Learn 5 Different Ways to be Productive and Focused

Episode 59

Hey you! Do you struggle with being productive and focused because you just have so much to do? I think we should have a club for us, right? We are managing a Blog and/or Podcast, we are dealing with children and their schedules, don't forget about the dogs, the significant other, and YOU!

How do you do it all? This is the question I get asked all the time! I don't think I do it all but I have learned that in order to be Productive and Focused you must have a team. No, I don't mean employees or VA's (but that is good too), I mean you and your family are the team and you're the Team Captain.

Everyone in your household must be on the same page as you and because you are the Captain, you will lay the foundation of Productivity.

With all the apps, gadgets, books, podcast's, and whatever else we are consuming, don't you think that sometimes we are creating more on our schedule than ever before? I am guilty? One example of that is Social Media.  I now schedule one hour a day for Social Media, that is really crazy when you think about it. Social Media is being Social but yet it is taking one hour of my day each and every day. Honestly, though I absolutely love Social Media so I wouldn't change this but one hour a day is a lot of precious time.

Let's get right to it.

Ivanka Trump recently posted a great article on Productivity and as a Mom and Business Owner, I was really intrigued by this article. Taken from the Harvard Business School and written by Psychologist Samantha Boardman

Ivanka Trump

"We assume that by working harder and doing more, we will become more efficient. Research from Harvard Business School suggests the opposite to be true. A study entitled, Learning by Thinking: How Reflection Aids Performance, demonstrates how taking time to reflect on work, rather than immediately switching to a new task, improves job performance. As the lead researcher, Francesca Gino concludes:

“Now more than ever we seem to be living lives where we’re busy and overworked, and our research shows that if we’d take some time out for reflection, we might be better off.”

Related studies underscore the benefits of taking breaks throughout the day. Contrary to what you may believe, seeming “time-wasters” like a walk around the block, watching a funny video and lingering at the water-cooler, will recharge you and enhance focus.

Socializing deserves a special mention. Students who took a 10-minute break from studying to have a conversation with a friend did better on a test than those who kept their noses buried in a book. Yes, you read it correctly; less studying and more social interaction yielded better results. Just a short period of interaction resulted in improved problem-solving skills."

Are you guilty of not taking breaks?  Me, too! I will tell you though having four children I do get breaks away from my Laptop but I just feel I never get a"ME" break.  You know what I mean?!

#1 Take Breaks!

Read a book, watch a funny video, go swim with your kiddos, and get some socialization in - maybe even go to your local coffee shop and start a conversation with someone new.

#2 Automation

This advice comes to us today from Brittany Berger

"The simplest way to prioritize automation is by looking at what takes up the most time. Imagine being able to save several hours per week just by automating one task.

Use RescueTime or Toggl to perform a productivity audit. See what apps, tasks, and people you spend the most time on. Then see where you can cut corners without sacrificing quality or accuracy.

For example, you may see you have a ton of back and forth emails with one particular client. This might be a sign to try to automate some of the communication between you two. If you’re always updating each other, maybe a project management tool will help.