7 OTHER Productivity Tips To Try

 

There is No One Size That Fits All When it Comes to Productivity

 

Oh, productivity. It’s something that every entrepreneur tends to struggle with more often than they’d like to. Especially if you’re just starting your business and you’re not at a point where you can outsource yet. It can be quite overwhelming at times, trying to wear all those different hats.

With so many systems, apps and methods for being productive, there is no one size fits all. And while yes, there are certain methods that so many people swear by, truth be told, it may not actually work for you. Like with anything having to do with  running a business, it’s a trial and error process to finding what system works for you. You may have tried some of these already, but perhaps you need to approach the method a different way.

 

1. KISS YOUR TO-DO LIST

I am guilty of feeling I can pile so much on my plate like I am at a task completion buffet.  I would create these insanely long to-do lists and every time I looked at it, I would feel very intimidated and overwhelmed by it. Limit your to-do lists to 3-5 things only. No more. If you manage to complete those tasks and are still hungry for more, add on a couple of extra tasks but don’t create a massive to-do list and expect to finish it all in one day. It may just end up overwhelming you and could potentially be a huge distraction from completing the things that actually need to get done.

[Tweet “Keep it simple. Why make it more complicated? #productivitytip”]

 

2. PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY

Not by your desk. Not nearby. Put it away so you don’t even see it. So you have to make an effort – meaning physically get off your butt, move away from your table or desk and walk over to look at your phone. You can survive a couple of hours without looking at it. Do you remember a time when we didn’t have cell phones? I do.

Out of sight. Out of mind. You are not tempted to look at your phone. Heck, you may even forget about it. Which is a good thing.

 

3. STOP HAVING SO MANY TABS OPEN

Do you really need all 20 tabs open at the same time to work on your task? I bet one of those tabs is to check your Twitter feed. Which brings me to my next point.

 

4. TREAT YO’ SELF

Use checking your social media and email as a reward for getting your sh*t done. Think to yourself, if I finish this blog post or designing this graphic, I can check my Twitter feed.

 

 

5. LISTEN TO MUSIC WITHOUT LYRICS

Don’t listen to podcasts. I’ve tried listening to podcasts while I’m working and I’ve personally found them to be distracting. I focus more on what they’re saying instead of what I’m actually doing. Same goes for music with lyrics – sometimes I’ll actually focus more on the lyrics and confession time: I may even sing to them. It’s a good thing I work from home.

 

6. POMODORO YOUR PINTEREST AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS

Use the Pomodoro technique for spending time on social media. This enables you to check all your accounts quickly and not get sucked into the black hole of endless scrolling. You’ll be more efficient because you’re on a time crunch.

 

7. EAT THE FROG LATER

Say what??? I know they say to tackle the biggest, difficult task first and then leave the more easy, manageable tasks for later. I’ll be honest, I don’t always try to conquer the most difficult task first. Especially if it’s first thing in the morning. I tend to do a couple of other tasks first just to get going and find my rhythm. It also puts me in a more positive, productive mood to help me take on that task I’m dreading.

 

What is your best productivity tip? Have you tried any of the ones listed above and have they worked for you? Why or why not?

 

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