Are you proudly wearing the BUSY badge of honour?
Whilst on a 5-hour bus journey in beautiful Costa Rica I decided to brain dump some of my top productivity tips to help you reclaim both your time and your sanity.
I know you’re busy, I also know you’re likely beating yourself up for being the procrastination queen. You’re wondering what’s wrong with you because you’re on fire one day and then spinning your wheels the next 6 – and the cycle continues.
It doesn’t have to be that way and so here are 10 tips to help you free up more time to do the things you love.
Implementing any one of these tips will have an impact.
Tip 3, for example, is what took me from an average business to a profitable one, with an engaged following that just keeps on growing. I still use this tip every single week in my business. It has served me very well and I know it will be just as powerful for you.
Whilst I know the power that these simple shifts can have, I need you to experience this yourself so here’s my challenge to you:
Pick ONE of the below productivity tips and commit to implementing it every single day for the next 14 days, and then review what impact it has on your productivity (and your sanity).
Did you start to feel more organised?
Have better focus?
Get way more done than you usually do?
Did you feel in flow?
Did it impact the relationship you have with your children because in the evenings you were able to be fully present instead of worrying about your expanding To Do list? (my client Helen had this exact thing happen), you just don’t know where the positive impact will show up first!
There are so many benefits to being more productive – yes it means we can achieve more in less time, but why do we want to do that?
It’s not just to get more work done, it’s to feel better moving through the day, to feel in control, to be present with family and friends, and to get to actually work to live, not live to work.
These are just a few of the rewards you will reap when you start implementing any one of these tips.
The secret ingredient here is that it’s not what you KNOW, but what you DO that counts. You have to pick one and implement it
Tip 1 – Celebrate your successes
Success builds momentum. By ending your day and week celebrating what you DID achieve you will be inviting more of that into your life. Way more powerful. So pop a 5-min ‘celebrating my wins’ session in your diary at the end of every week and enjoy feeling a little bit like superwomen!
Tip 2 – Focus on ONE thing at a time
It takes practice but one single focus at a time is what gets things done. It’s a way more powerful way to grow your business AND it will free up hours a week. Switching between tasks is not how the pro’s go about their day.
Tip 3 – Imperfect Action is way better than NO action!
I know you want everything to be perfect, but perfect doesn’t exist. So by not embracing imperfect action, you are seriously limiting yourself. My whole business has been built on #ImperfectAction, and nothing has broken, in fact, it’s only done it good! So please, do yourself a favour and just for one month see what happens when you ditch perfectionism and instead, embrace Imperfect Action. You’ll be surprised.
Tip 4 – Saying No is your new best friend
The truth is, what you say No to is where the power lies. When we step up and start saying No, it leaves you space and energy to focus on what is truly important. Set yourself goals for the month and if a new ‘thing’ pops up that grabs your attention throughout the month, ask yourself does this bring me closer to my monthly goals? If not then put it on your ‘Not Now’ List.
Tip 5 – Have set routines
The biggest lesson I have learned since being location independent is that the more structure I put in place, the more freedom and flexibility I have. The weeks when I have no structure I don’t achieve anywhere near as much.
“Freedom comes through discipline” – I found this out the hard way.
Yes, I was the rebel who resisted routine and structure when I first starting working for myself, and once I got over this block EVERYTHING got a whole lot better. More time, More freedom, More money.
More time, More freedom, More money.
Tip 6 – Use a timer to stay focused
I like the Pomodoro Technique, no, in fact, I LOVE the Pomodoro Technique. It’s a bit like interval training for your To Do list and is pretty powerful. I suggest getting a buddy to do it with, I often do virtual co-working sessions using the Pomodoro Technique, in fact, it’s a tool we use in my signature programs. So much is getting achieved in these little power sessions. (Here’s a blog post I wrote about this technique #Iheartthepom).
Tip 7 – Make Exercise a non-negotiable
Seriously this will create more energy, which leads to better focus, clarity and creativity. Exercise is truly one of the greatest productivity tools out there. Richard Branson apparently said his secret to getting more done was exercise, and if it works for Richard….
Tip 8 – Avoid distractions
Turn off all notifications when focusing on a specific task. Make sure email notifications are turned off. Social Media channels are turned off. When focusing on a task – make sure that task is getting 100% of you. It will mean you finish the task a lot quicker as well as it getting your full attention.
Tip 9 – Swop the To-Do list for a Daily Action List
Working from one massive To-Do list is seriously affecting your time mgt! It’s exhausting and it doesn’t really work. Instead, only see the tasks you need to focus on today.
Tip 10 – Create a ‘Not Now’ List
Have a notebook for distractive ideas and thoughts and new bright shiny project ideas and then review this at your monthly review. Don’t get the bright shiny object syndrome. Stay focused for productive success!
Let me know in the Productivity Boosters FB Group which tip you will be implemented first.
To your success,
Love Jo x
