EP: 83 - 7 Productivity Strategies Backed By Science ...

“I believe anything is possible. I see opportunity when others see impossibility. I take risks. I am focused. I hustle. I know that nothing is unrealistic. I feel overwhelmingly loved. I embrace my childlike wonder and curiosity. I take flying leaps into the unknown. I contribute something bigger than myself. I create. I learn. I grow. I do. I believe it’s never too late to start living a dream. I AM AN ENTREPRENEUR.”

Welcome to Episode 83: 7 Productivity Strategies Backed By Science ...

I know I’ve been dropping loads of content the past few weeks on hustling and productivity, but it’s with good reason. During the last business quarter of the year, it’s not uncommon for productivity to take a nosedive. 

The holiday season is creeping in quickly, you just got off summer vacation and are already thinking about all the year end holidays, with a fresh new year is right around the corner. You may even be dwelling on all the goals you set out for yourself this year that have yet to be accomplished and you’re starting to feel stressed, panicky, overwhelmed, maybe even a big of languish, and your productivity keeps nosediving as you’re not quite sure where to place yourself and when in order to do #AllTheThings so your left feeling accomplished going into another new year …

That being said, I’m here today to help save you from yourself with 7 (yes 7!) productivity strategies – backed by science – so you can end this year off right – and save your sanity while doing it. 

Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...

• Project management
• The art of list making
• The siren calls of email
• Time and technology (re: inbox detox)
• How to learn the art of “untangling”
• Renewing your faith … in yourself 

Are you ready?
Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!

Transcript

Hey there Digital Glue Insiders!

I know I’ve been dropping loads of content the past few weeks on hustling and productivity, but it’s with good reason. During the last business quarter of the year, it’s not uncommon for productivity to take a nosedive. 

The holiday season is creeping in quickly, you just got off summer vacation and are already thinking about all the year end holidays, with a fresh new year is right around the corner. You may even be dwelling on all the goals you set out for yourself this year that have yet to be accomplished and you’re starting to feel stressed, panicky, overwhelmed, maybe even a bit of languish, and your productivity keeps nosediving as you’re not quite sure where to place yourself and when in order to do #AllTheThings. We want to you feel accomplished going into another new year …

I’d like to start out by saying that my basic definition of workplace productivity is
spending more time on the right work. Based on my experience and some of the research I have done, the “right work” seems to fall into 3 simple categories:

• We have “Core Work”, this to me is completing the mission laid out for you in your job description, whatever your area of specialty may be.
• We have another category; “Communication”, and this would be things like emails, chats, calls, or those never-ending Zoom meetings.
• Then we have “Everything Else”, and while this category may make you smile, we are talking about things like file management, admin work and all those other little things that don’t really seem to fit anywhere.  

You may find it helpful to take a moment to track the amount of time you’re spending on each of these 3 categories, and you may have some surprising results! 

This could show you where there may be lapse in your productivity or if you’re spending too much time in a particular area. Don’t be afraid to schedule yourself or create to-do lists as those are definite ways to keeping you on track. 

That being said, I’m here today to help save you from yourself with 7 (yes 7!) productivity strategies – backed by science – so you can end this year off right – and save your sanity while doing it.

So, let’s be productive right from the get-go and just dive right on in …! 
 

#1. RENEW YOUR FAITH IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT.

Many folks tend to resolve to get organized in the next year. If this is you, please don’t wait until January 1st to figure out how to get this plan started for yourself. Start NOW by researching new project management tools and platforms to implement in your entrepreneurial journey. Trust me, once you find a system that you think will work for your style you will easily become more productive in the future. You will also have more momentum if you hit the ground running. And feel more prepared for the year to come!

#2. RENEW THE ART OF LIST MAKING.

This goes hand-in-hand with tip #1 because once you have that project management tool of choice in your possession, you can begin making your lists -- preferably in there. 

Did you know that over 96% of people say their lives are better with to-do lists? 89% of those folks say they enjoy making those lists. And a good 28% of us identify ourselves as obsessive list makers!

There is even a good 50% who admittedly love to write down tasks they have already completed to then cross them off triumphantly. Yup! Guilty!

This way, they have a more complete picture of everything they’ve accomplished. Yup, I admittedly fall under this category as well … guilty as charged! (LOL!)

If you think about it, Santa’s not the only one who needs to start making important lists before Mercury plummets once more this year. NOW is the time when you need to start making lists of what absolutely, positively has to get done by the end of this year – as well as all the goals and to-do’s you need for next year … and the year after that, and after that – if you’re a nerdy go-getter like Team VU! LOL!

In addition to your holiday gift list (if you happen to have any seasonal shopping to do), we highly suggest creating two critical lists: “Big Work Projects” and “Big Dream Goals.” On the first one, make notations of all the significant items you need to get done in your business that are of utmost importance and imperative to your success. Then on the second one, make notations of all your dream goals that you want to achieve as a business owner, and for your brand. Next comes the tricky part: trimming each list.

This needs to be a ruthless action (and an honest one!) about how much you can reasonably expect to get done between now and the end of the year. By cutting both lists down to six (maybe seven) items each, you will put yourself on track to get an average of two big tasks done each week -- and you have a shot at actually getting a lot accomplished before we welcome the new year.

#3. IGNORE THE SIREN CALL OF EMAIL (AND ALL OTHER NOTIFICATIONS!)

Think of your inbox like a Las Vegas roulette machine … you know you can just check it, and check it, and check it, and every once in a while, there’s some juicy little tidbit of reward, like the handful of quarters that pop down on a one-armed bandit. And quite honestly, that habit will just keep you coming back for more!

Think about it for a minute … how often do you get sidetracked by smaller tasks – just like your inbox -- when you should be working to tackle the bigger ones?

Your inbox is definitely one of the hugest time wasters out there. You get sucked in telling yourself “just a few minutes” then you’ll get back to what you were working on. Then BAM!!! A full hour or maybe even two has passed and you’re no further along.

If you want to get your Big Things done this year, you need to give them the attention they deserve. That means muting your inbox beeps and boops (and all other annoyances) or even consider shutting down your inbox altogether for a solid chunk of time blocked time, so you aren’t tempted to “take a quick look”. So, if you’re a morning person like me, try working on your most difficult task before you ever open up your inbox! Otherwise, you wind up going down the inbox rabbit hole and spend way too much time and energy -- two of your most valuable resources -- on insignificant stuff rather than on what’s important. 

Speaking of time blocking …

#4. LEARN THE ART OF CONTROLLING YOUR TIME.
 (SO IT DOESN’T CONTROL YOU!)

Time blocking is a time management assist method we use that asks you to divide your day into different blocks of time. Each block is dedicated to accomplishing a specific task, or group of tasks, and only those specific tasks. Yes, you heard me right … NOTHING ELSE! So, instead of keeping an open-ended to-do list of things you’ll get to as you’re able, you’ll begin each day with a concrete schedule that lays out what you need to work on and when. With a little wiggle room for emergencies of course.

The golden key to this seemingly crazy method is prioritizing your list in advance -- so a dedicated weekly (or even daily) review is an absolute must. You need to take stock of what’s coming up for the day or week ahead and make a rough sketch of your time blocks for each day. Then at the end of every working day, review any tasks you didn’t finish -- as well as any new tasks that have come in -- and adjust your time blocks for the rest of the week accordingly.

We prefer to do this with a weekly schedule in mind, on Fridays for the week to come. Then do a mini review at the end of each day to see if adjustments need to be made due to current things on the go and/or new project requests that may have come in.

The wonderfulness of this all is that with your days’ time blocked in advance, you won’t have to constantly make choices about what to focus on. All you need to do is follow your time blocked schedule. Then simply rinse’ and repeat.

#5. RENEW YOUR FAITH IN TECHNOLOGY WITH AN INBOX DETOX.

Your project management is well underway, your lists are ready to go, your distractions are off or at a minimum and you’ve learned to control your time, so what’s next?

ORGANIZATION -- of your inbox!

A tangled inbox can be a HUGE distraction. 

Especially if it’s filled with old, useless information and contacts. This can easily be fixed by taking a portion of a day -- I personally suggest doing this at least once a month -- to go through everything you have saved. 

• Delete old contacts.
• Unsubscribe from things that are no longer relevant to your goals and interests. 
• Create folders that flow with your information and contact lists. 

Keeping your inbox clean as a whistle is one of the most important things you can do to help your business grow and stay organized. I like to use something called UnRoll.Me … You should check it out after you’re done listening to this episode!

Now that we’re talking virtual clean-up … You may be feeling a tad bit overwhelmed because you feel you have ever so many other more important things to do. And that you just cannot take on this task right now.

Well, we’ll do you one better … There are SO MANY project managers and virtual assistants out there (myself and my team of honorary “untanglers” included) who are exceptionally skilled in this area and are more than willing to help you get -- and stay organized. Don’t tell too many people … But we actually nerd out with these kinds of tasks … They’re mindless, fun and something we can groove out to with some fun music! A break in our day from all the mind-hogging tasks like coding n’ such!

So, don’t be afraid to tackle this on your own -- or if you’re not up for the adventure … Simply ask for help.

#6. LEARN THE ART OF “UNTANGLING”.

When we refer to the word “untangling” in the business sense and in our name, it’s not just about getting organized, it’s about learning how to get organized so well that you actually stay organized. To be organized, you need to be proactive and abide by what Mel Robbins, world renowned author and speaker, likes to call the “5-minute rule”. 

When a highly organized person thinks a task will take 5 minutes or less, they tend to complete it right away so that it doesn’t get added to the dreaded to do list or gets pushed off to the point where it never gets done. Organized individuals tend to avoid putting the little things off, so they have more time to focus on the big things. This simple “5-minute rule” will make a huge difference in all aspects of your life.  

“Untangling” is also about routine … 

How you spend your day is how you spend your life!  

Which is why it is so especially important to carve out some daily routines. Organization requires work and habit. Some may even say practice. Studies show that it takes upward of 23 days to form a new habit. Highly organized people function with routines. They have certain times of each day for accomplishing tasks. So, find what works for you and MAKE IT STICK!

And last but not least to tie everything together in a neat virtual bow …

#7. RENEW YOUR FAITH … IN YOURSELF -- THROUGH REST AND RELAXATION.

In the midst of all of this year-end reflection, planning, strategizing, creativity and carrying out organized actions, when do we rest and rejuvenate? 

Everyone knows that no one can pour from an empty bucket into another empty bucket of operation. This is likely how one gets to the point of being and feeling all, well, tangled up in the first place.  

So, in come self-care steps to save the day!

Self-care has been getting plenty of attention lately and I believe it’s rightly so. To me, self-care means keeping in check with your physical, emotional, and mental well-being which we also like to refer to as bodyset, mindset, and heartset.

We all get insanely busy at this time of year so it makes things hard to slow down and really take care of ourselves. But in reality, it really should be a daily-priority and we never should feel guilty about taking time to take care of ourselves. So, to get the ball rolling with self-care, try making a list of five to ten things that you can do to help yourself out, on the days you need it the most. Which, should be things you do for yourself everyday anyways …

Some examples are, taking a break from technology. You don’t always need to be “plugged-in”. Get up and move! Have a mini dance party. Do some push-ups. Go for a walk or run around the block. Do something physical to blow off some steam and chair butt!

Science shows us that sitting for too long can be detrimental to our health. So, planning a quick 20 minutes every day can do wonders for our mindset and our health. 

It’s time to recognize when your stress level may be on the rise. And take a breather. 

I personally like to watch a TV show for 30 minutes while making and eating my lunch. I call this “tap out” lunchtime. And when the weather is nice, I take a short few block walk.

Do whatever it takes to get yourself to take a few deep breaths and chill out. 

I cannot stress the magic that happens when I snuggle with one of my precious fur babies for a simple 10 minutes, mid-day. Or right after I shut down for the night.

Sacrificing our well-being will not help make our businesses more successful. In fact, a happy healthy business owner is going to attract MORE people with that same positive vibe than anyone else who is just running themselves ragged.

Well folks … that’s a wrap!

Now before we ourselves switch gears for the end of the year we wanted to share something with you …

We truly feel that the most productive (and results-yielding) work we as a team have ever done came from being intentional about our time and efforts, alongside our vision to empower leaders -- just like yourself – by deeply connecting with you with real facts and real truths, beyond the everyday “untangling” we do.

Our “why” is YOU! And to create more moments of genuine connection, so that people can finally start seeing one another as human beings (not human doings) … like the way of this “hustle” culture.

So, if you take away anything from today’s episode, let it be this … Don’t lose sight of why you’re pouring your life forces into your business in the first place -- as long as you use the tools we share with you, hold your vision close, work hard -- but mindfully of course, you will always produce instead of distract.