10 Productivity Hacks for New Entrepreneurs
Being and staying productive can be a challenge for everyone. There are so many distractions in the world today that there is no wonder people are struggling to stay the course. After working from home the past few weeks, I have come up with 10 tips that have really helped me stay organized and productive!
Related: Whoop Whoop! Check out PleaseNotes on LT in the City!
1 | RISE & GRIND
Getting an early morning workout can help boost your energy and mental clarity for the entire day. Not only will it get you moving and grooving mentally, it will help your physique! My favorite thing to do in the morning is to get in some fasted cardio and light ab work. If time allows, I will go back to the gym in the evening and do all my strength training!
2 | CUT BACK
It is so easy to block off one hour time slots for meetings or spending hours on end on a project. It is better to cut back your meetings/touch bases to 15-30 minutes with a very strict agenda. This will create a productive conversation and doesn’t leave room for wandering off from the topic. Also, use the 20 on 20 off method when trying to tackle a project. While it might seem better to just crank it out right then and there, you can start to get stressed, anxious, and worn sooner than necessary. Plus, don’t you want your bright ideas to be at their brightest?
3 | SHUT IT DOWN
Turn off any social media notifications, news alerts and any other push notifications that come to your phone. They can be extremely distracting! If turning them off is too much for you, put your phone in another room and only during your 20 on 20 off time should you use it.
4 | THROW IT OR STORE IT
Decluttering your desk is the best productivity hack I have! If you don’t need it to function for your job, GET RID OF IT! While having the cutesy shit on your desk makes you look super chic and instagrammy, it can be extremely distracting to have to dig through piles of papers to get to what you need. While decluttering, file everything accordingly so it is easy to access! I love having 2 file folders at my desk (one for my consulting biz and one for the blog) it really helps.
5 | BREAK THE FAST
Yes, FOOD! Eating breakfast can increase your productivity! It can give you an energy boost to fuel your boss babe badassery for the day. Now now, we aren’t talking an entire stack of pancakes piled high with white cream and syrup; make yourself an egg white omelette with a handful of fresh berries and a large mug of tea.
6 | SAVE CHAMPAGNE, DRINK WATER (AT LEAST DURING THE DAY)
Drinking water throughout the day can REALLY help you from getting sluggish and avoid those terrible dehydration migraines. If you’re like me, I like to keep a venti refillable Starbucks cup on me all day! The straw makes it easy to drink from and it cuts back on the usage of plastic water bottles. Added bonus: your skin will give you a nice glow and will be very plush from the hydration!
7 | GET A PLANNER
Getting my Ban.do planner was probably the BEST thing I have ever done for myself. Not only is it super chic, it also is very millennial with social media holidays and stickers! Not only do I have a physical planner to take with me, I also like to have a desk calendar so I can quickly jot things down as they come in and then transfer it to my planner. While the extra step seems not so productive, it actually helps me remember large events and keeps me organized on upcoming blog posts!
8 | GRAND OPENING, GRAND CLOSING
Having a morning and night time routine can really help keep you on track. You know when work begins and when work ends. Turning it off is a huge! Not only will it help you separate work from play but it also gives you a chance to spend time with your significant other, friends and/or family!
9 | LET IT GO! LET IT GO!!
Don’t let the little things fester and bring you down. While easier said than done, not letting minor inconveniences get you down can go a long way. The faster you exit sabotage mode and enter solution oriented mode; the happier you will be. You will get more done in the long run and you might even learn a new way to problem solve!
10 | ASK FOR HELP
While it might seem hard to do it, asking for help sometimes is the only option you have. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and confused, getting another persons perspective can really job your brain on solutions or inspire you on your next million dollar idea. Just like you wouldn’t buy a skirt without getting your best friends approval first (Mean Girls ref. for the win), you shouldn’t take on a project you don’t understand without getting clarity. More often than not, your boss will thank you for wanting to iron things out before you dive into a project going the wrong direction.
This article originally appeared on Bossfidence.com and was written by the Phenomenal Ashley Dunham. It is posted with permission.
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