As an entrepreneur, most days feel like you’re juggling multiple balls. As you struggle to keep them all in the air you may be asking yourself… is it worth it?
If you sometimes feel like you want to let the balls drop where they may, here are seven tips that can help amp up your productivity and help rid yourself of that feeling of continual ball juggling. There are days that a reminder of some basic productivity tips will help you catch your breath and remember why you love your business and started it in the first place!
Let me share seven of my favorite productivity tips for business acceleration. Incorporate the ones you need first to help you accelerate your results. Drop those that simply don’t serve you or you are already doing well. Modify them to suit your unique work style. As you listen to each one, think about how they might help you feel more productive and in control, and less frantic.
1. Time blocking helps. Time blocking is a productivity method in which you set aside specific times of the day to work on specific projects or activities. Those projects that require the most brain power and creativity should be done during those hours when you are at your peak and when you are most productive. Do you know which hours are your most productive? Morning, afternoon, early evening? Determine those hours then set up mini blocks of scheduled time throughout your day to work on specific tasks. For example: From 8 am to 10 am make 50 prospect calls that can generate revenue. You want to call these people with a specific script and an expected outcome. During your time blocks, turn off email and social media notifications, and be laser focused on the task in your time block. Don’t let calls come through to you during your time blocks. Phone appointments to return calls are ideal during the call back time block.
Some of the most productive people in the world swear by this technique called time blocking. Ever heard of Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Michael Hyatt, or Cal Newport? Yep – all time-blockers. They’re squeezing every drop of productivity from their days. You can do the same and accelerate your results.
For more on time blocking, check out an article I wrote by going to https://bit.ly/Time_Blocking.
2. Be accountable. You can be accountable to yourself, or you can have an “accountability buddy or buddies.” This is a person (or people) to whom you will be accountable for getting tasks done. This is a great way to find a new colleague with whom you can connect and build a working relationship as well as helping and motivating one another to get tasks completed on time.
To review 4 different types of accountability coaching options and decide which one might be of the most value to you, so you can achieve your goals and enjoy the kind of business and life you truly want, go to https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/coaching/.
3. Multitasking is the death of productivity. Many people feel they are more productive when they have multiple irons in the fire; fact is, you are less productive when you focus on more than one task at a time. The reason is because it takes time to start and stop and get involved in a task, and when you’re doing more than one task, you will waste precious time gearing up for the new task while winding down from the current one.
4. Embrace the power of “no.” To be more productive is to get more done on your current tasks that only you can do and lead to generating revenue. It doesn’t mean that because you’re now productive you will want to say ‘yes’ to every request that comes your way. Saying “no thank you” is a great way to focus on your core business and not be distracted by projects that are outside of you making money. You can always say ‘yes’ later, if you really want to do something.
5. Speaking of distractions. If you work from home, distractions are, well, distracting! They take you from your work and make you less than productive. The vacuuming, dog walking, laundry, errands… they all can distract you when you work from home. If you work in an office, your staff can be distractions. People popping their heads into your door just to say hi or pick your brain will take you away from the tasks at hand and will keep you from being as productive as you could be. If you work from home set up specific office hours and let friends and family know you’re not available to always go out to lunch or run errands for them. Do your laundry and household tasks on your lunch breaks or after working hours.
What if this statistic is true? Every 11 minutes you are distracted or interrupted by someone or something that takes your focus away from what you are currently doing. Then it takes approximately 30 minutes to go back and get refocused on where you were to then begin again. If this is true or close to reality, what would have to happen to not let this be true in your life from this day forward?
6. Write it down. When you write down tasks, project steps, and other items you need to do on a regular basis, you are more likely to get it done. When you’re hoping to remember what you need to do and are just letting tasks float around in the ether without being written down, it is easy to feel overwhelmed that you have too much to do and not enough time to do it, then you procrastinate. When you make a list and make note of all the projects you have to complete, you feel more in control and will be more productive. Writing a list and writing items down will also help assure you don’t miss any deadlines. You can use your contact management system, Outlook, or my Prioritized Action List (PAL) to help you.
To download a Free Sample Prioritized Action List (PAL) that everyone in your office can use, go tohttps://www.accountabilitycoach.com/pal-sample/, or use your To Do List, or Task List in your contact management system, if you have one.
7. Take a break. It may seem counter-intuitive to get away from your desk and take a break, but in truth, you need to give yourself some breathing room. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, you aren’t as productive as you should be and need to be, taking a break will clear your head. Also, in order to be a productive entrepreneur, you need to be a healthy entrepreneur. Sitting all day without a break is not good for your health. Get up. Get moving. Your brain and body will thank you.
What is your favorite productivity tool or method of these seven? Where do you struggle the most when it comes to productivity? Which one or ones will you implement to use even better to help you be even more efficient and effective? I’m curious to know.
Get my free audio training, Focus on Your High Payoff Activities and Achieve Your Goals Using Effective Time Management, by going to https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/landing/.
To download your complimentary meeting agenda and action item worksheet template, go to https://bit.ly/MeetingAgendaActionsTemplate. The purpose for the Agenda & Action Item Worksheet is to provide clarity on what you want to accomplish in any meeting… and clarity on who is going to do what following the meeting. Download this template and see how it might be of value to you in your various meetings with clients, prospects, strategic alliances, and team members, etc.
For more help with being even more productive, so you can grow your business and accelerate your results, reach out to me today and schedule your complimentary consultation.
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I’m the author of many books, including, Excuses Don’t Count; Results Rule, Live Life with No Regrets, No Excuses, and the Work Life Balance Emergency Kit, The Roadmap To Success with Stephen Covey and Ken Blanchard, and more.