Category Archives for "Productivity"

Goal-Setting to Goal-Getting

Steppingstones to Success

Your dream is amazing.

But dreams mean nothing without goals and the small daily steps needed to make your vision come to life.

So, think about that one goal you've had on your mind forever.

You know the one…to start your dream business, to lose 10 pounds, to write a book, launch a course, clean out your closet, grow your business...

Yeah, that one.

I'm going to tell you a secret to FINALLY accomplish that goal.

There's NO secret.

It’s easy to reach the results you want if you’re willing to set a goal with your vision as the cornerstone, create a game plan with small action steps that don’t require a ton of willpower or thought on your part, and consistently work on it.

This simple goal-setting to goal-getting formula looks like this:

These are the basic steps we will work through:

• Decide on ONE small step or action towards your goal.
• Write down exactly when, where, and how you will do that ONE small step or action.
• Do that ONE small action or step. Every. Single. Day.
• Uncover any barriers or resistance to doing the small step or action and create a combat plan.
• Reward yourself every time you do the small step or action and celebrate when you’re done!!

Set Your Goal

Define ONE goal that you want.

When you are determining a goal ensure it is:

Make it reasonable. For instance, if your goal is to launch a business in one week, that’s not reasonable. Now, if your goal is to launch a business in 6 months, that’s far more reasonable.

Make it measurable. You must be able to measure your progress and when your goal is complete.

Make it controllable. Your goal must be something within your control. If you have obstacles outside of your influence limiting your ability to achieve your goal, you won’t attain it.

Why Is This Goal Important to You?

Now, let’s plug into your motivation to help you understand WHY you want to achieve this goal:

List 3 reasons WHY you want this goal.

How will you feel when you achieve your goal?

What would you do every day?

What would be gone from your life when you achieve your goal?

How would you feel if you don't start working on your goal?

Make a Plan

Start with the easiest thing possible that your willpower or mental resistance won't get in the way of.

Define the smallest and easiest step you can start with.

This strategy works amazingly well because it forces you to mentally deal with the task by getting over the hardest part which is often just starting.

Make the first step so small and harmless that you can always do it, regardless of any opposing internal or external forces.

Define the smallest and easiest step or steps you can start with.

When you take that one, simple, tiny action step towards your goal today, tomorrow, the next day, and so on, these small steps add up over time.

You will automatically want to do more and more as inertia takes over and you start to see yourself arriving at your goal.

Focusing on daily small steps or actions will lead to you hitting your goal and ultimately making your dream for your life come true.

Work the Plan

Have you ever wondered why tiny changes to your work habits or routines work better than big steps all at once to achieve your goals?

WILLPOWER.

Yes, willpower. Your willpower is a muscle and it gets fatigued over the day.

Think of how many little and large decisions you make in a day. Your willpower muscle gets tired.

When you leave your goal-getting into the hands of your willpower, your odds are not good that you’ll stick with it.

Do this until this one tiny step is a fully ingrained habit or you have completed the small task.

Then pick another tiny action step or action.

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat...

Goal setting and goal getting takes micro-steps, done every day until your vision for your life becomes fact.

Stick To It

Have you ever gotten so excited about a new goal and then you encounter a hint of resistance and you give up?

So how does resistance normally show up for you? Some common forms of resistance are fear, anger, anxiety, frustration, confusion, feeling tired, bored, etc.

With any change, your internal or external world will resist at some point in time and if you don’t have a plan to overcome it, your resistance will win.

This next step is essential because you WILL encounter resistance along the journey of your goal getting.

Write down any resistance you feel towards completing your goal.

Write down how you plan to overcome this resistance when it shows up.

Be accountable to someone (accountability is a huge motivator and can help you overcome resistance) to have them help you through.

Whom will this be for you?

Get Your Goal

Your committment.

Promise yourself you will do your one small step, even if you don’t feel like it.

Make a commitment to yourself that you won’t miss a day. And if you do miss a day, you’ll get right back at it the next day.

You deserve your dream and the only way to make your invisible dream visible is by making, planning, and completing the goals that take you closer to making your dream your real-life experience.

Celebrate!

Sometimes the small tasks, steps, or new routines, which are key to bringing about your goal, do not appeal to you.

You may feel it is more of a “should” rather than a “want” and it can be hard to find the positive and get excited by it.

This is why you MUST connect something positive to accomplishing each daily micro-step and when you achieve the goal.

Also, share your successes with the people around you and those you’ve leaned on for accountability.

Being able to tell people about your achievements is an extra reward for getting that goal done!

Bonus Resources!

Goal-Setting to Goal-Getting Workbook (includes more FREE bonus resources!)

Six Easy Steps to Goal-Setting and Goal-Getting Infographic

Goal-Getting to Goal-Setting Visualization

Productivity is never an accident.

It takes a smart strategy, a solid structure and simple tactics.

The pathway to increase your productivity is the Productivity Mastery Program.

The Pathway to Productivity Mastery

We created the Productivity Mastery Program just for you. It offers a roadmap to transform your chaos and overwhelm to calm and efficient productivity in your work. It creates confidence and space for more freedom.

The pathway to productivity mastery is based on logical, progressive steps that build in lockstep together. This is the strategy.

The framework is the practical containers you have access to for the rest of your life. This is the solid foundation that ensures you are productive for the long-term. The structure we have designed in the Productivity Mastery Program is chaos proof.

The tactics we offer are simple yet powerful routines, rhythms and practices that quickly become your life-changing habits. Once fully entrenched, these productivity practices are engrained into your day-to-day actions and activities so that you never struggle again. These are the stones that complete the productivity mastery pathway.

The design, the framework and the stepping stones you take down the productivity mastery pathway lead you to achieving your biggest dreams. Your greatest vision. Your big hairy audacious goals. Your amazing success.

By working smarter with laser focus, you will experience an increase in abundance and satisfaction with your accomplishments. You will experience more time with your loved ones. Freedom to live your passions, leave a legacy, or take your career to the next level. You will reduce debilitating stress and crushing overwhelm for good. You will be calm in the face in chaos.

Are you ready to transform how you work?

That sounds amazing right? It is.

But there are some people who are scared to start down this pathway. They are "comfortable" in their frustration and disorganization "comfort zone", even though it's clearly not working for them. They continue to lose opportunities, credibility and sleep.

But that's not you.

You are reading this for a reason. I know you are tired of doing things (or not doing things) that aren't working for you. Deep down you know there's a better way but you're not sure what that is. 

Until today.

Today you have the opportunity to choose the path of productivity mastery.

Pathway to Productivity Mastery

Here is the Productivity Mastery Program pathway.

It's an exciting journey.

All you need to get started is your willingness to take the first step and a bit of elbow grease along the way so you cross the finish line of greater success and freedom.

The payoff for you in time, money and freedom is soooooo worth it. No one ever regrets getting more organized and productive, I promise.

Download the Productivity Mastery Guide

Find out how you can start down the transformative productivity mastery pathway by downloading your FREE Productivity Mastery Guide.

Don't miss out on the journey that leads to your freedom.

PS - Do you have a question for me? Are you excited to start on your Productivity Mastery Program journey?

Book my calendar and we can chat - no pressure. My passion is to help you find more freedom in your work, so let's see if we are a fit to work together.

Productivity Mastery

Overcome Productivity Overwhelm With These 5 Keys

Are you done with feeling so overwhelmed with your out of control email inbox, and the stacks of cluttered papers and sticky notes all over your desk?

Do you end your day with more tasks on your to-do list but you worked yourself to the bone?

Have you ever wished you could start your day with a well prepared routine, clear-headed, energized, and excited to make it happen?

Do you know what? You CAN.

Here are the 5 key productivity mastery secrets.

5 Keys to Overcome Productivity Overwhelm

By following the 5 key steps in our Productivity Mastery program, you WILL....

• Create a vision for your life that you will be so excited for it will make you want to jump out of bed in the morning!
• Know exactly what you are busy about....and get it done.
• Take total control of the only thing we each have the exact same amount of every single day....time.
• Get your email inbox to zero and keep it that way so your email isn't running you, you are running your email.
• Unlock the secret potential of your future hidden in your daily habits.

Claim Your Exclusive Productivity Mastery 5 Keys to Overcome Productivity Overwhelm E-Book HERE!

Now that you have seen the elements of the 5 keys to productivity success, I guarantee you will find the powerful information in the Productivity Mastery e-book extremely useful, helpful and transformational.

I want you to experience the freedom and success that getting organizing and more productive brings.

The whole reason my company exists is to support you to move from frustration and overwhelm to confident and in total control of your work.

To claim your copy of my exclusive Productivity Mastery 5 Keys to Overcome Productivity Overwhelm e-book (valued at $49), use the link below to download your copy.

As an added bonus for you, book a FREE 30-minute call directly in my calendar and I will help you work through one of your productivity frustrations from the 5 keys.

You are ready for this!

Additional Resources & Links

Productivity Mastery Key 1 - PRIORITIZE
Productivity Mastery Key 2 - TASK MANAGEMENT
Productivity Mastery Key 3 - COMMITMENTS
Productivity Mastery Key 4 - EMAIL INBOX CONTROL
Productivity Mastery Key 5 - ROUTINES
Top 10 Productivity Secrets 
Perfectionism is the Enemy of Productivity
FREE GUIDE: Keeping Your Home Organized Through Every Season
It's True You Can be Productive While Working From Home and Here's How

Have a Question For Me?

If you have a question for me, use the comment box below and I will respond to you within 48 hours (or sooner).

I am here for you.

Are you done with feeling so overwhelmed with your out of control email inbox, and the stacks of cluttered papers and sticky notes all over your desk?

Do you end your day with more tasks on your to-do list but you worked yourself to the bone?

Have you ever wished you could start your day with a well prepared routine, clear-headed, energized, and excited to make it happen?

You know what? You CAN.

Here's the secret keys.

5 Keys to Overcome Productivity Overwhelm

By following the 5 key steps in our Productivity Mastery series, you WILL....

• Create a vision for your life that you will be so excited for it will make you want to jump out of bed in the morning!
• Know exactly what you are busy about....and get it done.
• Take total control of the only thing we each have the exact same amount of every single day....time.
• Get your email inbox to zero and keep it that way so your email isn't running you, you are running your email.
• Unlock the secret potential of your future hidden in your daily habits.

Productivity Mastery Key Five - ROUTINES

Weekly Planning Routine

Once a week, sit down and review/update all of your lists. It could be Friday afternoon (my recommendation), Sunday night or Monday morning.

Based on what you identify as your highest priorities for the upcoming week, *block the appropriate amount of time in your calendar to accomplish these tasks. Do not name the calendar with the specific tasks you have identified - only block "Project Time", "Client Care", "Accounting/Admin" and so on.

At the end of every day (my recommendation) or first thing every morning, quickly scan all of your lists and write on a sticky note or in your paper planner the 1-3 top most important tasks you must complete that day.

Another tip to stay super organized is your email inbox, paper inbox, paper filing systems and all tasks lists should mirror each other as much as possible.

If you have time in the day, scan your lists again to see what else you can cross off but if you don't have the time, you know you will or have accomplished what is most pressing.

Keep capturing tasks from all of your various sources (emails, incoming paper, meeting action items, verbal requests, customer phone calls, etc.) and grow or shrink your lists as you complete tasks, get new projects or as things change.

Your lists are dynamic and reflect the ebbs and flows of your work and home life.

*The calendar blocking technique is discussed in our blog Productivity Mastery Key Three - Commitments.

Failing to plan is planning to fail.

Setting Morning & Evening Routines

A productive day starts the night before.

Think about your current evening routines. What can you do the night before to make your day as stress-free and organized as possible?

End the day well. Review your master action list to pull out your top 1-3 priorities for tomorrow. Prepare the files you will need for tomorrow's projects or meetings. Review and block your calendar. Clear out your email inbox. Clean off your desk.

It is important to start your day as prepared as possible by planning ahead of the day and to clear the slate at the end of the day to give you a fresh start the next morning.

Being organized in advance keeps your stress levels down as you feel confident in your preparations.

You will set yourself up for increased productivity and calm with the morning and evening routines you establish.

Evaluate Routines

With the fast paced nature of business, shifting expectations, and changing priorities your daily routines, and productivity work practices must also change to keep up.

In fact they are changing right now whether you want them to or not!

This is why our last step is challenging what's working for you and what's not by examining your newly established routines, and productivity practices.

Think about these 3 things – what’s right, what’s wrong and what’s missing.

It is important to regularly assess and adapt your activities to make sure they are as effective as possible.

Evaluation shouldn't just occur at the end of your Productivity Mastery journey. It's a continual process to ensure you are growing. learning, and tweaking your processes, and practices to maintain your hard earned productivity levels for the long term.

Structure equals FREEDOM!!

Congratulations!

You have now completed the Productivity Mastery 5 Keys to Overcome Productivity Overwhelm and you are an unstoppable Productivity Master!

Making these powerful changes to how you work has a domino effect on living better overall.

All of the time and energy you have spent working on and mastering these 5 keys has contributed to your improved performance, reduced procrastination, and alleviated stress in the following ways:

• More productive, efficient, and much less frustrated at work.
• Workspace feels calmer, more spacious, and in control.
• Immense sense of pride and sense of achievement in what you have accomplished. You feel happier and healthier.
• You are no longer overwhelmed, weighed down or held back by inefficient work practices.
• Better prepared to face the future and the changes that will come.
• Less stressed as you have established solid priorities, practices, and routines that keep you calm and in control.
• More energy and time to spend with the people you love.
• Created space where you can experience the freedom to pursue your passions and creativity.

Claim Your Exclusive Productivity Mastery E-Book

I truly hope you found the information in this blog useful, helpful and transformational.

I want you to experience the freedom and success that getting organized and more productive brings.

The whole reason my company exists is to support you to move from frustration and overwhelm to confident and in total control of your work.

To claim your copy of my exclusive Productivity Mastery 5 Keys to Overcome Productivity Overwhelm e-book (valued at $49), use the link below to download your copy of this valuable resource.

You are ready for this!

Additional Resources & Links

Productivity Mastery Key 1 - PRIORITIZE
Productivity Mastery Key 2 - TASK MANAGEMENT
Productivity Mastery Key 3 - COMMITMENTS
Productivity Mastery Key 4 - EMAIL INBOX CONTROL
Productivity Mastery Key 5 - ROUTINES
Top 10 Productivity Secrets
Perfectionism is the Enemy of Productivity
FREE GUIDE: Keeping Your Home Organized Through Every Season
It's True You Can be Productive While Working From Home and Here's How

Have a Question For Me?

If you have a question for me, use the comment box below and I will respond to you within 48 hours (or sooner).

I am here for you.

Are you done with feeling so overwhelmed with your out of control email inbox, and the stacks of cluttered papers and sticky notes all over your desk?

Do you end your day with more tasks on your to-do list but you worked yourself to the bone?

Have you ever wished you could start your day well prepared, clear-headed, energized, and excited to make it happen?

You know what? You CAN.

Here's the secret keys.

5 Keys to Overcome Productivity Overwhelm

By following the 5 key steps in our Productivity Mastery series, you WILL....

• Create a vision for your life that you will be so excited for it will make you want to jump out of bed in the morning!
• Know exactly what you are busy about....and get it done.
• Take total control of the only thing we each have the exact same amount of every single day....time.
• Get your email inbox to zero and keep it that way so your email isn't running you, you are running your email.
• Unlock the secret potential of your future hidden in your daily habits.

Productivity Mastery Key Three - COMMITMENTS

Smart Calendar

Ok so it's not actually your calendar that's smart, it's how you set it up and use it that is smart! 

Here are the basics of calendar set up and what I teach my one-on-one coaching clients.

Fixed Calendar

Move to a fixed calendar by blocking your projects or recurring tasks when your brainpower is at its peak (and when it's not).

This could mean that your deepest thinking or focused project work is blocked in your calendar first thing in the morning.

Meetings, client calls or any other work that doesn't require your brain to be at its peak, gets booked later in the day, for example.

Theme Calendar Batching

Use themes in your calendar for recurring tasks to batch similar work such as "Marketing Mondays", "Catch-All Fridays" or "Writing Wednesdays".

This is a great way to get a lot of work done in one area as you are super focused on the specific task at hand. 

The other advantage to calendar batching is when you know the work you need to do in a certain area is already scheduled in your calendar for Monday for instance, you can confidently put that task aside until Monday. 

Use Your Project and Master Tasks List to Block Your Calendar

Use your *project and master task lists to help you plan your weekly and daily calendar. Your master task list has everything on it you need to do broken out into categories, types, and prioritized. so you are able to quickly see what time in your calendar needs to be scheduled in.

Other than recurring tasks, booked appointments, meetings, birthdays or other reminders, don't schedule tasks in your calendar too far in advance.

I suggest only one week at a time. Your master task list is an ever-evolving thing and we all know how quickly priorities can change from week-to-week, day-to-day and even hour-to-hour.

Resist the urge to put every little task in your calendar. Only block it in bulk with generic titles such as "Project Work", "Research", "Client Care".

*We cover this topic in detail in our blog Productivity Mastery Key Five - Routines.

Don't Over-schedule Your Calendar

Leave "white space" in your calendar for travel time, all of those unexpected things that inevitably pop up, family time, fun time, downtime and self care.

We all tend to believe we can accomplish more than we actually can or our tasks won't take as long as they actually do.

When we leave breathing room in our schedules, this allows for those times when we need wiggle room.

This is your life and your calendar and you are now smartly in control of it!

"Un" Committing

Remember your vision? Now is one of the times to refer back to it.

Review your current calendar entries. 

• Is everything on your calendar an absolute necessity? 
• What commitments can you let go of?
• Are you making casual commitments you don't really mean?
• Does your calendar closely mirror what you have already identified as your most important work from your project and master task lists? 
• Is what you are committing too actually going to move you closer to your big vision?

Everything in your calendar should make you say "Heck, yes!".  Okay, maybe not every calendar entry will make you feel this way (I'm looking at you unnecessary work meetings!).

The point is that your time is precious and you must set clear boundaries around what you commit your precious time to and don't allow the agenda of others take precedence over your priorities.

Meaningful Meetings

Meetings are probably one of the worst productivity  and time wasters ever.

That being said, there are some meetings which are necessary and meaningful, but the vast majority of them are big time suckers. Meetings are literally where your productivity goes to die.

Before you consider setting up a meeting and adding to you and your team's calendar clutter, ask yourself:

• Do we really need a meeting? No? Well then don't.
• Could I email this information instead? Yes? Then don't hold the meeting!

If you have determined that a meeting is necessary, follow these steps to ensure your meeting is meaningful and productive.

1. Prepare an agenda.
2. Invite only those people who are crucial to the conversation.
3. Respect the time of others by starting and ending on time.
4. Keep the meeting as brief as possible - not all meetings need to be an hour.
5. If possible, book all meetings in the afternoon so your best brain power is used in the morning!
6. Assign meeting roles.
7. Capture all action items, deliverables and next steps.

Alternate Meeting Ideas

Try micro meetings (10 minutes or less), standing/walking meetings, quick in-person or virtual huddles where only 3 questions are addressed.

Your productivity will thank you.

Productivity Mastery Key Four - EMAIL CONTROL

Read our next blog in our 5-part series Productivity Mastery Key Four - Email Control as we discuss the fourth key to overcome your productivity overwhelm.

Email control....either run the day or the day runs you.

Claim Your Exclusive Productivity Mastery E-Book

I truly hope you found the information in this blog useful, helpful and transformational.

I want you to experience the freedom and success that getting organized and more productive brings.

The whole reason my company exists is to support you to move from frustration and overwhelm to confident and in total control of your work.

To claim your copy of my exclusive Productivity Mastery 5 Keys to Overcome Productivity Overwhelm e-book (valued at $49), use the link below to download your copy of this valuable resource.

You are ready for this!

Additional Resources & Links

Productivity Mastery Key 1 - PRIORITIZE
Productivity Mastery Key 2 - TASK MANAGEMENT
Productivity Mastery Key 3 - COMMITMENTS
Productivity Mastery Key 4 - EMAIL INBOX CONTROL
Productivity Mastery Key 5 - ROUTINES
Top 10 Productivity Secrets 
Perfectionism is the Enemy of Productivity
FREE GUIDE: Keeping Your Home Organized Through Every Season
It's True You Can be Productive While Working From Home and Here's How

Have a Question For Me?

If you have a question for me, use the comment box below and I will respond to you within 48 hours (or sooner).

I am here for you.

Are you done with feeling so overwhelmed with your out of control email inbox, and the stacks of cluttered papers and sticky notes all over your desk?

Do you end your day with more tasks on your to-do list but you worked yourself to the bone?

Have you ever wished you could start your day well prepared, clear-headed, energized, and excited to make it happen?

You know what? You CAN.

Here's the secret keys.

5 Keys to Overcome Productivity Overwhelm

By following the 5 key steps in our Productivity Mastery series, you WILL....

• Create a vision for your life that you will be so excited for it will make you want to jump out of bed in the morning!
• Know exactly what you are busy about....and get it done.
• Take total control of the only thing we each have the exact same amount of every single day....time.
• Get your email inbox to zero and keep it that way so your email isn't running you, you are running your email.
• Unlock the secret potential of your future hidden in your daily habits.

Productivity Mastery Key Five - EMAIL CONTROL

Email Inbox Control - Clean Up

Mass Deleting & Filing

The fact is, at least 80% of your emails do not require any real significant action on your part so get comfortable using the delete button.

A word of caution however....be ruthless but not reckless with deleting. DO NOT read each email in its entirety - at this stage you are focusing on weeding out all of the unnecessary noise and the emails you don't need to do anything with.

Sort & delete emails by FROM

Sort & delete emails by SUBJECT

Sort & file emails by DATE

Processing Emails One by One

Now that you have mass filed and deleted, you should only have about 20% of your email backlog left. This is where you sit down and process each email one by one. 

Email Inbox Control - Set Up

Set Up Processing Folders

Action Folder

Read Folder

Holding Folder

*Check out our blogs Productivity Mastery Key One - Prioritize and Productivity Mastery Key Two - Task Management.

Set Up Reference Folders

Set up reference folders into larger buckets with NO sub-folders (and definitely no sub-sub-folders).

A smaller number of folders ensures you make quicker decisions about where to file an email when you are processing your inbox plus it leaves fewer options and makes it easier to look for an email in the future.

Email Inbox Control - Processing Emails

Process Emails 1-3x a Day

Your email inbox is where new emails land and are waiting for you to process them, that's it.

*Schedule in your calendar 1-3 times a day to keep your inbox at zero. Resist the urge to check your emails at any other time unless you are expecting an urgent message. We only do this to procrastinate on work, when our brains have decision fatigue or to look busy. 

Clear the handful of emails that have accumulated in your inbox since the last time you checked and you will always be at zero!

*Read our blog Productivity Mastery Key Three - Commitments to learn how to set up your calendar so you never miss a beat.

Either run the day or the day runs you.

Productivity Mastery Key Five - ROUTINES

Read our next blog in our 5-part series Productivity Mastery Key Five - Routines as we discuss the final key to overcome your productivity overwhelm.

The secret of your future is hidden in your daily habits.

Claim Your Exclusive Productivity Mastery E-Book

I truly hope you found the information in this blog useful, helpful and transformational.

I want you to experience the freedom and success that getting organizing and more productive brings.

The whole reason my company exists is to support you to move from frustration and overwhelm to confident and in total control of your work.

To claim your copy of my exclusive Productivity Mastery 5 Keys to Overcome Productivity Overwhelm e-book (valued at $49), use the link below to download your copy of this valuable resource.

You are ready for this!

Additional Resources & Links

Productivity Mastery Key 1 - PRIORITIZE
Productivity Mastery Key 2 - TASK MANAGEMENT
Productivity Mastery Key 3 - COMMITMENTS
Productivity Mastery Key 4 - EMAIL INBOX CONTROL
Productivity Mastery Key 5 - ROUTINES
Top 10 Productivity Secrets 
Perfectionism is the Enemy of Productivity
FREE GUIDE: Keeping Your Home Organized Through Every Season
It's True You Can be Productive While Working From Home and Here's How

Have a Question For Me?

If you have a question for me, use the comment box below and I will respond to you within 48 hours (or sooner).

I am here for you.

Are you done with feeling so overwhelmed with your out of control email inbox, and the stacks of cluttered papers and sticky notes all over your desk?

Do you end your day with more tasks on your to-do list but you worked yourself to the bone?

Have you ever wished you could start your day well prepared, clear-headed, energized, and excited to make it happen?

You know what? You CAN.

Here's the secret keys.

5 Keys to Overcome Productivity Overwhelm

By following the 5 key steps in our Productivity Mastery series, you WILL....

• Create a vision for your life that you will be so excited for it will make you want to jump out of bed in the morning!
• Know exactly what you are busy about....and get it done.
• Take total control of the only thing we each have the exact same amount of every single day....time.
• Get your email inbox to zero and keep it that way so your email isn't running you, you are running your email.
• Unlock the secret potential of your future hidden in your daily habits.

Productivity Mastery Key Two - TASK MANAGEMENT

Task Management Key Concept - One-Track Mind

It is technically impossible for your brain to multi-task so don't even try. Trust me, it doesn't work and it causes more issues than it solves.

Use one task management system for all areas of your life - work, life, kids, home projects and so on.

Trying to keep a handle on all of your various tasks when they are scattered around everywhere or from memory is just not effective. 

That being said, you should take breaks and switch the project or content you are working on occasionally to keep your brain active. 

What is is not recommended is to try and do two or three or six things at once. You will not be effective, productive or accurate with any of them.

You need one master action/task list to draw from when planning your weekly and daily tasks and blocking your calendar covered in our blog Productivity Mastery Key Three - Commitments.

ONE well thought out, comprehensive and powerfully crafted master list driving your day-to-day work is what will move the needle on your goals, outcomes and your success!

Task Management - List Types

Project List

A project is something that has more that 3-4 tasks involved to complete it so it is these specific items that go on your project list.

A separate project list is important because it shows you the scale of exactly what’s on your plate.

It also helps with scheduling your calendar as you can determine if you have 5 hours in your calendar to work on projects or 5 minutes to knock off some quick to do's.

When it comes to naming your projects, name them something inspirational or what you would like the end result to be.

Keep the items on your project list high level. Don’t get too detailed as you will flesh out all of the finer details over time when you sit down to plan your week. 

If you get too detailed with your lists, things will change over the coming days, weeks and months so adding too much detail at this point is a waste of time. 

Think bigger picture here.

Master Task List

Your master task list is all of your other tasks not related to a project and need more than 2-5 minutes to complete. There should be one action per line but again, resist the urge to be too detailed.

You can categorize your master task list even further such as location, people, attention level needed, calls to make, etc.

There are many ways to categorize tasks - it depends on your tasks and what works best for your life and work style.

Do not include recurring or repeating tasks, deadlines, reminders, doctor appointments or special occasions on your master task list. These get set up in your calendar and a reminder will automatically pop up.

The only caveat to this rule is for example, when a family members birthday is coming up. You can list on you master task list "Birthday card for mom", "make dinner reservations", etc. when the appropriate time comes.

Pending or Holding List

A pending or holding list is your list tracking all of the things you have delegated or are waiting for an answer on.

It could be a response or a decision you are waiting for or you need to follow up on a sales call or an outstanding payment from a client. 

Watch/Read/Listen To List

An optional list I find handy is a watch/read/listen to list.  

A friend might suggest a great Netflix series, your mentor recommends a business book to read or you hear a song on the radio and want to download it to your playlist.

Idea Parking Lot

An idea parking lot is where you put all those great ideas you have whose time has not come so you don't lose them.

Good lists will keep you focused on the right things at the right time.

Expert tip - makes notes on the go by sending yourself a voice note, jot it down on the notepad on your phone, send yourself an email or use an idea capture app like Braintoss (I use this app daily). Then when you get back to your desk, act on your note or put it in your task list to do later.

Task Management Concept - Eat the Frog

This is a concept I use myself when I procrastinate on a project or task.

Mark Twain famously said that if the first thing you do in the morning is eat a frog, you can go through the rest of your day knowing the worst is behind you.

Your "frog" is that task you are putting off. When you "eat the frog" first thing, you are actually retraining your brain over time to beat procrastination.

Overcoming procrastination is important because when you tackle those ugly projects every single day, you WILL accomplish your goals and ultimately realize your vision for your life.

My business coach, mentor and dear friend, Shane Fielder, Founder of Samurai Innovation always says "Small steps, done imperfectly, lead to monumental results." So true, Shane, so true.

Eventually your ugly frogs will start to taste like chicken.

Task Management Killer - Distractions

Distractions will knock you off your productivity game every single time. It is critical to your productivity to ruthlessly eliminate and manage distractions.

Social media, YouTube and Google are all designed to keep you hooked and going down rabbit hole after rabbit hole.

While it's fine to check your Instagram or watch a how-to video on YouTube in your leisure/break time, if you need to focus on getting your important work done, these distractions are huge time wasters.

All those incessant dings, pings, pop-ups and notifications are another way we squirrel. Turn them off.

Work in a dedicated space. If you don't have a separate office, that's ok. All you really need is a flat work surface, a bit of storage space, access to an electrical plug, task lighting and a good chair. Set yourself up in a your bedroom, the basement or in any corner of your house that is away from the hustle and bustle.

Put your phone on airplane mode (it's okay to let calls go to voicemail). Block your calendar. Disable all pop-up notifications. Close the 23 open browser windows on your computer. Shut your office door. Make sure the kids are busy or looked after.

Now What?

• Every project and task from all of your various sources is on one list.
• All of your tasks are categorized and prioritized.
• You have organized your tasks into 3 - 5 different list types.
• Next step is to put these killer lists to work for you by setting up your calendar and focusing on your planning routines!
• Read the next posts in this blog series to master your productivity!

Productivity Mastery Key Three - COMMITMENTS

Read our next blog in our 5-part series Productivity Mastery Key Three - Commitments as we discuss the third key to overcome your productivity overwhelm.

Commitments.....your time isn't the main thing, it's the only thing.

Claim Your Exclusive Productivity Mastery E-Book

I truly hope you found the information in this blog useful, helpful and transformational.

I want you to experience the freedom and success that getting organizing and more productive brings.

The whole reason my company exists is to support you to move from frustration and overwhelm to confident and in total control of your work.

To claim your copy of my exclusive Productivity Mastery 5 Keys to Overcome Productivity Overwhelm e-book (valued at $49), use the link below to download your copy of this valuable resource.

You are ready for this!

Additional Resources & Links

Productivity Mastery Key 1 - PRIORITIZE
Productivity Mastery Key 2 - TASK MANAGEMENT
Productivity Mastery Key 3 - COMMITMENTS
Productivity Mastery Key 4 - EMAIL INBOX CONTROL
Productivity Mastery Key 5 - ROUTINES
Top 10 Productivity Secrets 
Perfectionism is the Enemy of Productivity
FREE GUIDE: Keeping Your Home Organized Through Every Season
It's True You Can be Productive While Working From Home and Here's How

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Have you established daily routines that keep you organized and productive while working from home?

Do you plan ahead for the next day the night before?

Work From Home Series

We are creatures of habit so it is important to maintain your work from home weekday routines as close to your normal work schedule as possible.

It is okay if you need to tweak some of your habits and routines to ensure working from home is a success for you.

Determine ahead of time when you will work by maintaining regular hours, keeping in mind that one of the many benefits of working from home is your ability to be more flexible.

Your daily habits and routines will make you or break you when working from home.

Organizing & Productivity Solutions: Routines for Success

Keep Your Same Morning and Evening Routines

Keep your same bedtime routine and go to sleep at the same time.

Get up on time (or early!) and get ready for the day. You don't necessarily need to wear a suit, nylons or your best jewels, but do your hair, put on a bit of make up and wear clothes you wouldn't mind answering the door or going outside for a walk in. 

The exception is if you have a video/virtual meeting - keep it professional by always looking the part even when working at home.

Maintaining your normal morning and evening routines while working at home will keep you from feeling you are on holidays and you will be super productive by getting a ton of work done!

Build Transitions In (and Out) of Work

Your previous morning commute not only physically got you to work but it also gave your brain time to prepare for work.

Just because you’re not traveling outside of your home to an office doesn’t mean you should stop a regular routine to start your workday.

A Stress-free Day Starts the Night Before

Think about your current evening routines - what can you do the night before to make your next work from home day as focused as possible?

• Do you set out a work outfit for the next day depending on any outside meetings or video calls?
• Have you prepared a healthy breakfast/lunch/snack so you're not wasting your time during the day cooking?
• Do you get your morning coffee/tea/breakfast ready after doing the dinner dishes?
• Are your gym clothes set out for your workout tomorrow?
• Should you set your alarm half an hour earlier so you can spend more time easing into your work from home routine?
• Have you established the practice of journaling, meditating/praying or reading before lights out?
• Do you go to sleep at around the same time every night and get a good 7-8 hours of restful sleep?
  

Routines to End Well

Log Off at the End of the Day

Make Your Routines Personal

Work from Home "Homework"

1. Create a work from home routine that fits with your life.
2. Decide how you will transition from home into work and from work back into your personal life
3. Challenge yourself to stick to your routines as much as possible!

Work From Home Plan

We offer a personalized and professionally prepared Work From Home Plan for only $497+GST!

Your Work From Home Plan includes:

• 60-minute virtual "in-home" workspace assessment
• Personalized 10 point organizing & productivity plan
• 90-minute virtual implementation session
• 30-minute virtual evaluation call

My Gift to You

Click HERE to download our FREE Making Work From Home Work guide.

More Work From Home Blog Posts

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Are you accomplishing what you need too while working from home?

Is your time being used as effectively as it was in your more formal office setting?

How are you handling the increased flexibility?

Work From Home Series

Efficiency and flexibility are two of the top 10 reasons that people enjoy working from home, along with shorter hours as you can accomplish more with less distractions, interruptions and meaningless meetings.

Sometimes this flexibility is too much of a good thing however.

When your office is always there, waiting, with that deadline looming over your head or that big project you want to finish, it's hard to just close the door and pretend you've left the office for the day.

Many people who work from home find they work more hours than in a corporate office as they spend more time working at night and on weekends.

It's there and you just can’t ignore it.

If you set clear boundaries between work and home and implement these organizing and productivity skills, you will keep a five-hour day working from home, as opposed to an eight-hour day and get far more accomplished.

Organizing & Productivity Solutions: Getting it Done

Schedule Your Hardest Projects When Your Brain is the Most Active

Determine the time of day when your brain is the most active and you are ready to accomplish your hardest tasks. It could be the first thing in the morning, just after lunch or later in the day.

Tackle your most difficult or least favourite project and the ones you have been putting off FIRST THING. By doing this, you are retraining your brain not to procrastinate and these unpleasant or stressful tasks get easier over time.

Save phone calls, virtual meetings, processing emails, reading articles/publications, etc. for the afternoon for example, when your brain is not at its peak.

To ensure maximum attention, reduce distractions by blocking your calendar, closing your door, turning off all electronic notifications and settle in.

You will be amazed by how much you can accomplish when you simply schedule your hardest work during your brain’s most active state and keep interruptions from stopping your flow.

Time Blocking

Use the Pomodoro technique by setting a timer for 25 minute blocks with a 5 minute break or 50 minute blocks with a 10 minute break. 

You can also work for one hour then take a 15-20 minute break or work for 30 minutes then take a 5 minute break.

Use the amount of work and break time that works best for you and what type of project you are working on.

Try Strict Workflow which is a chrome plug-in which enforces 25 minutes of distraction free work and 5 minute breaks repeating until your work is done.

You can also use Time Out for Mac which is an app that locks you out of certain websites when you should be working and locks you out of your entire computer when you need a break.

Task Management

Keep one to-do list which is driven by your vision and goals for your work. 

Arrange your to-do list by importance and this is what drives your daily tasks. This will shape your day and help you focus on what’s most important to you.

Aim to complete 3-5 tasks per day. 1 bigger task and 2-3 smaller tasks is ideal.

A great to-do list with tasks full of your critical work is the key to productivity.

Write everything down. When your brain knows you have all of your important tasks written down in one place, you relax. Yes you still need to do the work, but you are now working when your brain is most active with solid blocks of time to be productive and limited distractions.

Use tasks in Outlook, OneNote, Evernote, a paper planner/notebook or any other system that works for you. Your to-do list is the place where all of your tasks from various sources are captured.

When you have finished a meeting and have an action item(s) - record it on your to-do list. You speak with a customer and need to follow up - put in on your to-do list. You have a great idea in the shower - write it down on your to-do list.

Your to-do list helps you know exactly what you need to do and how much time you need to block in your calendar to get things done.

There is also a real rush in crossing off tasks and seeing how much you accomplish!

Keep a One-Track Mind

Work from Home "Homework"

1. Track when your brain is the most active - is it first thing in the morning, after dinner?
2. Schedule your hardest work during these times.
3. Try using a timer or app to time block work and breaks.

Work From Home Plan

We offer a personalized and professionally prepared Work From Home Plan for only $497+GST!

Your Work From Home Plan includes:

• 60-minute virtual "in-home" workspace assessment
• Personalized 10 point organizing & productivity plan
• 90-minute virtual implementation session
• 30-minute virtual evaluation call

My Gift to You

Click HERE to download our FREE Making Work From Home Work guide.

More Work From Home Blog Posts

Book Your Discovery Call Today!

How many hours a day do you spend on social media or watching "how-to" YouTube videos?

Have you set water-tight ground rules for the other people in your home?

Are the dings and pings coming from your electronics interrupting your concentration?

Work From Home Series

The issue with your brain is that it is conditioned to seek out distractions.

It has become a daily habit for many people, dare say even a compulsion, to obsessively check social media, have multiple browsers open, allow all notifications from apps, multi-tasking, etc.

When we work from home, this type of chaotic environment undermines our attention and constantly takes us away from focusing and completing our important work that move the needle on our projects, goals and the bottom line.

Organizing & Productivity Solutions: Managing Distractions

Reduce Distractions

Exercising control and managing distractions in your home environment is a serious advantage to working from home.

The secret to excellent time management is actually mind management. That means eliminating, reducing and managing distractions that repeatedly tempt your mind to wander.

There is no one asking you "just one quick question" or telling you about the fantastic movie they saw on the weekend but there are distractions when working from home that will derail your focus if they are not managed.

Managing distractions allows you to concentrate on one task at a time and keep your work flowing to stay on the productivity track.

Suggested Ways to Manage Distractions

Schedule Breaks

Scheduling shorter and longer breaks while working from home is vital for your focus and productivity.

It's easy to get distracted by the many things that have to be done around the house during the day so use your short breaks to throw in a load of laundry, sweep the floor or check your social media (checking work email is NOT a break).

Take longer breaks to eat lunch (not at your desk, please) or to leave home and get some fresh air - go for a walk, run an errand, just leave.

Without regular breaks, the output and quality of your work substantially decreases.

If distractions during the day are unavoidable, ask your employer about working evening hours or alternate remote locations.

Boundaries

We already know that distractions will knock you off your productivity track every, single time. Attention management is a powerful tool and is the secret sauce of people who are productivity masters.

Create boundaries and ground rules for family/kids. Ask yourself what boundaries you need between work and your home life.

If anyone else is going to be at home when you're working, they have to be clear that when you're in your work from home office, you're working, even if it looks like and feels like you're hanging out at home. 

When you are sitting down to focus on work, turn off your phone and TV (background music that isn't distracting is ok). 

Minimize your email inbox and turn off all notifications. You get to decide when it is convenient for you to return phone calls and process your emails.

Resist the urge to check your social media accounts, the stock market or Google as these things are all designed to keep you going down as many rabbit holes as possible for as long as possible.

Block time in your calendar to complete work and stick to it.

Work from Home "Homework"

1. Make a list of your worst distractions.
2. Write rules and clear boundaries on how you will counter your biggest distractions.
3. Make an agreement with yourself to stop doing these things.

Work From Home Plan

We offer a personalized and professionally prepared Work From Home Plan for only $497+GST!

Your Work From Home Plan includes:

• 60-minute virtual "in-home" workspace assessment
• Personalized 10 point organizing & productivity plan
• 90-minute virtual implementation session
• 30-minute virtual evaluation call

My Gift to You

More Work From Home Blog Posts

Book Your Discovery Call Today!

We promise your personalized Work From Home Plan will transform your spaces from frustration to freedom!