We’ve all heard it said before, “there aren’t enough hours in the day”. I feel ya. Amen.
As summer has gotten busier it seems like now more than ever I wish there were more hours in the day. Because of this I have learned a few tips to get more done in a day!
Turn off your phone or put it on airplane mode. This one is huge for me. It’s not texts, calls, and voicemails that distract me (lets be real folks, I ain’t that popular! Ha!), It’s social media. Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, Periscope, Instagram again, this is the vortex that sucks up my time. My computer is synced to my iMessage so if anyone really needs to get ahold of me I will know. If a text comes up on my phone, it’s guaranteed that somehow I will end up on social media. Put a stop to this by simply turning off your phone or putting it on airplane mode! Social media will still be there once you finish your work, trust me!
Time block. There are two different options for time blocking, both I have found to be incredibly helpful!
- Select certain days for certain tasks. For example (if I am following this method) Monday’s and Thursday’s are for blogging and social media. Tuesday’s, Wednesday’s, and Thursday’s are for Photography and business things. If it is a blog day I am only focusing on brainstorming, creating content, writing posts, and scheduling them out. I also use these days to get all of my social media posts (for Facebook and Twitter) scheduled so they go up automatically and I don’t have to think about it everyday. If it is a Photography day I am editing, working on the website, book keeping (aka slamming my head into my desk repeatedly), and going to meetings.
- Select a time frame for a task and set a timer. Say you are going to check email? Set a timer for 30 minutes and close your email the second the timer goes off. This somehow always lights a fire under me, helps me stay focused and less distracted, and helps me get way more done in a short amount of time. I actually use both of these methods which seems to be the most effective for me!
Go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. I know this is going to seem shocking, but your brain actually needs sleep to function. #science. Try going to bed 30 minutes earlier tonight and waking up 10 mins earlier in the morning. Put your phone on the other side of the room to stop you from spending too much time on it before falling asleep, and first thing in the morning. Sleeping more actually gets rid of toxins (check out this awesome Ted Talk for more), and walking up earlier actually physically gives you more time in the day. so…that makes sense!
Plan “at home” days. This is HUGE for me. In addition to Monday’s being devoted to blogging, they also are my “at home” days. I don’t schedule meetings, I don’t make plans. I wake up and work! If I need to break up my day I will go drive through Starbucks, or call a friend while I eat lunch and chat, but for the most part I am at home all day! This way I know that at least one day a week I have no excuses not to get things done. I am also a total introvert at heart, so this reenergizes and refocuses me!
Make a list then divide it up. Probably seems simple but making a list actually does make you more productive…I’m sure of it. I don’t understand how people know what all they have to do if they don’t make a list! It helps to divide it up by day. I used to make a list of everything I needed to do that week and then feel disappointed when I didn’t get it all done in one day. Now I section things off into smaller, tangible lists for each day. This will help you feel less overwhelmed and more accomplished when you do finish that list!
Now you tell me!
What tricks do you use to get more done in a day?
This is what I do too. I turn my iPhone into the air mode when I write my blog posts. It really helps to keep me off from sidetracking. Plus, I focus more to my blog posts before I go back to the internet again. Making lists really helps me too, especially when I plan for what I need to do first.