We’re living in a different time. A time where it’s not enough to dream of success. It’s not even enough to set goals. The only way to truly achieve your dreams and build the business you’re meant to build is to sit down and just do it.
And that’s where many of us… well, fail is a strong word. But it’s the doing that trips us up more times than not.
We overbook our calendars until today’s to-dos become next week’s past dues. We procrastinate on the things that are important while attending to things that are merely “nice to do.” And sometimes we simply take on too much — even when we know better.
Over the last 18 months, how people work has changed. We now spend more time working from home than in the workplace, our homes have become our places of work. This has added pressures, it’s meant that we have to adapt the way we balance our life and work. We can no longer just leave the work at the office, because our home is the office.
It’s been said that some organisations have seen an increase in productivity when they allow staff to work from home, there are many reasons for this. One of them being, that you are no longer commuting long hours, you're getting sleep, you’re eating well because you’re at home and you’re spending time in a space where you feel safe.
But there are also those who fail to work efficiently when working from home, what can you do about this? How can you work from home and actually get work done? The answer? Embrace these five productivity hacks that top coaches use to get more done in less time.
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1. Rituals and Habits: A ritual or habit is a consistent way of doing something. You can have a morning ritual (wake up, brush your teeth, work out, shower, and head to your office), evening ritual (check homework, get the kids to bed, watch the evening news, and journal, weekend ritual (sleep late, do the food shop, catch up on a TV show, visit your parents), and many others.
The problem is, if you’re not careful with your rituals, they can turn into productivity killers. Is checking Facebook or email a part of your morning ritual? Is turning on Skype a part of your at work ritual? Distractions such as these can turn even your best intentions into hours of wasted time.
Take a good look at your rituals. What are you doing that you should not be—or that should be moved to another part of your day? Make your rituals more efficient and you’ll automatically get more done.
2. Calendar Management: Want to know how much time you really have available for that new project? Try time blocking, this is basically blocking off time in your calendar for all your existing projects. Fill in all your client calls, your business administrative tasks, time for meals and breaks, outside appointments, and everything else you’re committed to. What’s left might just shock you.
Make it a habit to block time in your calendar for every commitment, and you’ll never again over-promise or over-commit.
3. Learn to Let Go: Here’s a news flash. You do not have to do everything in your business. You can (and should) hand off those low-level tasks to someone else. Hire a VA to create your documents and manage your calendar. Let your tech support person manage your blog and email. Turn over your bookkeeping to an accountant. The time you free up will allow you to work on what’s truly important — and that only you can do.
4. Work Hard, Play Harder: You are not a machine. You cannot work all day every day and hope to be at your best all the time.
Take a day off. Get some rest, or relax on a long, slow hike. Take a friend out to lunch. Go shopping with your kids. See a movie or a play. Do something — anything — other than work.
Not only will you return to your work feeling much more refreshed, but you’ll find yourself more creative and productive than before as well.
5. Focus: Multi-tasking is impossible. You cannot efficiently work while you’re simultaneously surfing Facebook, keeping an eye on the kids, and answering the phone every time it rings.
Instead, use your calendar to block time off for important tasks, then turn everything else off so you can focus. No phone, no Facebook, no kids or husbands or neighbours or pets demanding “just a minute” of your time. Tune everything out, and you’ll find your work getting done much faster.
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Managing your time and turning up your productivity is not something that comes naturally to most people but when you learn to master this skill, you’ll find your business grows right along with you.
Have you been working from home? How have you managed to be productive? We would love to hear your thoughts through our social media channels.
Bhavna Pandya-Barratt is the Founder of Successful Superwomen as a community of female entrepreneurs. In this regular iGlobal column, the Mindset and Transformational Mentor talks through the aspects of facing up to limiting beliefs and strategising your passion into successful businesses.
