Get More Done Optimize Your Productivity and Time Management

We often assume that being productive requires massive amounts of effort. But effective productivity should make your life easier, not harder. There are many productivity benefits, and it’s more important than ever to be productive.

You can accomplish more when you put your most essential activities first. There are strategies for ensuring that you stay on track. Including putting all your tasks in your calendar and having a dedicated time block for each task.

But how can you be productive when there are so many distractions? The key is to find the right discipline and time management system for you. There are a lot of different productivity strategies out there, so it’s important to find one that you like that works for you. The best way to do this is to experiment with different techniques and see what works best for you.

Once you’ve found a productivity strategy that works for you, it’s important to stick with it. Consistency is key to your productivity. The more disciplined you are, the more productive you’ll be. So, if you’re looking to boost your productivity, don’t be afraid to experiment until you find the best method for you. And once you find it, stick with it!

Understand your optimal productive hours.

One of the most important things you can do to be productive is to identify your optimal productive hours. This may vary from person to person, but some general tips can help you determine when you are most productive. First, look at your daily energy levels. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Do you have more energy in the afternoon or evening? Identify the times of day when you feel the most awake and alert, and try to schedule your most important tasks during those times.

Next, think about how long you can usually focus on a task before you need a break. If you can focus for long periods, you may be able to work on a task for several hours at a time. However, if you find that you need to take frequent breaks, you may want to schedule shorter blocks of time for work and build in some breaks. Finally, consider any outside factors that may affect your productivity.

If you have young children at home, for example, you may need to schedule your work around their nap times or school hours. If you have a long commute, you may want to use that time to listen to audiobooks or podcasts. Identifying your optimal productive hours can help you make the most of your time and be more productive. By scheduling your most important tasks during the times when you are most alert and have the most energy, you can ensure that you are making the most of your time.

Create a daily schedule.

Productivity doesn’t just happen. It’s the result of careful planning and execution. And it all begins with creating a daily schedule. Time management isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. The key is to find what works best for you and stick to it. There are a few things to keep in mind when creating a daily schedule.

• First, focus on your most important tasks. These are the tasks that are going to have the biggest impact on your productivity.

• Second, break down your tasks into manageable chunks. Don’t try to tackle everything at once. You’ll just end up feeling overwhelmed.

• Third, build in some flexibility. Things come up and the plan changes. You don’t want to be so rigid that you can’t adjust as needed.

• Fourth, make sure to schedule some time for yourself. This is the time to relax, recharge, and reset. Without it, you’ll quickly burn out.

• Fifth, and most importantly, be consistent with your schedule. The only way to see results is by sticking to your plan.

Set achievable goals.

To get optimized productivity, you need to set achievable goals. Trying to accomplish too much at once can be overwhelming and lead to poor results. When your goals are manageable and specific, it’s easier to create a plan of action to complete them. Time management is a mainstay to being productive. If there is not enough time allocated to complete a goal, it will likely not be done well.

To have an optimized workflow, it is essential to be disciplined. Staying focused on the task at hand and breaking it down into smaller steps will help you to avoid feeling overwhelmed. By being disciplined and staying on track, it will be easier to complete your goals and be productive. Productive workflows come down to setting the right goals and managing your time wisely.

Wake up early.

The most productive people in the world have one thing in common: they wake up early. And by early, we mean 5 am or earlier. If you’re not a morning person, this probably sounds like torture, but there are scientific reasons why waking up early can make you more productive.

You will have the entire morning to get things done before the distractions of the day begin to set in. You can get a head start on your workday or your projects. This is the time of day when you’re most likely to be undisturbed and able to focus on what you need to do. Waking up early gives you more time to exercise. Exercise has been proven to increase productivity, so this is an awesome way to begin your day.

And rising early gives you time to enjoy the quiet of the morning. If you’re not a morning person, this might sound counter-intuitive, but something is calming about the world when it’s just waking up. So, take some time to enjoy the stillness before the hustle of the day begins.

If you’re looking to increase your productivity, waking up early is a great place to begin. It might take some time to adjust, but it’s worth it. Try setting your alarm 15 minutes early and see how you feel after a week. Repeat this process until you find a time that works best for you.

Avoid distractions.

It’s no secret that we live in a world full of distractions. With technology at our fingertips and our social media feeds constantly updating, it’s easy to get pulled away from what we’re supposed to be doing. When we’re trying to be productive, these distractions can be a major setback. The first step to avoiding distractions is to be aware of them.

Once you know what factors are most likely to pull your attention away from what you’re doing, you can take steps to avoid them. For example, if you know you can’t resist checking your phone every time it buzzes, put it on silent or out of reach. If you have trouble focusing on background noise, try using headphones or finding a quiet place to work. When you limit the sources of distraction, you will find it easier to focus on the task at hand.

If you find yourself getting distracted, give yourself some grace. Take a deep breath and refocus your attention on what you were doing. It’s okay to take breaks but don’t get too far off track. You’ll be surprised how much more productive you can be when you allow yourself the time and space to focus.

Take a break.

Spending hours working without a break can have a grave impact on your mental health. Breaks give your brain time to recuperate and recharge after a period of lengthy, focused work. If you don’t take breaks regularly, you will have a harder time focusing when it’s necessary.. But how exactly can you make the most of your break time? And how can you make sure that you don’t end up spending more time on your break than you intended to? Here are a few tips:

• Use your break time to do something that will help you recharge and refocus. This might mean taking a walk, listening to music, or reading something inspiring. Whatever it is that helps you relax and feel ready to work again, make sure to do it during your break.

• Set a timer for your break so that you don’t end up taking too much time off. It can be easy to lose track of time when you’re on a break, so setting a timer can help you stay on track.

• Make sure to get back to work after your break. It can be tempting to keep taking breaks, but if you want to be productive, it’s important to get back to work after a break.

Taking breaks can help you be more productive, but it’s important to be strategic about it. Use your break time to recharge and refocus, set a timer, so you don’t take too much time off, and make sure to get back to work after your break.

Review your progress.

Productivity isn’t just about working hard. It’s also about working smart. And part of working smart is taking the time to review your progress regularly, to see what’s working and what isn’t. If you’re not reviewing your progress regularly, you’re missing out on valuable feedback that can help you optimize your productivity. Here are 7 reasons why you should make reviewing your progress part of your productivity routine:

1 | Helps you stay on track.

If you’re not regularly reviewing your progress, it’s easy to get off track. Regular Reviews help you maintain focus on your goals and ensure that you’re making progress toward them.

2 | Keeps you motivated.

It’s easy to lose motivation when you’re not seeing progress. Reviewing your progress regularly helps you stay motivated by highlighting your successes and progress toward your goals.

3 | Helps you identify areas for improvement.

No one is perfect and there’s always room for improvement. Reviewing your progress helps you identify areas where you can make changes to improve your productivity.

4 | Helps you create an improvement plan.

Once you’ve identified areas for improvement, reviewing your progress can help you create a plan for making changes. This plan can help you focus your efforts and make the most of your time.

5 | Helps you track your progress.

It’s important to know whether your efforts are paying off. Reviewing your progress regularly can help you track your progress and identify patterns that may be affecting your productivity.

6 | Helps you learn from your mistakes.

We all make mistakes. Reviewing your progress can not only help you keep your time and tasks organized reducing the number of forgotten or missed details, but help you learn from the mistakes you do make.

7 | Helps you celebrate your successes.

No matter how small, every success deserves to be celebrated. Reviewing your progress regularly can help you identify your successes and give you the recognition you deserve.

My final thoughts.

It’s truly possible to optimize your productivity and time management if you are disciplined. However, it isn’t always easy to maintain these habits. So, you must find a system that works and stick to it.

For more information, read these posts.

What Is Productivity? A Complete Guide For Improving Yours.

5 Tips to Improve Your Concentration.

Thank you for reading this post. Please share it with people you love.

Your Routines Favorable Or Failure

My morning routine

I have been asked by a few people to share my morning routine. So, before I begin for those who don’t know me well, I am fortunate to work at home but, my honey still works a 9-5 job and we have 4 dogs.

6:30 Get up, let the dogs out, visit the powder room, and put the coffee on. I like to get comfortable on the patio, weather permitting, with my gratitude journal and write down what I felt grateful for on the previous day. These are large things like being grateful for the roof over our heads, or work that is fulfilling, and small things such as playing catch with our dog Luke, or taking food to a widowed neighbor.

When I complete my journal entry it’s time to sit quietly and mindfully soak up the beauty of a new morning. The consistent breeze is always welcome and the birds gathering for breakfast with their different songs are a joy to hear. 

7:15 I stack a couple of records on the Victrola, I believe music should always fill a home. Michael gets up and together we prepare 4 dog breakfasts and hand them out. While he goes off to ready himself for work, I make his breakfast, pack his lunch, wash up dog bowls fill bird feeders, change birdbath water, and put breakfast out for my stray cat.

8:00 A kiss goodbye and out the door he goes. Time to gather laundry and start a wash. While the washer runs for the next hour or so, I do housework. Different tasks based on the day of the week.

9:00 Hang laundry on the lines, play catch with Luke.

9:30-12:30 Work on my business. I do the harder tasks early since the dogs, nap longest in the morning.

12:30-1:30 Eat lunch, play with the dogs, and take the laundry off the line.

My morning routine today is different than it was ten years ago when I worked out of my home. Yet it still serves me and allows me to be productive. As I am prone to frequent migraines my aim has always been the same. Enough structure in a routine so I needn’t think and can save that for my work. With enough flexibility to put off anything that is not either a necessity or urgent.   

“The most important thing I do each morning is steady myself by not allowing a sense of urgency to penetrate.”

— Matthew Weatherly-White

Are your routines beneficial or unsuccessful?

I know many people who hate the word routine. For them it conjures up images of drudgery and lack of spontaneity. But, we all have them to lesser or greater degrees and they save us time and increase our productivity by reducing the amount of decisions we need to make throughout our day. The trick is to keep them fluid and not so rigid that they feel like a straitjacket holding us back

Your present routines may be alright, but are they helping you to close in on your goals? What about supporting your priorities and values? When was the last time you looked at how well they are serving you?  

Are your routines changeable? Are you able to make incremental changes that enable them to serve you? Even the smallest tweak in a routine can make a huge difference, because they’re performed with regularity, and that adds up.

Questions about your routine:

Morning routine. From the time your alarm goes off until you’re out the front door, what do you do?

●        What time do you get up? How many times do you hit snooze?

●        What do you think about while lying in bed?

●        Do you have a healthy breakfast?

●        Do you do anything besides eat and prepare for work? If so, what? Are you doing those things optimally?

●        How much time do you waste that you could be using productively?

 
Evaluate your daily routine

How is your usual routine working for you? Are there any distinct faults or places/times where you would like to make alterations?

Learn to recognize wasted time. Look at your routines and ascertain how much time you squander every day. Include all valueless activities, such as watching TV. You may find it shocking when you realize the number of hours you’re wasting. Instead, consider how to improve the use of that time.

Examine your goals, values, and priorities. Make some time to write these down. It’s not feasible to assess your routine without having a standard to evaluate against. This step is necessary. If you haven’t any idea about what’s important to you and what you hope to accomplish, you’re seriously wasting a lot of your time.

Don’t forget any challenges you presently have in your life. Do your routines help, harm, or have no effect on solving those challenges?

Now, go back to your routines and make those changes that make sense for you.

●        What activities can you do each day that contribute to what you’re trying to accomplish?

●        What can you do each day that will put you closer to reaching your goals?

●        What is the optimum way to use your time in each of your routines?

It’s possible to accomplish more in the morning than just getting yourself to work on time. And, with a proactive pre-bedtime routine, you could teach yourself to play an instrument or acquire a new skill that could help your career.

Resource Reading From Previous Posts:

Do You Feel Your Gratitude

How Mindfulness Helps You Enjoy The Journey

You can accomplish so much more with effective routines. What are yours? If you liked this post, please share it.

How You Can Create A Daily Routine That Works

I am such a big fan of having to do lists and a calendar for my work, and my personal life. Like a friend told me not long ago "if it ain't on the list, it don't get done". Yes, this might be how we get big shit done, but it does nothing for the everyday minutia of our lives. Seriously, it's our routines that make those things quicker and easier to manage and without 'em your life and list becomes a hot mess.

Does Your Routine Work For You

Honestly, I could never accomplish a thing in my working day if it were not for the daily routines I have in place to speed me along. They are the If This Than That of my life. The trigger of one thing or habit that leads to the next and the next. You know what I mean. The unthinking, frequently auto pilot portion of our lives.

For example, you wake in the morning roll out of bed and turn the coffee pot on, or brush your teeth, or wake the kids, or let the dogs out. Whatever they are, these habits, are likely the beginning of your day, every day. And these habits strung together become our daily routines.

Now the best routines work for us and not the other way around and that is powerful. So they need to be purposeful as much as possible yet with an understanding that its need and necessity that forms them. For many people, the 9-5 workaday world is what provides the need of their routines. Change your job and it is likely you will be changing your routine.

Change A Habit And Change Your Routine

But that doesn't mean we are mere robots who are slaves to our routine, no way. Our brains are facile enough that we can have a different routine ever day and it will keep us on track. In fact, we all make subtle changes as the seasons change and barely notice it. We are able to add or subtract from a routine and hardly miss a beat.

So this is huge. Slip in that new habit you want to accomplish, like exercise that you have been either resistant or even lazy about doing. It may be difficult at first because it isn't part of your routine yet. Schedule it for 21-28 days which is what it takes to form a new habit and whatever you choose becomes part of your now, new routine.

Sure, you had to set yourself a reminder for the last 3 weeks that you wanted to exercise in the evening. But what makes it stick is that you chose Monday Tuesday, and Thursday after you walk your dog. Now your walk with Spot is the trigger for the addition of that habit into your routine. When you arrive home you're ready for your work out, and if you and Spot did more than just stroll maybe you don't need the warm up time before you begin.

So Why Am I So Charged Up About Routines

It is the auto pilot part. If you have no routine or a poor one, you constantly backtrack your steps or think what do I need to do now. When you have good routines in place for the mundane but necessary, you don't think about them. Your brain is free as a bird in flight while your hands and feet go about the tasks at hand. This can be some extra your time. Maybe you have ideas to brainstorm or a new audio book you have been meaning to find time for. Whatever you want that time for, claim it by making your routines work for you.

I want to challenge you to alter or streamline some part of your routine and make it work better for you.

If you liked this post please share it with your Buds.

  ~~Joyce  

Do Not Manage Your Time, Manage Your List

Managing Your List Not Your Time

Are you working 10 hour days 7 days a week at your business? Do you feel as if you never catch up, worse yet, do you fall even further behind? If you are always exhausted it could be your time management system is letting you down. I worked that way for 6 months. Everyone kept telling me how I should manage my time, only it didn't  work for me. I had a calendar whose hours were filled with tasks I couldn't complete. Leaving me feeling frustrated and a failure. After some thought, I have chosen to use the list and calendar making method that has worked so well for me in my personal life. This allows me to  rinse and repeat my tasks yearly and seasonally.  I believe when you manage your list, your time falls into place. 

Yearly Quarterly Monthly Weekly Daily

Your yearly business calendar should include the "why" of what you do. These are the big picture things that drive it forward. Although your daily to-do list isn't going to reflect this in a direct manner, the way that you execute your list will. If you haven't thought of your "why" then consider these very basic reasons.

• A good set of core values will guide you and your business on the right path as you deal with people.
• Your vision for the future of your business is what will keep you excited about creating new projects and looking forward to each new day.
• Excellent client/customer service where you listen to their needs/ wants will keep consumers coming back for more of what you have to offer.
• Clearly defined financial goals that are specific, achievable, measurable, and flexible let you know how you are doing and where changes need to be made.

Your quarterly editorial calendar is where you will outline your larger content projects. So your list of a few days ahead might read dental appointment 10 AM, pick up dry cleaning and fill in the quarterly calendar.  At this point, it might be nothing more than the phrase blog post every Tuesday or email every Friday that you write down. Here too is where you will write in product launch for June 30, and module creation slots for various days in the previous 8-10 weeks. You will also likely have a webinar penciled in for June 29 or 30. AD campaigns are also something  you want to consider in advance. When you plan in advance like this you are better able to create themed content.   

Your monthly calendar is where that central idea or theme that you're going for should be finalized. Here your list days ahead might say May 3,  blog post How To train Your Dog To Fetch, May 10, The Proper Way To Bathe Your Dog May 17, Recipes For Home Made Dog Treats. All of your projects, campaigns, and ideas should support one another.

Your weekly calendar is a place for fine tuning your process. So that on say May 2, your list has research training tips, take photos of your dog, and write your blog post.
 
So your daily list should not have 27 things on it. Seriously, 3-5 important items that directly promote your goals for the day and by extension the week, the month, and the quarter. These listed items need to be completed tasks and/or pieces of your larger projects.

"The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities"
  Steven Covey 

I hope you find this useful and I welcome all comments.

  ~~ Joyce