5 TIPS FOR PRODUCTIVITY

As the saying goes… ‘We all have the same amount of hours in the day, as Beyonce’. How do these high achievers manage to get so much more done with their time? I mean sure, having Yonce’s vast resources would definitely help but there’s no denying that it takes a certain type of drive to really make your hours count, regardless of your financial situation.

Here are a few tips to help us mere mortals, get the most out of our working days;

1. Planning. It’s not cool and it’s definitely not sexy but PLANNING my fellow freelancers. Plan the crap out of your day. The days when my productivity is at it’s highest, when I get the most done, I have usually written a ‘to do’ list the night before and allotted a time slot for each task, I then stick to that schedule with absolute ferocity.

2. Limit your time on social media. (I mean, still take the time to read awesome blogs and all…) Mainly limit the time spent aimlessly scrolling through facebook, we all do it and it doesn’t get any of us anywhere fast. It’s actually scary how much time can be eaten up with absolute nonsense like that! Now, this isn’t to say social media isn’t important. I have seen a hugely positive correlation in my creative work and how active I am across all of my social media channels so there is definitely real value in it from a business point of view. With this in mind, set aside small blocks of time to get it all done. You could even set a little reminder to go off on your phone when your time is up! You can also look into using handy little tools such as Hootsuite to schedule all of your posts ahead of time. I generally prefer a much more off the cuff approach to social media however I know people that have had great success with apps like Hootsuite.

3. Early to bed early to rise. Now, everyone is different but however you choose to apply this principle to your life, I’m almost certain it will do wonders! You could be one of those super-human’s who needs no more than 6 hours of sleep per night to feel fresh as a daisy, in which case, damn you! If, like me, you need 7 to 8 hours minimum, then aiming to sleep by 10:30pm and rise by 6:30am would be a pretty good way to keep you feeling at your best. Personally I’m at my most creative early in the mornings so if I have writing that needs to be done, this is the best time for me to do it.

4. Stay fueled, stay hydrated. Make sure you keep a bottle of water with you and have some healthy snacks nearby. There’s nothing worse than ploughing through stuff only to get to 4pm and realise that you haven’t eaten since breakfast and feel like shit as a consequence. The brain needs fuel and water to function optimally, feed it well and you will be finishing tasks in half the time and with the mental energy to move onto the next.

5. Celebrate your achievements. The most important bit! It’s the end of the day, you’re a badass entrepreneur and you’ve made a boat load of progress, rather than beating yourself up about what’s still left to do, look at all you have accomplished, give yourself a well deserved pat on the back and power down for the evening. Pour a glass of wine, cook some delicious food and spend some time with your loved ones. That way you will feel refreshed, energised, motivated and ready to do it all again by the time the morning rolls around. (Queen Bey will have nothin’ on you!)

As with everything this is very much a work in progress for me, especially being freelance and working mostly from home. Some days I feel like a high flying, multi tasking, super dynamic wonder woman who’s doing it all and looking fabulous whilst doing it. Other days I stay in my PJ’s waaaaaay longer than I should. That’s just the truth!

Anyone have any tips to add to my list?

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