Want To Be More Productive?

We are almost done the first full week of the New Year, so how do you feel?  Are you overwhelmed with all of the posts about “planners”?  Does the thought of getting taxes ready make you sweat?  Are you already dreading the goals that you set thinking they are impossible?

BREATHE!  Stop for a moment and take a deep breathe.  Release it slowly.  Now, let’s talk about putting things in perspective.  Here are some tips that I have picked up over the last year that work for me:

• Put just 3 things on your to do list every day that will help you reach your goal.  Don’t get me wrong, I still have a LONG “to do list”. The difference is that each day I pick 3 things that will help me reach my goal and make sure that they are done first!  Not sure what your goals are – use this SIMPLE planner by my friend Desiree Wolfe.
• Block out distractions. Period.  Shut down Facebook or your email or whatever else is on your computer that distracts you.  You will be surprised at what a difference in makes in getting things done.
• Set up productivity rituals. This is a work in progress.  By 9AM, my goal is to have completed my devotions, a blog post and checked off my “daily tasks”.  This even includes about 15 minutes on Facebook to see what it going on with friends and family.  Setting up rituals of automate behaviors, make us more productive – without depleting our energy reservoir.  By getting all of my “daily tasks” done, I am able to focus on the 3 things that will make me money when everyone else opens for business.

• Get up earlier. Research shows that mornings can make or break your day. Use the mantra “mind over mattress” to motivate yourself to get out of bed to pursue your goals.
• Increase your effectiveness through technology.   There are oodles of programs to help with this and many are FREE.  I use Cinchshare for posts to Facebook.  LOVE Dropbox to store files online and it allows me to access documents when I am out and about.  Hootsuite will also help to schedule your social media posting.
• Don’t say yes to every request.  I am guilty of this! Most of us have a deep need to be liked. That translates into us saying yes to everything – which can kill our productivity
• Stop multi-tasking.  Yes, you heard me!  There is new research that confirms that distractions invading our lives rewire the way our brain works.  Practice focusing on just ONE thing and you will be surprised at how much you can accomplish.  Set a time limit if you have to but stay present in whatever you are doing.
• Learn from others.  I am like a sponge, always learning – I am in constant student mode.  The idea is that you have to gain information you don’t know so you can get to where you want to be.  This does NOT mean that you have to copy everything.  Learning means that you find out what works for you and knowing that just because it worked for someone else, it may not be right for you.

Taking consistent steps to move forward in your business will allow you to ultimately reach your goal.  Yes, you want to see the big picture.  In order to be successful in reaching that BIG dream, you need to break it down into smaller manageable steps that do not overwhelm you.

Hope you have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

 

 

 

Write Faster

More blogging tips from Hoot Suite and Evan LePage, that will help you write faster….

Skip the Introduction

Fast writers often skip their introduction. This allows them to write the piece without trying to fit it into the constraints of a lead they laboured over in advance.  The same thinking applies to the headline—it should be the last thing you write.  Very seldom do I have an intro, I just keep writing my thoughts down.

Don’t Get Caught Up In the Wording

Writing quickly is about getting into a rhythm and staying with it. Momentum is more important than the perfect word. It’s always easier to go back, when your ideas are more fully formed.  

Keep Your Research In the Document

Gathering all these notes into the same place is also an effective way to identify the most important content. 

Write What You’ve Got

You know you want to write “4 tips about XYZ” but you can only think of 2.  Don’t waste your time, just write what you’ve got.

Also, in the era of short attention spans, being concise is more effective anyways. Writing 20 tips for anything probably won’t get you the same amount of attention as writing 5 tips. People want to read — and learn — quickly, and move on. Make that easy for them to do.

The ability to write quickly can mean the difference between 100 blog views and 10,000 blog views, especially when you’re trying to capitalize on a new trend or announcement. Use these tips to speed up the process, and make writing a positive part of your workday.

What do you think?  Will these tips help you as you get ready to blog?  Will they help you get over your writer’s block?  Share your thoughts with us..

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!