How to be more productive in life and business

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Hi there!

I wanted to write this blog post because I know you are overwhelmed with everything you have going on…taking care of the kids, keeping up with the house cleaning, cooking healthy meals, getting to the gym, trying to start a business…the list goes on.

I know it seems like there is just not enough time in the day to get it all done. I get it because I’ve been there!

I remember when I first started my business, I was finishing up my doctorate degree, working on my health coaching certification, working part-time as a research assistant, trying to stay healthy, struggling to find time to see my friends, and trying to figure out what the heck I had to do to start a business.

I’ll admit it. I was totally overwhelmed and some days I felt like it was not worthwhile. Can you relate?

Anyway, I was able to get out of this rut with a few simple steps that I continue to use to this day. Not only has my business productivity soared, so has my health and my life in general.

Here is the step-by step that I follow to increase productivity in life and business:

  1. Sit down on Sunday or Monday (whatever works best for you) and get out your calendar. Whether you use an agenda or paper calendar or online calendar, it doesn’t matter. USE IT. *Pro tip: I like to have the entire week in front of me, so if you don’t already have a calendar, try to get one that allows you to visualize your entire week all at once.
  2. Write down all appointments, meetings, client calls, etc that have been scheduled for the week. These can be business-related and personal. For example: dentist appointments, hair cuts, etc.
  3. Write down all appointments with yourself. For example: self-care, personal development, massage, yoga class/gym, etc. You might think it is silly to schedule appointments with yourself but think of how often you get through the entire day and don’t have time to go to the gym, meditate, do yoga, etc. The KEY is making this a priority in your schedule so that you TAKE the time for you. *Pro tip: Schedule your Me time at the same time each day (I recommend you schedule it first thing when you wake up) so that it becomes part of your routine and is non-negotiable.
  4. Schedule in weekly business activities. If you do not already have a list of business activities that you do weekly, it’s time to create one. Here’s what mine look like: Record and edit video on Monday, write email on Tuesday, coaching calls / client fulfillment on Wednesdays and Thursdays, write email on Friday. Once you have your list of business activities, block out time in your calendar to complete each task. This is my base schedule that repeats every week unless I’m at an event or on vacation, in which case, I adjust my schedule. But, the important piece is consistency and knowing what you need to do every day and every week. Having this base schedule keeps you focused and takes you out of overwhelm.
  5. Write down what your ONE business focus is for the week and the steps to complete. If you are selling your coaching services, your focus should be on getting sales calls. If you are hosting a webinar at the end of the week, your focus should be to complete all elements to prepare for the webinar. Write out what steps you need to do in order to successfully complete this business focus at the end of the week. *Pro tip: Do not give yourself more than one business focus for the week.
  6. Schedule the tasks within your business focus into your calendar. Block out time slots to complete each step. *Pro tip: 1. Do not give yourself more than THREE tasks per day in your business, and get these three tasks done FIRST (after your Me time). 2. Have a list of things you would like to do in your business but that are not necessarily of utmost importance. These will come in handy when you finish your three tasks with a ton of time to spare and wonder what to do next!
  7. Take a look at your calendar and get excited for the week ahead!

Once you have completed these steps, here are a few things you you will notice…

  1. Your calendar is actually not that overloaded and there is still plenty of time to do the household chores, pick up the kids at soccer practice, and take time to relax.
  2. By prioritizing your business tasks and not trying to do everything at once, you will see that it takes a lot less time to accomplish your business goals.
  3. Not only will your business grow more quickly even though you are spending less time working on it, you will have more time to have a life and you don’t have to feel guilty for enjoying it because your business tasks have been handled.
  4. Now that you know what your business focus is at all times, you no longer have to stress out over what to do next, so you can be much more calm and enjoy your life that much more.

This process is really a win for both life and business, isn’t it?

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and found my step-by-step process useful! If you did, please share this post and comment below with your biggest take away.

I can’t wait to see how you incorporate this into your own life!

Lots of love,

Lianne