Stop checking your inbox first thing in the morning.
This is a big productivity buzz kill. Switch off your alerts and hold tight on checking your emails until the afternoon. It's always better to use your peak morning hours of productivity to tackle bigger and more important tasks.
Stop waiting for perfection.
Wanting to start a new business, but you're still just talking about it to everyone and anyone who'll listen?
They will tire at some point - trust me. Stop talking, start doing and execute. The perfect situation or set of circumstances will never present itself, so start, be bold and enjoy the ride.
Listen to only positive noise.
Whether it be audio books, podcasts, motivational YouTube videos - listen to them all, everyday. The best time for this is in the morning, as the first hour of your day sets the tone for the rest of your morning, afternoon and evening. So keep it positive. Whilst I am getting dressed I play endless motivational videos and soak up the positivity. This gives me such an amazing boost for the day and means I am totally ready to kick-ass!
Clutter be gone.
There are times when I have sat at my desk trying to write a proposal or email and my brain, no matter how hard I try, will-not-focus, presumably because I have yesterday's coffee mug staring back at me, post it notes all over my desk (with tasks that have actually been completed) and papers that should've already been shredded, or filed away, strewn across like a drunken mess.
See, when you are working or living in disorganisation then how can you expect to work in an organised manner. Learn to commit to a mini de-clutter at the end of the day, a medium one at the end of the week and a big one around summer time. Not only will your brain feel more at ease, thanks to the cleaner and clearer environment, but you'll be a little more stress free, as you'll be able to find the stapler from now on when you need it!
TV - be gone.
Now this can be a little bit of a tricky one, especially if you have kids and even more so if you're akin to permitting your brood to watch TV in order to maintain some level of sanity. So, you do not have to throw your TV out all together. If you can then go for it, but if not - cut it down. Disconnect additional television services that keep you and your family glued to the screen and opt for cheaper alternatives like Netflix, that you can control and use as and when needed. TV will simply distract you from working on your goals and dreams - and what's the point of watching other successful people when you haven't reached where you want to be yet?
Routines work.
Many successful people have become successful because they were super organised, super regimental and stuck to a systematic and precise routine. From the hour they wake up, to the time they spend with family and friends, and so on, they very rarely fall out of kilter. Implement a routine into your own life, and you will begin to stick to your plans and commitments and you will be able to identify how much or how little time you have.
If you blog, have a business or work from home, then pick specific times to complete tasks. This will eventually help your brain identify what's happening and what you should be working on.
Learn to say 'no' and concentrate on what matters the most.
The less available you make yourself to everyone else, the more you become more available for your intents and goals. As selfish as it sounds, just simply learning to prioritize and put the most immediate and beneficial things first will do you some real good.
Switch off.
A little 'me' time goes a long way. And when you're constantly working under the constraints of life you may become less able to focus and execute. It's amazing how productivity increases when you simply switch off the noise. Turn all devices off that are not needed, such as your phone, tablet, laptops, and do not check emails and watch your work mode flow. You will not be distracted by social media or your best friend calling to discuss yesterday's episode of Bridgerton.
Get up at 5 am.
Now hopefully you are post baby night feeds and your little cherubs are sleeping peacefully through the night. Waking up at 5am will not only kick start your day, the habit alone will strengthen your willpower and will serve you more dutifully in key areas of your life.
Outsource.
Outsource what you do not have the time or are not so good at doing. There is simply no point of spending 2.5 days trying to figure out how to prepare an analysis on media marketing, if you have no idea of where to start. Spend time on the things you are great at and if you can, hire someone else to do the rest.
Get Fit
As we all know, exercise not only helps us drop a few pounds, but can increase our mood and productivity. You will have an increased level of energy and will feel renewed and ready to take on whatever task is in front of you.
Stop multi-tasking.
New research confirms that all the distractions invading our lives are rewiring the way our brains work (and drop our IQ by 5 points!) Be one of the rare few who develops the mental and physical discipline to have a mono-maniacal focus on one thing for many hours. (It’s all about discipline and practice.)
Use your free time wisely.
When travelling to school, work, the office or even the supermarket, use that time of nothingness to do something. Listen to your favourite podcasts in the car or audio book through your headphones. It's a great way to get in some extra learning and an even better way to deal with traffic.