solution oriented mindset will always help you succeed. It takes practice and true awareness to achieve holding a positive mindset, but with time, it becomes second nature.
#7 Know Your Highest Intentions and Desires
Do you know what your true intentions and desires are? Having clarity about what you truly want for your life can save you an enormous amount of time and wasted effort. There are some simple ways to get clear about what you want…
Taking some time in the beginning of your day and week to get clear about what you want to achieve can help you be more productive. Use a simple weekly review sheet like this one we created to list the highest priority items first on your list.
A productivity tips trick I learned early on with my business is to work on the most important task first in my day. Once I accomplish this task, anything else I accomplish is a bonus!
#8 Organize
There are so many benefits to being organized… everything from knowing where items are when you need them to having a more clean living and work space. Being organized can help you save time and stay sane. Raise your hand if you’ve ever found yourself looking for your phone while talking on it!
If you are feeling disorganized, you are not alone. Here are some interesting findings from the website Simply Orderly…
The average person spends 12 days per year looking for things they can’t find.
In a recent survey, 55% of consumers stated they would save anywhere from 16 to 60 minutes a day if they were organized.
23% of people pay bills late and have to pay late fees because they are unable to find their bills.
Being organized starts with having specific places for things and being good about putting things away. Some of the more important things to organize would be your bills, important documents such as receipts for major purchases and tax paperwork, tools, useful items you use for your work or family life, and health and medical documents.
My husband and I keep a shared spreadsheet in Google for our monthly budget and bills. We also use software and programs like Personal Capital and Quicken to manage our finances and investments.
Something we have recently started doing is scanning important documents such as our taxes into digital format onto our computer and then saving them onto an external hard drive like this one. About once a quarter, I move all my photos and videos onto the same external hard drive to free up space on my laptop. It helps it run faster and more efficiently.
Here’s a popular post on tracking your finances… or sign up for our 7 Day Money Course which offers free printables and worksheets to help you get your finances in order.
#9 Use calendars, planners, and lists to time block
Realize you only have so many hours in the day. And as my husband likes to say, he only has so much energy to expend, and once that’s used up, there’s nothing left in the tank for other things. Scheduling in important tasks as well as joyful moments can ensure you get a balanced blend of the things that matter most to you.
Using planners like this one, at-a-glance monthly wall calendars like this one, and to-do productivity list planners like this one can help you stay focused on the most important tasks. Make sure to schedule in free time, time for fun, and time for learning as well.
A simple strategy to help you stay more productive is to time block. Time blocking is a strategy in which you work a specific amount of time on a focused task. Use alarms and reminders on your phone or clock to remind you about appointments as well as taking breaks.
Here’s a free spreadsheet we created in Google that can help you create a weekly schedule. We use this very template every week to map out important tasks and block out time to complete them.
#10 Plan for Joy and Self Care
Planning for joy means you are making plans for things you love or want to do. It goes without saying, whatever you plan for is exactly what you will get in life. If all you do is plan for work, then lots of time will go by and you’ll realize you are not having any fun.
One way of planning for joy and self care is to make sure you schedule in something at least once or twice a month that is nourishing and fun for you and your family. Use a simple monthly calendar and just write the fun item on there and then let your work and life stuff fill up around it. You will be so glad you scheduled in joy items first!
#11 Saying no
Setting boundaries and saying no to distractions is probably one of the most effective productivity tips that will have an amazing impact on your life.
I noticed that when I didn’t have proper boundaries in place, people often took advantage of my time and energy. Once I became more clear about what I actually could do and couldn’t do for people, a huge amount of time opened up in my schedule.
It can be hard to say no to people who are going through tough situations in life, but realize that if you are constantly coming to their aid, they learn to become co-dependent on you and they never learn to be self sufficient and brave. In moments when you feel guilty for saying no to them, remind yourself of your own highest priorities and refocus on your most important tasks. Your time and energy matter. Know that your productivity is a direct result of how much you give in to needy friends and loved ones.
We hope you enjoyed this article and can put some of these productivity tips to use. We are always looking for new ways to be more organized and productive, so please feel free to share you best ideas below!
What are your top productivity tips? After reading this, is there anything that stands out as a waste of time in your day or week?
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