Personal Productivity Leads to Business Productivity

Productivity and fulfillment go hand in hand. We’ve all experienced it. That sense of satisfaction, accomplishment and dare I say, outright happiness, when we have completed a project or attained a goal.

How did we get there? Perseverance and tenacity are in the forefront. However, distractions need to be eliminated or stress can arise and timelines can grow. Following good personal habits, like setting up routines and systems, makes things simpler. They can actually create more time and allow us to be more productive. These same concepts from our personal lives transfer easily to our business, increasing business productivity and success.

A 24 hour day can seem short at times. By making a few simple changes to our daily routines and having systems in place, we can be even more productive, take back our time, and keep the day from being sucked away in a time warp.

Here are a few examples of easy changes that we can incorporate into our personal and business lives:

1. Social Media and Email

We've learned to set up push notifications for just about everything. They definitely have their plus points, but notifications can also be major distractions. Time is valuable! Notifications are easy to glance at or click on, while in the midst of another activity. They are what they say, they push you to look.

Most would agree we can get more things completed when we are focused. Even just a momentary glance diverts your focus from your friends, family, or your task at hand at your home or office. This means you need to refocus. Instead of looking, even ever so briefly, at social media and email notifications, set aside a block or two of time each day. Even with your business on social media, you will be more focused by dedicating blocks of time into your schedule. You may even find it more productive to disable push notifications. (Gasp!)

If there are important exceptions that you need to come through consistently, they can be easily configured via your social media and email settings. This simple action of blocking off time can actually create more time for you to do other things. What would you do with an extra hour each day?

2. To Do Lists

Good concept – generally. However, how many times have we not completed the list, or how often is the item we really need to do (but dread doing), left on there for “tomorrow”? Consider completing the thing you dread first. Then everything else seems easy according to the Work Smart blog at Fast Company.

For tasks that need a considerable amount of time, or seem overwhelming, block a short amount of time to get started with one thing. By doing this, entire projects will seem less daunting! Once we start a project, overwhelm subsides and the project tends to keep rolling to completion. It is like stepping out of the front door to go do a workout at the gym. We know once we are on our way, we will get it done. We just need to start!

Changing your list from a To Do list to a Priority List, can also make a huge difference. Complete items by their level of importance, not by the order you wrote them down. For business priorities, consider what actions will generate business revenue or reduce business costs. For more information, take a look at our blog on Priority lists.

3. Stop Doing

Yes, there are most likely some things we are doing that we should stop doing. I know this sounds counterproductive, but perhaps your time is better suited for other tasks. Assess your work week to determine what tasks that you can delegate or outsource.

Too often we fall into the trap of doing it all when someone else could do it. Or maybe there are things you do, that you don’t need to do at all. Are you distracted by certain shiny objects? The television can be a nice way to relax, but it can also be a distraction and is a notorious time sucker. Author Jim Collins, talks about pulling the plug in different ways. What can you stop doing?

By looking at different ways of doing things, and utilizing systems and routines, we can transform our business or personal lives for the better. When we have a goal, it is easier to accomplish when we know the exact steps to get there. Taking action moves us toward our goals.

Establishing personal habits and routines, and utilizing systems, bolsters personal productivity which leads to business productivity. Are there simple changes you can make to maximize your day? Make the most of your time, reduce stress, and strengthen your bottom line. Click the link for your Best Free Productivity Tool Kit.