Managing my day can be hectic, but I’ve found a few tricks for improving my productivity. If you didn’t know, I have a day job as a technology product manager (which is 40 plus hours a week), I’m a blogger (which is as much work as a second job), and like to stay social (with significant other, family, and friends). How do I have the time?!
All of these things combined can be very overwhelming and can be a lot to handle. Trust me; I’ve had those days when I’ve given up and had a big glass of wine (ok, maybe the bottle). Through trial and error, I’m learning ways to make all of these things in my life work. Not only make it work but improve my productivity in the process.
Add It To Your Calendar
Scheduling out your time in your calendar is extremely useful. I live by my calendar. If it’s not on my schedule, it doesn’t fit into my day. Even tasks such as checking my emails go into my calendar. I check my schedule before I go to bed, both day and week view. Not only does it show me what my day will look like, but it mentally prepares me for my day/week. If needed, add your break times to your schedule.
Optimize Your Schedule
When you’re adding your schedule into your calendar, be very conscious of how you add your events. If I’m scheduling meetings, then I will set that day aside for meetings. This way, you’re in a meetings mindset. Always have an agenda and goal for your meetings. Even input your busy work into your schedule.
Timebox Tasks
Timeboxing your tasks is also important. For example, I schedule 30 minutes each morning and evening to check my emails. Scheduling time is exceedingly more productive than checking them randomly throughout the day. I plan time to work on my social media posts, write blog articles, take pictures, and the list goes on. Even if I don’t finish, my goal is to be as productive as possible for the time I’ve allotted to each task. I set a timer on my phone, to keep me honest.
Remove Distractions
I go into what I like to call “hiding.” What this means is that I remove myself from any distractions. It’s different depending on the day. Sometimes I put in music to drown out the outside world, I turn off my phone (crazy idea, right!), or find a quiet place to work. I’m the queen of getting distracted, so I know what and when I could be disturbed. So feel free to leave or tune out, you might be surprised.
Just Say No
Say “no” to some things. You can’t do it all even though you want to. I recently wrote a post on “Learning How to Say No,” I highly recommend you reading this article. You might be asking “how does this improve my productivity?” Well, by not doing anything and everything, it allows you to be able to focus on the projects and tasks that are the most important to you.
So there you have my five tricks for improving my productivity. If you try at least one of these tips, you’ll for sure see results. How about you? Do you have any handy dandy tricks on being more productive? Leave a comment.
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Photos by @amc_fotos
These tips are excellent! Now, if only I can implement. Checking email is my biggest issue! Thanks for this post!
Thanks, Melanie! Easier said than done, right. I find that these tips take a lot of practice and refinement to incorporate into your daily life, but are definitely do-able. It was so difficult for me not regularly to check my emails throughout the day, but by timeboxing them a couple of times a day, I was instantly more productive. Let me know if you try any of them, I would love to hear your experience.