It’s a lot in a day to get all of the things you have planned done. Tell me if this is familiar to you? You start out with the best intentions and then it all goes to crap as soon as you walk through the doors of your business or school. It happens to all of us and sometimes it can sink us and derail us if we are not careful. You know the feeling I am talking about….when it feels like a tornado hit and you got caught up in it all day long and when you finally do touch ground, you are so far behind and you feel like it is hopeless to even try to catch up. However… you try anyway because that is the kind of leader you are.
What if there was a way to be more productive and to be more prepared when the storm hit? Wouldn’t that feel a whole lot better at the end of each day rather than trying to clean up the aftermath of the storm. What if you could stay ahead of the storm?
I am aaallll about life hacks that make your life easier, especially productivity hacks. I have studied giants in the field like Michael Hyatt, Amy Porterfield, Ed Mylett, and Brendan Bouchard on productivity and high performers for years. A lot of these hacks I am going to share with you, I have learned from them and tweeked them to fit my own world. Feel free to do the same. Some of the hacks are so obvious while others were more of a surprise to me but they really do help you become more productive and in turn make you feel better overall. The bottom line is we can let time control us or we can control our time. We just have to consciously make the decision of how we are going to control our time. These are the hacks that have helped me to maximize my time in all areas of my life – business, family, and me time.
Box Out Your Week On The Calendar Either On Sunday Or The Night Before For Each Day – The best time to get a jump on your day is before the day happens. You can do this either the night before or on Sunday where you box out your entire week. I make sure that I actually put boxes around my time as well (kind of like containers) so that I have the visual and clear boundaries of what each part of my day entails. I even put the outcomes in each box so I know what I have to do in each segment. Stick to those boundaries as best you can!
Set Three Things That Must Get Done Each Day – These three things are non-negotiable. I used to make a to do list that was so long I had to switch to another page. This just overwhelmed me more. Now, I choose three things only that have to get done each day. It hones in my focus and deepens my work in those areas. It is hard to get things done if you don’t know where the goal posts are. Hyatt says that positive focus is one of the best ways to boost your mood and confidence.
Reflect On Your Day – Measure your performance daily. At the end of each day, quickly check back on those three things you set out to accomplish and reflect on them. What went right? How did you boost your productivity? What tweaks do you need to make? I even have an alarm set in my phone that goes off to remind me to check my day. You can even journal about them or talk about them with your friend or spouse.
Set Your Day To Have Three Mini Days In One Day – These mini-days help to set out checkpoints along the day to ensure you are on the right track. I learned this one from Ed Mylett. He says to set out to think of your day as three days in one. You can split the days into three however you wish. For example, I am an early riser to my first day starts at 5-12 and I aim to get a full days work done in that time. Because I put the finish line way shorter than the average day, I have a sense of urgency to get things done (for example I make sure at least 2 of the 3 things I had set as a goal to get done that day) in that time frame. 12-6 is my second day and my focus shifts more to administrative duties, to do lists, relationships and connection. 6-10 is my third day and my focus once again shifts more to family, relaxation, and fun. This one takes time to get used to but if you stick with it, it changes everything!
Maximize Your Morning – I know…some of us are not morning people. I never started out as a morning person either but holy cow has it changed everything about my life now that I am. I am the most focused in the morning and it actually energizes me throughout the day. My best work happens in the morning. Work meaning work on myself and when I focus on me, everything else rises. Make your morning routine whatever you want but maximize it. Journal, read, move, stretch, etc to feed your mind and be sure to fuel your body in healthy ways to set you up for the day.
Batch your time: Batching means setting a timer for a certain period of time and focusing on one area for that time frame to get it done. No jumping around to different areas. Select your focus, set your time (mine is usually from 1-2 hours), head down, blinders on, and get it done. For example, I do all of my teacher observation write ups through batching. I batch my blog posts so that I have blogs at least 6 weeks in advance. I am way more efficient when I segment my time and I set deadlines for myself to keep me moving.
Set Deadlines: This one is huge. If you set deadlines, you create a sense of urgency. Set deadlines for yourself and for others and things will get done. Trust me, they will! This creates these invisible finish lines and sets periods in your game that require you to segment your focus. Game changer my friends!
Delegate With Support Whenever You Can: Stop trying to do it all. If done right, delegating can actually empower someone else. Be sure that when you delegate, you delegate with support, set deadlines, explain your purpose for it and expectations, and check in on mile markers and progress. Invite people to your table whenever you can and it can maximize your productivity and efficiency.
Stop Answering Your Phone At All Times: Answering your phone can be a huge interruption so try to build a buffer between when you don’t answer your phone. If it is that important, then they will leave a voicemail and you can be in control of how you respond to it. Not to mention it gives you some preparation for the upcoming conversation. Remember your goal is to control your time, not let your time control you. This is a prime example of one small tweak that can make a huge difference in interruptions throughout your day.
Set Your Clothes Out The Night Before: Ok…this one was huge for me because I wasted so much time staring into my closet in the mornings. Simple strategy, but oh so effective! I save a massive amount of time when I set my clothes out the night before. In fact, any time I know I have to make a decision, I always try to plan for it and make the decision the night before. So that is another hack bundled up into this hack. Make a decision before you actually have to make it!
Never Say Yes Right Off The Hop: Saying yes, over schedules you….always. Tell them you will think about it or you will get back to them but never yes right away. And…don’t be afraid to say no. You are in control of your time and therefore you need time to consult with your calendar and your heart and mind. The noes cost nothing compared to your yesses. Think about that and be protective of that.
Set A Timer On Your Phone For Everything: Seriously set a timer for everything. It will keep you moving in the right direction and remind you of when it is time to switch your focus. I set a timer for mini days, decisions that need to happen, batching times, start up and shut down times, etc. Hearing that timer makes you switch. The alarm sounds don’t have to be glaring beeping sounds but rather they can be whimsical alarms sounds as well. Hey whatever works for you right!
Disclaimer (because I am all about keeping it real): These hacks are just what works for me and no they do not always work in my world. Sometimes my day completely gets out of hand but usually it is because I haven’t tapped into these hacks. There are always obstacles that pop up and hit us smack in the face when we least expect it but it does happen way less now that I have a plan. Now the surprises don’t derail me, they just set me back for a little bit. By implementing these hacks, I now have way more winning days than set back days. These winning days stack on top of each other day after day and affect my overall mindset and… the set back days are less. The most important thing to remember is that you are a master of your own time!
I have a free guide on Reframing How You Show Up to help you with mastering your time and ways to show up for yourself.
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