As a new dad, new homeowner, and the owner of a growing business, I’m constantly looking for ways to be more productive. I’m looking for ways to get twice as much work done, in a shorter amount of time.
I’m weaning off the long evening and weekend hours in an effort to work on other things. I’ve been able to do this and keep up with my workload by becoming more productive. It’s not easy, but sometimes we just need to work a little smarter.
Here’s how to keep up with your content in a world of distractions:
- Close your social media and email tabs. You can go back to them periodically between projects. But as you write about your business and work to complete your own agenda, you don’t need to be distracted by the outside world.
- Write down ideas as they come. Your best blogging ideas don’t necessarily come while you’re sitting in front of the computer. Carry a notebook or use Evernote. Just make sure that as your most productive thoughts pop into your head, you’re equipped to deal with them.
- Know what projects take priority. You’ll often start the day with a pre-conceived idea of what the day will look like. As that changes, the trick is to maintain flexibility where you need to, and stick to YOUR agenda when needed. It’s a fine line you walk to stay productive.
- Clear your head. Sometimes you just need to clear your head. When you finish one task, go ahead and take the garbage out. When you finish another task, go for a walk. This will give you more productive “bursts” throughout the day. What you don’t want to have happen is to lose yourself in your Facebook news feed for two hours without getting a single thing done.
- Use a to-do list. Until recently, I’ve never been much of a list person. But there is something seriously rewarding about seeing items crossed off after completion. As you wind down work for the day, spend 10 minutes thinking of what needs to be done tomorrow, and write out your list. Be realistic and work to get things done!
- Don’t let the world distract you. Buy a pair of headphones. Keep your office door closed. Stay focused on whatever the task immediately ahead of you is. When you take advantage of larger blocks of time without interference from the outside world, things get done.
- Eliminate the unnecessary. Are there things that you were doing that are no longer producing results? Maybe it’s something that you’re still doing because you’ve always done it. It may be time to reevaluate your schedule and make sure that your day is engineered around capturing results.
These are a few things that are working for me. I believe that you can grow and simplify your business at the same time.
What’s working for you?
Matt Brennan is a Chicago-based marketing writer and copy editor.
