Jen's Productivity Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Day
Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or you’re working one or more jobs (and everything in between), staying productive is key to getting work done well and accomplishing goals, short and long term! Over the years I’ve come up with some productivity hacks that have really helped me juggle it all. Between running two businesses, managing a team and a very full schedule I have had to figure out the best ways to get everything done, and to get it done efficiently. Here are my favorite tried and true productivity hacks that I use every single day. Do you have productivity hacks you love? I would love to hear about them in the comments or in Instagram DMs!
1. Time block
This is the single most important hack I do and I use it daily! I have done this for years and truly believe this is my saving grace for keeping me on track. Time blocking is when you “block” out your day for specific tasks. For example, I will dedicate 1 hour to emails in the morning, then make a 2 hour block to meet with my Head of Sales to go over jobs and invoicing. Then, I’ll block 45 minutes to finalize our social content calendar for the week. Next up is an hour to meet with my team at Closets in Jeneral. Every day is different, but by blocking out the times, it helps me remember that I need to focus on just that one thing at that time. It allows me to be super focused on the project at hand, which means I get so much more accomplished. I also block in intentional breaks daily to avoid burnout! The trick here is to be flexible with your chunks of time because unexpected things come up daily and you want to make sure you have wiggle room with all!
2. Use a productivity cube/Pomodoro Technique
Similar to time blocking, using the Pomodoro Technique or using a productivity cube to segment out your time throughout the day is a great way to keep from getting distracted. Scheduling your day’s work into 25 minute intervals (or any other intervals that suit your schedule) and adding in short breaks in between can keep things fresh, light, and productive all day. I love using a productivity cube as a little twist on the traditional technique because you can still physically see where you’re at on time, but it doesn’t tick like a traditional timer. There’s also an app that does the same thing, if you don’t need a tangible reminder that you can physically hold. This technique also allows me to break down my big time blocks into smaller tasks. For example, in the hour that I work on emails, I can break it down into three 20-minute segments for working in different categories, going from urgent to not so high priority.
3. Set three actionable goals for each day
It may sound silly, but on days where you’re just having a hard time focusing, doing this is great. If you’re working on a long term project that you’re not going to get done in one day, it can feel like you’ve accomplished nothing even though you’ve been working hard. In order to avoid this feeling, start each day by setting three actionable goals. The keyword here is actionable. Add something to your list that you know can be accomplished during the day so that you finish it feeling great! Tip: getting the “hardest” item off your list first is a great way to feel productive and a big win!
4. Limit screen time for certain apps/turn off notifications
This is SO important! Setting app time limits or turning off notifications for certain apps is such a smart way to eliminate distractions! I’ve done this for myself with emails on days where I have a lot of meetings, so I can spend my time between meetings prepping for the next one, rather than answering emails and jumping around to different tasks. You can customize the time based on your own needs of course, and you can turn it on and off whenever you want. When I’m working on something that really needs my full attention, I will actually just set my phone and computer on do not disturb. That way, I get my best work done without a million distractions popping up. Nothing like a little push in the direction of self control!
