Top Tips to Increase Your Productivity
Many of you will be starting your internet business whilst holding down a full time job so learning how to get the most out of your day and your hours is absolutely essential.
The one thing that makes successful entrepreneurs stand out from the crowd is that they have a rule to prioritise on profit producing tasks which means that your productive time MUST be spent on tasks that will generate you income and profit!
You will need to exert willpower to follow through and make things happen and to form habits that help you to achieve the success you desire.
Top Tips
Keep a Notebook of ideas
It’s really easy to get distracted by a “brainwave” whilst in the middle of a task and you can end up spending valuable time on it when you should be concentrating on the task in hand. Therefore having a notebook just to write the idea down in is very useful.
Set Daily Goals
It is often the case that we get overwhelmed with “big” tasks and end up not achieving very much at all. Best advice is to make a list of between 3 and 5 small goals you want to achieve each day. Make the list last thing at night or first thing in the morning.
With all the technology available it is easy to do this online but you cannot beat writing it down on paper as it really helps to focus your mind. As you cross off each task it really makes you feel like you have achieved something.
“De-clutter” Your Desk / Office Space
Get your office space tidy. A tidy office equals a tidy mind and you won’t be distracted by “stuff” on your desk. This equally applies to having loads of applications open on your computer! Shut it down. It will make a real difference to your concentration levels.
Limit Email Access
This is the single biggest distraction. Checking email first thing in the morning is best avoided because your productive time gets eaten up by answering emails, clicking links and generally getting distracted. DO NOT check email during the day. Close your email program or the browser window for your email. Two checks a day is your goal.
Email Tasks
Add tasks from your email to your “To Do” list so you don’t have to go back to your email to check them again.
Limit Social Media
Using social media for your business is an important component so set aside specific time for this as like email, it can be a huge distraction. If you use Facebook socially as well then plan to do this outside of your business time.
Learn to Say No
This is a difficult one. To stay productive during your available time make sure you do not get interrupted. Learn to say NO! That means only saying “yes” to tasks that you can fit into your day alongside your other goals that you have set.
Avoid Procrastination
Get the worst job done first thing. Brian Tracey uses the analogy of “eating a frog” to deal with procrastination. Getting the most distasteful job done first means it won’t be niggling away at you for the rest of the day. Seth Godin refers to this as “quieting the lizzard brain”
Use the 80:20 Rule
80% of your time should be spent DOING. No more than 20% of your time should be spent LEARNING.
Personal To Do List
Keep this separate from your business To Do List. Personal tasks are important but be careful that they don’t overflow into your business time.
Schedule Calls
Make sure that you set times each day / week for appointments with business partners etc Keeping a calendar organised will help your productivity no end.
If you implement these tips you will increase and most likely double your productivity and setting up good business practices is just as important as your marketing strategies!
Whether you have 2 hours a day or 8 hours a day to work on your business make every minute count!
To read more at Ezine Articles
Here are some useful resources to help you manage your time and paperwork in your business and ensure you don’t get distracted and stay on track.
Resources:-
OnLine Note Taking www.evernote.com
Time Management www.clockingIt.com
Smart Phone App TeuxDeux
Check out this video from Seth Godin on Procrastination and how to get those projects finished on time – this is one of our favourites
Seth Godin: Quieting the Lizard Brain
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