5 Productivity Tips for Business Entrepreneurs
When you're a self-employed business owner, you learn quickly that you need be efficient in what you do to make the most of your time. You are juggling professional responsibilities as well as personal and family obligations and may also be working from home that confuses things on a whole other level. Summer especially can be tough when you need to power through work and may also want to squeeze in a run or bring your kids to the park. While we may not have quite solved the work/life balance issue yet (not sure there is a solution), we've learned a thing or two about getting things done. Effectively & Efficiently.
Many times, people ask how we manage to get it all done. I know there's been many blogs and articles written about productivity and I've been lucky enough to pull a few tips here and there that actually make a difference to me. Everyone has their own way of doing things and today on the blog, I'm sharing what's been working for me!
List Management: Everyone makes their own to-do lists in different ways. From the bullet journal, online management to handwritten notes, everyone has their tricks that works for them. For me, I love any type of list...in multiple ways. I use Asana to track EVERYTHING. So, if there is something I need to do today, I'll add it to Asana. If there is something that I need to do in 6 or 12 months, I'll schedule it in Asana so I feel confident that it will remind me and won't slip my mind! Then, every Monday, I write up my weekly lists in my paper notebook.Yep, I think I will always physically write down my to-dos. There is also something really satisfying about crossing out those to-dos on paper vs. virtually checking them off in Asana. And, if I'm not at my computer or notebook and think of something I need to do, I give myself a reminder on my calendar (even if its to remind myself to add in Asana). For me, this system works really well so I can clearly see what needs to get done, ensure it won't fall off my radar and then power through the list.
Prioritize Small to Large: When I am looking at my lists, I feel as though I'm my most effective when I prioritize small to large. I have a few tasks that will take 20 minutes each vs a larger one that will take over an hour..what do I do? Get through the small tasks first and cross off as many items from my to-do list. To me, it makes me feel good that now, I only have a few items on my list to get through. There is nothing like a great Monday where you can cross off a bunch of items from you list so that on Tuesday, you can spend quality time on the longer project and not feel rushed because you feel like you still have a bunch of other tasks to do. It's definitely a mindset, but for me this works!
Focused Multi-Tasking: Doing multiple things at once is thought by most to reduce productivity. It distracts people and takes them longer to get everything done. Yes, I do agree with this, but in reality, multi-tasking is necessary for me as a work-from-home mom and business owner. I try to practice focused multi-tasking. So, for me, that means I may schedule my calls while I'm in the car driving to a meeting or wait on hold with Comcast while I'm doing work to save time later on. And, every work at home professional knows the perfect time to throw in a load of laundry is right before you get started for the day. And, when that little "ding" goes off to switch to the dryer, that means it's time for a quick break to refresh your mind! This helps me make the most of my time.
Start and End Each Day With a Clean Email Box: There have been many many articles about how to manage your email inbox. We know it's a huge time suck to be reading, reviewing, sending and responding to emails. I personally get anxiety when I see a large number of unread emails, or even a long list of already-read emails that need some type of follow up. I keep myself sane by cleaning up my email box every morning and when I leave the office. For me, if it's an email I need to follow up with that week, I keep it in my inbox. If it's something I need to follow up with a week or more later, I file the email and set a reminder in Asana. That way, it clears up my inbox even more so I feel good about my workload and not too overwhelmed by extra emails.
Remember Self-Care: I personally cannot be productive if I am not caring for myself. As much as I may want to do other things to save time, I make sure to get a good nights sleep (pending any child sleeping issues), eat breakfast/lunch and also exercise. Sure, it may be quicker and seem more effective to work through lunch without eating, which some days may be the case, but then my afternoon is shot and I can't seem to focus. Some days I don't want to get up early and exercise before work, but my morning seems that much more effective when I do take that extra time for myself. Everyone practices self-care in their own way and this is a big part of getting things done.
Do you have any other productivity tips that work for you? We want to hear them!
