2022 has already been a busy year for Shaun and I. We have a wedding coming up and we are excited our 12 week years again. With both of these things and our businesses, we have to make sure we are being productive at all times. We have a limited time and need to make sure we use it wisely. So here are some things that I find helpful on how to be more productive.
- Put your phone in another room
- Have a “be productive” playlist
- Make a shorter to-do list
- Schedule out your time
My one big issue is my phone, I know it is an issue and I have been trying to take action at getting better with it. So, some easy things to do is putting it in a different room and turning it on silent. If I can hear the ring or vibration then I am more inclined to go look at it. If there is anything I need to do on it, I will schedule how much time it will take and put a timer on. This way, there is an interruption in my time if I do get caught scrolling through social media.
I have a certain type of music that I like to listen to when I need to go go go. I prefer Pandora, because they will autoplay similar music once my playlist is done. I have been able to add new songs to my playlists because of this feature which I love. So now, whenever I hear these songs I know it is go time and I start rocking it. I know for some people this isn’t a thing and maybe you do good with podcasts. Well, I got sad news for you. Listening to something that you also have to focus on, isn’t the greatest for you concentration. By listening to the same songs every time, I am able to put it in the back of my brain and concentrate.
I hate writing out long to-do lists, because I always get overwhelmed and don’t get anything done. So, on Sundays I write myself shorts lists for everyday that week. This way, I know what I need to do every day and if I get more done that I anticipated I can look at the next day of what needs to get done. It is way easier to add things onto the list once it is done than to get a long list of tasks done.
This brings me to scheduling out your week. Shaun and I plan out our weeks every Sunday. This allows us to communicate what each other has planned around the week so we can be on the same page. There are times when Shaun or I make plans with friends and forgets to tell the other one. It never goes well for the opposing party when they planned to do something completely different. While we are scheduling out our weeks, we make sure to include our date night and other meetings we may have. Some of the nights we will make a little lighter so we can spend some time watching TV. When you schedule everything out, you feel in control of your life. If you are in control then you are more confident and can conquer more.
Don’t try to do all of these at once, because then it is overwhelming (just like the large task list.) Take one step at a time and apply it to your life gradually. You are already one step ahead by wanting to be more productive. Don’t set yourself up for failure by overloading yourself with new ideas and habits.
From Your Life Tutor
-Sam
Tutors of Life 