[three_fourth_last]Have you ever had one of those days were everything just seems to fall into
place? A day when distraction
is silenced, where tasks are knocked over concisely and quickly, where creativity and output flourish? You may have experienced this satisfying rush, but perhaps those days are like a single ray of sunshine in an otherwise dark oubliette of despairing overwhelm – or worse, you may never have known the joy of a productive day! If you’re nodding your head right now then you need to read this article!
As a busy business mentor I educate and train my clients on how best to systemise their business and set it up for outsourcing success. Because let’s be honest, the real secret to getting more done in less time is to split your workload! But what about the individual? What systems or rituals can you put in place to really maximise your performance?
Read on and find out how, by following some simple advice and finding out what works for you, you can give yourself the best chance of creating a productive day!
1. Get Good Rest
This is really a no brainer. Studies show that being tired is the equivalent of being mildly intoxicated. Now while for some that may sound like a bonus on a stressful day, without good rest you make sluggish decisions, your motivation wanes and your focus suffers. So be good to yourself, leave checking the emails at 9pm and instead go and catch some good ol’ fashioned shut eye so you’re bright and bushy tailed the next morning.
2. Visualise your Day
At the start of your work day map out each task you need to complete or each goal you need to achieve. Sort those into order of importance. Visualise the end of the day once you’ve completed all of those tasks on your to do list. Doesn’t it feel satisfying to create a plan and stick to it? And make sure you’re pretty thorough with your list. Work from home and need to get a load of laundry done? That goes on the list too! This daily list is separate from your calendar of events/meetings and appointments – it’s a daily ritual that you go through to order your thoughts and zoom in on exactly what is on the agenda.
3. Take Regular Short Breaks
Ever been pulling your hair out over a technical problem that you can’t solve or despairing when creative inspiration has left you – only to walk away and then return to your computer later to find that the answer was right in front of you? You can take this concept and apply it to your working day. Allow yourself short breaks during the day to recharge and refocus. This keeps your mind on the bigger picture and helps stave off that dreaded feeling of overwhelm when you know you’re facing a busy day.
4. Be Strict with Email & Social Media
Tim Ferris of 4 Hour Work Week fame advocates only checking email twice a day, and in fact, many productivity experts agree. While this twice a day rule may not suit everyone, the repetitive nature of opening, reading and replying to emails/tweets/posts might seem like just a moment in time, but in reality it is slowing sucking away your available work hours…with very little result. By scheduling specific times to check your accounts (including, emails, social media etc.) you are spending focused time on that specific task rather than spreading it out in an unquantified and unproductive way. So resist the urge to check up on your notifications, your productivity will thank you!
5. Clear out the Clutter
A messy, disorganised and cluttered workspace is usually a mirror into your mindset. You want nothing on your desk that isn’t essential to your day’s work…that is what filing cabinets are for! Create a workspace that invites productivity, spend a little time each day clearing the clutter and setting it up so that you have everything you need close at hand for the day ahead.
Need more advice on how to design your ideal workspace? Check out our Partner Karen Quant from Sacred Clearings – she can advise you on how to transform your workspace using the ancient practices of Feng Shui.
It’s good to keep in mind that you need to be kind to yourself in order to really maximise your productivity and consistently experience those wonderful days where everything just seems to fall into place. And it’s not a flash in the pan process. It takes mindfulness and consistency to achieve long term productivity – but the rewards are worth it.
Hands up who wants to be more productive and focused in their work?!
