When talking with other small business owners and creatives one common theme in conversation is always about how there never seems to be enough hours in the day! We are all striving to get more done and still have a work/life balance at the end of it all. Productivity is a hot topic in the entrepreneur world and below I listed a few tips that get me through my to-do list!

Plan Your Day the Night Before

The simple routine every night of writing out your to-do list will not only help you clear your mind and relax before bed, it will give you a great jump start to tomorrow before the day even begins! When you wake up in the morning and know what you need to do, there is no wasted time trying to remember where you left off the day before or figuring out what is most important to get done. With a clear plan already laid out, you are ready to start your day and get stuff done!

Eat the Frog!
The book Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time talks about doing your hardest or most dreaded task first to get it out of the way. When you complete your biggest task first thing it starts the momentum to be more productive and clears your mind of any stress or anxiety.

Get Out
Sometimes I do not leave my home or office for days. I love having a “home office” and being able to work from home – its one of the best things about being your own boss! Even though I love it, I think it is important to change your surroundings and be in new environments. Motivation and inspiration usually comes from new places and spaces or being around different people. I find that at coffee shops and cafes there is usually a productive “energy” and you can feed off of the other people working hard around you.

Workflows and Systems
Workflows and systems are so, so important! Having an efficient workflow lets us work smarter, not harder. When we have a task that isn’t always our favorite or the enjoyable, its always easier to do it when we set ourselves up for success and make it easier to get done. Not only does it make us more organized, it makes us productive – everyone loves crossing off items on their to-do list, right?!

Check Yourself
What are you doing right now to be more productive? What are you working on that is propelling your business? Are you doing something this very minute to improve yourself? I think checking yourself is incredibly important. If I feel like I am not getting much done or don’t feel productive, I ask myself what I am doing. Some people will even set a timer for every 15 or 30 minutes to “check in” and write down what they are accomplishing. This is a great way to see how you are spending your time every day. If you catch yourself scrolling social media or having too many tabs open, challenge yourself to be aware and conscious of what you are doing in the moment.

Clear the Clutter
I am a firm believer that our environment affects our attitude and motivation/productivity. Every couple of weeks I take the time to clean up my computer desktop and get rid of files and folders that are no longer needed. I also try to keep my physical desk clean and free of clutter, but let’s be honest, that not always the case as a creative! In my office I only keep things around that are inspiring, used/needed daily, and are pretty. If your desk is a mess, your day probably is too!

Essential Oils
I am not crazy! I have heard so much chatter about essential oils over the years and thought it was some far-out voodoo trend. After doing some research and wanting to simplify and live a more natural life I purchased my first EO kit and hopped on the bandwagon. The first oils I diffused in my office were Lemon and Peppermint – known to help with clarity and focus and guess what, it really worked! I love the fresh scent that fills my workspace and the benefits these lil oils are bringing to my life!

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