BLOG_2019_07_04_HOW TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE TODAY

How to Be More Productive Today

04 JULY 2019

Prioritize on Your “Focus” List

Your “focus” list should include those items that have a direct impact on your ability to drive income to your business such as product/service development, marketing and sales. Your “to-do” list includes those items you must do to keep your life running smoothly, but do not directly play a role in driving income generation.
Take a look at the tasks on each of these lists. What tasks offer the largest return? What tasks offer the most value and achievement? For example, answering email or paying bills isn’t a task that offers a large return. However, making a sale or meeting with a client is a very productive task.
Give your “focus” list priority and put your most profitable or results-oriented tasks first on your list. Pay attention to your “focus” list in the morning when you’re likely to be most energized – your ‘to-do’ list can wait till the afternoon.

Create Your “Focus” and “To-Do” Lists the Night Before

Instead of waking up in the morning to determine what you will do that day, make your “focus” and “to-do” list the night before. This way you can go to bed relaxed and confident for the next day. You also wake up in the morning knowing exactly what you have planned for the day. You might also consider planning on Sunday night for the upcoming week. Then when you wake on Monday you have a plan in place.

Get a Good Night’s Sleep

The quality of your sleep is important to sustain your energy levels throughout your day. Good sleep means you’ll be fresh and energetic all day long. Creating your “focus” and “to-do” lists are a good way to help you get a good night’s sleep because you can put the day’s stresses to rest.
Also consider adding soothing nighttime rituals to your routine. For example, meditate, stretch or read (best if not on a device) before you go to bed. Keep a gratitude journal and write before you sleep. Go to bed and wake at the same time to help your body know what to expect.

Eat Healthy

The food you eat has a direct correlation to how energetic and productive you are. Junk food will make you sluggish. Healthy food will help you stay energized all day long. Feed your body well and it will respond by keeping you alert and energetic. And remember - keep hydrated with water! Even mild dehydration can cause you to face a lack of concentration and low energy.

Get Organized

If you spend half your time searching for files, names and numbers, you are wasting time. Make sure any items you use on a regular basis are easy to grab from your desk chair or find in your computer. They should be easy to find and use.

Take Breaks

Productivity doesn’t mean working from sun-up to sundown. In fact, if you work without stopping, you’re likely to burn out. Instead, commit to taking a break every hour. Walk around or get some air to get the blood moving throughout your body. Even professional athletes take breaks to allow their bodies to regenerate.

Focus

Do you multi-task hoping it’ll make you more productive? Do you manage one task while your mind is already onto the next task? Both habits are unproductive. When you focus on what you’re doing, not only is the task more enjoyable, it also gets done faster and better. Every time you switch back and forth between tasks you lose 20 minutes as it takes your brain time to remember what it was doing before! Think about it; if you put a book down for awhile, when you pick it back up, you likely go pack a few pages to refresh what you were reading before.