There’s no prize for being busy, my friends.  How you use your time and your productivity is what leads you to work less and make more money!

People often say to me…you seem really busy but you never seem frazzled or hustled. How do you do it all??  Today, I’ll give you time management tips so you can increase your productivity and make the most out of your time. 

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7 Tips to Better Time Management for Increased Productivity

Multi-tasking is a gift but it also poses a huge challenge!!  Many people, especially us moms, are forced to be multi-taskers.  It seems great but it can be hazardous.  It might be possible to multi-task but it is impossible to “multi-think”. Multitasking can often become a distraction and we must rein in those distractions to really increase productivity.  So, here is my list to help you manage your time better and, in turn, become more productive.

Head Down Time 

This is the time when you really get things done – when you focus on the Big Hard and Scary tasks.  This means…  No phone.  No radio.  No TV.  No social media account open.  Go somewhere where there are NO distractions.  Go somewhere boring so you can 100% focus.  Although we might gravitate to somewhere like a coffee shop, if you are a people watcher, this might not be your best options.  I, personally, love the library for head down time – it’s quiet, very few people and distraction.  I can really crank out the work!  Find the place that works for you and use it.

Unsubscribe from as many email lists as possible. 

You don’t need the Gap coupons.  You don’t need another candle from Bath and Body Works.  You don’t need to subscribe to 20 different on-line influencers.  Pick the 2-3 that you are actually learning from every single day of the week.  Email is a time sucker.  Only touch an email once – if you open it take care of it immediately!  Email can be a huge distraction.

Focus on ONE thing all the way to completion.

Here is the problem… if you are working on something and get distracted, you may try to go back to exactly where you left off but your brain just isn’t able to do that and you end up having to repeat and review things you have already done.  So the task that maybe should have only taken 30 minutes is now taking noticeably longer.  You can multi-task but you can’t multi-think.  You just can’t.  Give your brain the chance to work really hard at one thing at a time.

Know your productive time of day. 

Do your Big Hard and Scary tasks during this productive time of day.  Know you.  If you are best first thing in the morning, be sure to set aside that time to be focused and get it done then.  Or if you spring to life at night use that time for really focus on your business.  And remember, answering email is NOT the thing you should be doing during that time.  I know our first instinct in the morning is to check email but try not to waste your “best hours” sorting through emails.  Save that task for another time when you don’t need full focus.

Do all the crappy stuff at once. 

All that stuff you put off and hate doing, batch it together and knock it out.  You will get such a rush from finishing one of those items that you have been putting off that it will propel to to do the next one…and so on.  It will feel great to have it all done all at once!!  Trust me.

Get yourself out of some of those Facebook groups.

Or at the very least, turn off notifications so your phone isn’t pinging all day.  Most of them are time suckers and only a very few are building up your business and enriching your life.  Also, get out of any Facebook groups that are negative in nature or make you feel bad.  Nobody needs that in their lives!

If you need to multi-task, do it while doing something that doesn’t take your full attention. 

Only multi-task while doing something more passive.  Listen to a podcast while going for a jog or listen to a teaching while making lunch.

If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will. 

There is never going to be a day when you don’t get texts or emails screaming for your attention so you have to priority your life to keep your sanity!

Tips to manage your business with kids during the summer break

• Work when your kids are sleeping.  If you have toddlers, that means nap time or bedtime.  If you have older kids, that means the morning hours when they are still sleeping.  You will be most productive during the hours when your household is the calmest.

• Don’t feel like you have to entertain your children every second.  Let them be bored.  Boredom allows their brain to grow and be creative. 

• Don’t feel bad using playdates or high school kids to come watch your kids for a few hours.

• If you take the kiddos to the park or indoor play area, bring your work with you.  Or use the time at your kid’s to sports practice to sort through email or other lingering tasks.

The best piece of advice I can offer is if you work from home, guard your time!  I give you permission.  Your time is precious so you must use it wisely.  I hope you are able to use my 7 steps for better time management to really enhance your life and free up time for yourself, your family and your business.  It will feel so good!!  Trust me.

I have a new online course for creative business owners to help you get on track to growing your business online. Check it out here. There are many lanes out there to choose from … and this is the best roadmap to get there.

Blessings, Jen

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