We love productivity hacks, bio hacks, hacking email servers (wait…) and so today we’re writing about our four (just four!) favorite productivity hacks.
Focused To Do List
Most folks use to do lists to prioritize their day but in our rapidly changing world, distractions threaten about every 30 seconds. This is why a focused to do list (3-4 items) that truly prioritizes what HAS to happen that day is important. It’s important because it not only ensures that you get those things done but it also helps you prioritize your day so that you’re focused on what matters and able to appropriately push back what can wait.
There is a Time for Everything
While the famous saying is true, somethings need to have a very specific time set aside to use them properly. There’s some easy items that fall into this category that, if not controlled, will definitely waste time. The first of those is social media. Whether you’re using it for personal use or business use, you can quickly become distracted from your original purpose and spend useful time on useless feeds, images, tweets, etc. Set aside 5-10 minute every few hours to look at what you need/want to look at but try to limit it there so that you can focus on what really needs to get done. If you’re working on social media for business purposes, keep it to business purposes! Email is the other thing that we’ll touch on here that can be a big time suck if not controlled. The solution here is similar to social media. Don’t check every email that comes in (I even recommend taking off push notifications because if it’s an emergency, they’ll call) but instead set aside 30 minutes every 4 or so hours during your work day to check and answer email. Extend that time if needed, but try not to check it regularly throughout the day. Your saved time can be spent on your 3-4 priority items from the above to do list.
Sh*t Happens
Stuff is going to come up during your day. When that happens, I like to apply two rules: 1. Will this take more than four minutes? If no, then just do it. If yes, the next question is: 2. Is this something that needs to be dealt with right now or can I put on my list (or someone else’s) to do later? Most items that come up, don’t need to be dealt with in real time. If you can put it on your list with a due date (don’t let it slip through the cracks) or delegate it to someone on your team (best option), then you don’t have to let the crap that comes up during the day prevent you from getting through what you need to get through.
Life is Hard, Take Some Me Time
It’s really that simple. Take 20 minutes twice a day to take a step back, reorient yourself to the big picture and breathe deep. Don’t go watch a show, read a book, look at your phone or talk to someone during this time but find a quiet place where you can truly just be by yourself. I’m a big fan of just staring at a wall (if I close my eyes, I’ll usually start to doze) and letting what comes to my mind come to my mind. I then write those things down, along with a solution to whatever it is, and let the next thing come to my mind. If there is no solution, I write it down to look over later. Don’t forget to take some deep breaths through your nose and out your mouth, count out five blessings in your life and then get back to work!