Productivity Solutions For your Business
Productivity Solutions – The Top 5
It’s not enough to dream of success. It’s not even enough to set goals. You need productivity! Yes…that’s right! Here’s an interesting article on organizing that will help you with your productivity.
The only way to achieve your dreams and build the business you’re meant to build is to sit down and just do it.
And that’s what many of us fail to do. We resist because we are afraid of failing. But it’s the doing that stops us. Are we good enough? Will I be a success? Can you relate to this?
Here’s what we do…
We will overbook our calendars until today’s to-dos become next week’s past dues. We procrastinate on the things that are important while attending to things that are merely “nice to do.” And sometimes we simply take on too much—even when we know better. I know that I do this and it prevents me from advancing to where I want to go in my business.
So, what’s the answer?
According to the dictionary here’s exactly what productivity means as far as business goes:
- the state or quality of producing something
- the effectiveness of productive effort, especially in industry, as measured in terms of the rate of output per unit of input.
5 Solutions
Check out these five productivity solutions that top coaches use to get more done in less time.
1. Rituals and Habits: Simply put, a ritual or habit is a consistent way of doing something. You have a morning ritual (wake up, brush your teeth, work out, shower, and head to your office), evening ritual (check homework, tuck the kids in, watch the evening news, and hit the sack), weekend ritual (sleep late, mow the lawn, catch a movie, visit your mom), and many others.
The problem here is that if you’re not careful with your rituals, they can turn into productivity killers. Is checking Facebook or email a part of your morning ritual? Is turning on Skype a part of your at-work ritual? Distractions such as these can turn even your best intentions into hours of wasted time. And your productivity levels will wind up really suffering.
Take a good look at your rituals. What are you doing that you should not be—or that should be moved to another part of your day? Make your rituals more efficient, and you’ll automatically get more done.
2. Calendar Management: Want to know how much time you really have available for that new project? Try blocking off time in your calendar for all your existing projects. Fill in all your client calls, your business administrative tasks, time for meals and breaks, outside appointments, and everything else you’re committed to. What’s left might just shock you.
Make it a habit to block time in your calendar for every commitment, and you’ll never again over-promise or over-commit. You’d be surprised at how much your productivity will go up because you are more focused on the tasks at hand.
Here Are The Rest
3. Learn to Let Go: Here’s a news flash. You do not have to do everything in your business. You can (and should) hand off those low-level tasks to someone else. Hire a VA to create your documents and manage your calendar. Read this on how to help with your marketing.
Let your tech support person manage your blog and email. Turn over your bookkeeping to an accountant.
The time you free up will allow you to work on what’s truly important—and that only you can do. You will notice that your productivity in what you “desire to do” will go up and you’ll be happier too!
4. Work Hard, Play Harder: You are not a machine. You cannot work all day every day and hope to be at your best all the time. Yes, I know this from experience!
Take a day off. Get some rest, or relax on a long, slow hike. Take a friend out to lunch. Go shopping with your kids. See a movie or a play. Do something—anything—other than work.
Not only will you return to the office feeling much more refreshed, but you’ll also find yourself more creative and your productivity level will be better than before as well.
5. Focus: Multitasking is impossible. What? You cannot efficiently create a new coaching program while you’re simultaneously surfing Facebook, keeping an eye on the kids, and answering the phone every time it rings. Really? Most business people do this way too often and it definitely affects their productivity.
Use your calendar to block time off for important tasks, then turn everything else off so you can focus. No phone, no Facebook, no kids or husbands or neighbors or pets demanding “just a minute” of your time. Tune everything out, and you’ll find your work getting done much faster.
Managing your time and turning up your productivity is not something that comes naturally to most people. When you learn to master this skill, you’ll find your business grows right along with you.
A Few More Ideas
Here are a few more ideas that will help with your productivity:
- Make a master list for your grocery list and make copies to fill out every week. Or use a grocery app on your smartphone.
- Try a productivity app like one of these in this article. https://blog.trello.com/best-productivity-apps-roundup
- Pack kid’s school lunches the night before
- Set up an efficient laundry sorting system
The ideas are endless. Just put on your “magical” thinking cap. And if you need help with that…contact me so I can provide some great ideas for your business.
Let me know what you think in the comments below. How are you managing your productivity in your business?
