Productivity is a HOT TOPIC right now.
We’ve known for years that culturally, in this modern age, we are perpetually overbooked and over extended.
Now, with more of us working from home and functioning in unusual circumstances due to Covid protocols, productivity and focus have never been more necessary.
Whether in the (home) office, or simply in the home, these methods are tried and true.
The Top 11 Ways to Boost Productivity and Find a Focused Mindset
1. Let Go of Perfection
Perfection is a topic often overlooked in productivity, but is critical to success. Many times the most necessary component to how much we get done in a given day simply stems from how we prioritized.
A great example comes from Alex at Create and Go, who tells the story of once spending 3 days on his company’s mission statement.
Admittedly, what he really needed to do, was create one that would get his company up and going, and circle back to streamlining it later.
Sometimes good enough really IS good enough.
Don’t do less than your best, obviously, but learn to understand the difference between the times your hyper focus on perfection will really pay off, and times when they will not.
If you feel like you want some help with this, you can’t go wrong with THIS. My mind was blown, and so have everyone else’s I’ve sent that to.
2. Get Organized
We are so over this, I know. It’s like a broken record in the land of advice, but unfortunately, there is no substitute for it. If you are REALLY serious about crushing whatever your day, week, or hour demands, you will make getting organized your number one priority.
If this is a skill which doesn’t come easily or naturally to you, or you are just simply too overwhelmed to know where to begin, THIS is a great product. If you want my personal recommendation for how I pulled everything in my global world of work, husband, kids, family, and meal planning, you need THIS. (<–Sanity is in this app. I cannot stress this enough).
3. FOCUS
Believe it or not, there are actually Mastermind Seminars that people pay thousands of dollars to attend that focus on one, primary element. Something called a FOCUS Wheel.
While the focus wheel has many intended benefits, for this purpose it is used to help us determine exactly WHAT it is we are spending our time on each day.
Furthermore, the MORE items on your focus wheel, the MORE items there are demanding your focus each day. And the LESS time you cumulatively have for each of them.
Never half ass two things, whole ass one thing.
As our favorite Ron Swanson has taught us, you are never going to be as successful if you are focused on two things as you will be if you are focused on just one.
Pick one thing (or at least LESS things), and give it your all. When you are totally focused, you will knock it out, and ultimately have much more time to push through each task than if you were splitting your focus.
If you find yourself frequently de-railed by thoughts of things you still need to do, try the simple act of list making. Cozi has a great list keeping app, and even allows you to assign lists to each member of the family. If you have it written down in a place you know you will find it and remember it again, you are much more likely to be able to focus with a peaceful and undistracted mind.
4. Have Firm Boundaries
Few people think to connect boundaries to productivity. This tactic is also often ignored, and is possibly one of the most challenging for most people.
Part of why this part of productivity is so hard to master stems from the fact that it is multifaceted.
Having firm boundaries when it comes to productivity span everything from personal relationships to our actual physical location, but for now, focus on these main tips:
- Employ focus by learning to set boundaries on your distractions. Mute your phone, reply to texts later, and create literal PEACEFUL space to work in. This may mean shutting a door, turning off notifications, or learning to tell others you cannot talk or help at that moment because you are working.
- Learn to say “no”. Sometimes we feel pressure to say yes, even to things we know we can’t do or don’t have time for. You aren’t helping others or yourself when you do this. It’s hard to say no, but the more often you do it, the easier it gets. People get over it, and move on, I promise.
- Learn to silence compulsive texters. I have a few of these in my life, and they are often those that I adore the most. They ping you repeatedly, and it may be hours before the conversation is done. Move their FB Messenger, Text, etc status to DND, and do not feel guilty for even a minute. They will still want to talk later when you have time, I promise.
- Refuse to get de-railed. This is especially important if you are at home. Sitting in the home office hearing the kids arguing about who drank the last of the milk again? Let it go. Here’s the thing: If you worked at an office or a work place outside of the home, guess what? The milk fight would still be happening, you just wouldn’t be there to get sucked in.
Pretend you are not home, and remind your family members of this, as well. The harder you put up the boundary, the faster they will learn to respect it. Do not budge on this.
- Get the TV out of your work space. So many people tell me they “work better” with a tv in the background. You don’t. Sorry. It’s the truth (there is science to back this). Even if you only lose 1 minute an hour to your TV, that is still 40 minutes in a week you could have spent working. Boundaries: There are times for TV, and times for NO TV, and laying down those boundaries and holding them firm will guide you to success.
5. Remove Media From Your Workspace, And In Some Cases, Your Life
One of the most incredible women I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing once told me you should never use social media as therapy.
Removing social media, music, tv, etc from your workspace? Probably not too shocking. Removing it from your life? You’re probably wondering if I have gone crazy.
In the spring of 2019 I was involved in a new online marketing venture for my business. It involved Facebook almost ENTIRELY. Literally, my entire day consisted of being in groups, replying to groups, posting in groups, and creating new Facebook content, which was then optimized and tracked.
A scary thing happened: I began to realize that EVERY spare second I had, I was spent opening that Facebook app. Even after disabling notifications: If I was standing in line, talking on the phone, even GOING TO THE RESTROOM, that baby was fired up.
Then, the most amazing thing happened. Someone informed me of a very helpful item on Chrome called the News Feed Eradicator Plugin.
This baby is life changing. It brings the temptation to scroll through your feed out of the equation, and keeps you focused on that handy search bar so you can go STRAIGHT to what you are needing, without distraction.
Set boundaries for yourself for WHEN you will participate on social media, and in some cases, consider deleting them all together.
Husband and I have found that the habit sucks you in quickly, and if you are using it in your personal life, it spills into your professional life quickly.
When we committed to getting rid of social media, we saw very quickly that we had so much more time.
In fact, for the first day or so, we actually found ourselves kind of looking at each other wondering what the heck we used to talk about. Free time? What do we even DO? We were so convinced we didn’t have free time, when in reality, we just weren’t using our time effectively.
Be present. Be organized. Center yourself in the 1 zillion more helpful, meaningful, and productive ways you could be using that time each day.
Social Media will go on without you.
Same goes for your phone. I have news for you: You do not have to answer it.
Married to a Southern Man, but not actually a proper Southerner myself, this was something that took my husband a long time to get used to.
Southern manners dictate: If someone is calling you, YOU ANSWER.
Even if you don’t have the time to talk.
While I’m all for awesome manners and connecting with those I love, unfortunately, sometimes I just can’t answer the phone. Sorry. Grandma rings through, and I will get back to her when I have the time.
I never feel guilty about this, because giving someone my undivided attention is far better than pretending I am paying attention, or worse, making the person feel bad for calling me and interrupting me when I know I can’t talk.
Let it ring, and let it go.
6. Get Good Sleep
When you really think about it, Focus and Productivity are very physical traits. It is quantified by the output of your mind and body in a fixed amount of time.
Given that, the better functioning your mind and body are, the better your output will be.
This starts with good sleep (try apps for this, if it helps you), but also expands into things like getting daily exercise, keeping your blood sugar balanced so you don’t have your afternoon crash, and moderating your caffeine intake so it is helping you, not hurting you (if you are a caffeine person).
7. Remove Yourself From Toxic Relationships
By FAR one of the most time consuming aspects of our lives are our relationships. Even in a proper office job, the amount of time you spend navigating office politics, sidestepping chatty Brenda, and getting cornered on your way to lunch take up monumental amounts of time.
This is no different in any other aspect of your life, whether it be home office, or just simply your life itself. There are relationships which serve you, and those which drag you down and sabotage your sanity and success.
Stop and ask yourself how much of your time is being spent replying to emotionally needy people who don’t respect your time, or drama queens and kings who dominate your inbox(es) with their *literal* never ending train of what’s next.
These people, even if they are people you love, need to either experience your new found determination with boundaries, or possibly, be distanced entirely.
There is such a thing as loving boundaries. You can still stand up for yourself, your needs, and your time, while politely laying down a firm boundary.
It’s hardest at first, but does get easier.
8. Never Underestimate the Power of Goals
As I widely address in my article The 7 Things I Changed When I Decided To Boss Up In My Own Life, Goal setting is something that is vital if you are serious about sincere change in your life.
When examining productivity, it’s important to understand that GOALS=FOCUS. If you are REALLY, REALLY clear on what you want, you will be really, really efficient in getting there.
When you know exactly what you want, and you have defined exactly what the path looks like to get there, you have already taken huge steps. Organization, focus, are born from having a clear understanding of what you need to do.
If you didn’t already know, we have an entire library of free printables, including a Goal Setting Worksheet. To grab it, click here.
9. Have a Weekly Meeting With Yourself
Avid VnV readers know that I love the term Boss Up. When you are the Boss of your life, you shift to thinking of life as a business, and yourself as the Boss.
Thinking of yourself as the Boss of your life means you take responsibility: It means that you step forward and embrace the fact that you must be the one responsible for the planning, strategy, and overall success of your life.
Bosses have meetings, and yours should be with yourself. Create space each week (even if it’s only 20 minutes), to review your week, strategize what is working and what is not, and take a fresh look at your goals. Are you meeting them? Are you on your way? Do they need to be redefined? (Or BETTER defined?). What’s the plan this week? Are you organized? Do you have a plan? What begins in chaos ends in chaos, and same for the reverse.
10. Enough is Enough: Know when you are no longer functioning optimally
Sometimes we push, and push, and push, and PUSH. And while stress and crunching can occasionally produce a fair product, it’s usually the exception to the rule.
When you are physically tired, burned out, or just emotionally spent, you need to know when to call it quits.
Working or pushing through this space often leads to a grand total of time wasted.
The work you are producing is rarely quality, and in some cases makes even more work later when you must go back and fix your errors.
Learn your body and your emotions, and realize when it’s time to call it quits.
11. Know when to outsource
Sometimes our attachments to doing everything ourselves are holding us back. Whether it’s something as simple as asking the kids to unload the dishwasher, or as complicated as subcontracting the social media aspect of your small business, if there is something in your life someone else could be helping you with: Capitalize on it.
For a lot of us, this can also mean becoming Ninja-Pro-Boss-Level-Status at something, and if that is your thing, you can become a genuine Productivity EXPERT with THIS. (<–This thing will make your head spin. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya! 😉 )
However you’re getting it done, I’d love to hear the tips and tricks that are making YOUR days go smoother and faster. Comment below, or better yet, send me an email through our VIP Club!
Hugs, Love, Vitamins and Vodka,
