Productivity is overrated… Like, sure it seems to be important, but when you’re taking into account how much we OVERTHINK this, it makes you NOT productive.
How do you know if you’re productive? You might be crossing things off of your to-do list, but is that your best use of your time?
And what if those things are actually not productive, but just things that you want to do but don’t really have an effect in your business or in your marketing efforts? Have you thought about that?
I’d like to share with you just 3 things that will actually HELP you be more efficient with your time… Something that you can start doing today and actually implement right away…
Just keep in mind that you CANNOT overthink this, this is not an invitation to plan it out and make sure everything is perfect. Just implement it right away… Like NOW!
Ok and one more thing…
These 3 things must be done together, not just one at a time, do them all at the same time.
I can tell you that you will feel better about your work when you implement these strategies right away…
Let’s start with #1:
1. Work on ONE project at a time
WHOA! There! JUST ONE PROJECT AT A TIME! You must think I’m crazy, but no, just work on one project at a time. And here’s the reason why…
When you work on one project for one hour or for a specific time, and then you start something else, your brain needs to stop whatever it was doing and re-start thinking about the new project.
For example, when you do something once and for the first time, it’s way harder than when you’re an expert. So, when you continue to learn the skill, you are training your mind to learn this skill specifically, not a million skills. It’s easier to CONTINUE to work on a project than it is to start something new…
- Think of how we learned to walk… When you took a few steps, it was easier to continue to try to put one foot in front of the other.
- Taking the first step was harder than continuing to walk…
- Why is that? Well, you already knew how to put one foot in front of the other, so that made it easier. All you’re doing is practicing that and then… boom! You walked.
So, there you go, once we understand that it’s easier to CONTINUE to do something than to START something, there’s the answer…
When you’re working on ONE project at a time, you’re allowing your mind to focus on that ONE task, without interruptions and then when you’re done, you can start a different project.
Your mind will thank you for this because it will allow you to fully focus and do a better job on this one project.
Ok, let’s move on to #2…
2. Track how long each project takes you
One of the biggest parts of getting things done is tracking your projects. Just the fact that you’re watching what you’re doing, you’re measuring the hours and minutes, it makes you conscious enough to know that you need to be dedicated to the task at hand.
It also gives you benchmarks for the future.
For example, if you need to write copy for a blog post, you can research, write the copy in about 2 hours (just an example, can be less or more).
So the next time you need to write another post, you can easily go back to your tracker and see how long it took you write the copy.
This benchmark is amazing because you’re no longer thinking and evaluating how long something will take you… You’re actually using DATA which is so important when it comes to your business, more important than what you THINK…
Not only that, it allows you to block off the time that you need for the next time you need to do the same task.
Ok, let’s move to #3…
3. Prioritize the things that are the MOST important
When you have a To-Do list you might have things on there that are not going to DIRECTLY matter to your business… So, why do you have them there? Just to feel good and cross things off…
You might think that you’re working hard and you’re getting things done, but when you actually look at your list, you’re just working on the wrong things.
So, the biggest question that you can consider to ask yourself, is “IS THIS DIRECTLY RELATED TO __________ (insert the goal of your business) – making money, getting clients, getting sales, etc…
If you answered the question – NO! Then move on to the next task.
Sure, sometimes you need to do things that are important, but not related to the main goal. That’s great, everyone has to get done those things. But first, you have to take care of yourself and your business. So, start with the most important task first and then move on to the next tasks…
Ok, there you have it 3 things that you can actually do RIGHT NOW and have a more productive time.
Remember, don’t overthink it because then you’ll be wasting time thinking about productivity, so just get to it and implement.
Peace! I’m off to track how long it took me to write this post 😉