The Top 5 Productivity Tips All Uber Successful People Live By!
It's not enough to dream of success. It's not even enough to set goals.
The only way to truly achieve your dreams and create the life you want is to just do it!
However, that's where many of us...well, fall is a strong word. But it's the doing part that trips us up most of the time.
We over commit ourselves until today's to-do's become next week's past dues.
We procrastinate on the things that are important while doing things that are 'nice to do'.
We simply take on too much - even when we know better.
If this sounds like you, you're in the right place! This blog was written just for you!
Today I'm sharing the top 5 productivity hacks that all uber successful people live by to get more done in less time.
Routines & Habits
Simply put, a routine or habit is a consistent way of doing something.
Most of us have a morning routine (wake up, brush your teeth, work out, shower, and go to work),
evening routine (check homework, eat dinner, tuck the kiddos into bed, watch the evening news, and hit the sack),
weekend routine(sleep late, mow the lawn, watch a movie, visit your parents) and many others.
The problem is, if you're not careful with your routines, they can turn into productivity killers.
Is checking Facebook or email a part of your morning routine? Distractions like these can turn even your best intentions into hours of wasted time.
Examine your habits. Is there anything you're doing that is not productive? Or anything that would be better for you to do at a different time of the day?
For example, I like to check social media in the evening instead of the morning because I know that I'm more creative in the morning.
I don't want to waste my creative energy on social media. So I save that for a time when I want to check out and not think as much.
Make your habits more efficient, and you'll automatically be more productive in a shorter amount of time.
Calendar Management
Want to know how much time you really have to complete that project? Try blocking off time on your calendar for all the things you're currently doing.
If you're an entrepreneur like me, fill in all your client work, your business admin tasks, time for meals and breaks, networking events, and everything else you've committed to.
What's left might just surprise you!
You may actually have more 'free' time than you think when you realize how much time you are actually spending on tasks and how much time you are spending buffering on things that don't matter.
Set aside time Sunday evening or first thing Monday morning to schedule the entire week's to-do's in your calendar.
It's not enough to schedule the tasks though. You must show up at that allotted time and actually do what you're scheduled to do.
We are typically really good at creating the to-do list and some of us are even good at getting it on the calendar.
However, what separates the successful from the not so successful is in the actual doing, the action.
Make it a habit to block time in your calendar for every commitment, show up and do what you say you will do at the allotted time.
Forming habits like this ensures you will never again over-promise or over-commit again.
Learn to Let Go
Here's a news flash, you do not have to do everything yourself!
You can (and should) hand off tasks that someone else could do or that you can hire out to be done.
Don't have time to clean your house? Hire someone to do it! Hate going to the grocery store? Guess what, they deliver!
Need a few extra minutes in the morning? Find a parent carpooling group to take your kids to school or create one in your area.
Get creative and figure out ways to get the things done that you need done in a way that will save you time and energy.
This also allows you to focus on things that are truly important and can only be done by you or that you enjoy doing.
Work Hard, Play Harder
You are not a machine! You cannot work all day every day and hope to be at your best all the time.
Take a day off. Get some rest, or relax on a long weekend. Take a friend out to lunch or read a good book on the back porch.
Go shopping with your kids. See a movie or a play. Do something - anything - other than work.
Not only will you return to the office feeling much more refreshed, but you'll find yourself more creative and productive than ever before.
Focus
Multi-tasking is impossible. You cannot efficiently do work while you're simultaneously surfing Facebook, keeping an eye on the kids, and answering the phone every time it rings.
Instead, use your calendar to block time for important tasks, then turn everything else off so you can focus.
No phone, no Facebook, no kids or husband or neighbors or pets demanding 'just a minute' of your time.
Tune everything out, and you'll find your work getting done much faster and smoother.
Managing your time and increasing your productivity is not something that comes naturally to most people.
However, when you learn to master this skill, you'll find more meaning, purpose and happiness in your life.