Being self-employed is amazing; shaping your business any way you want it to be and create your own working hours. Without anybody delegating tasks and setting any DEADLINES, you’re the one responsible for the success of your own business. 

Personally, I’m addicted to procrastinating, and so are the majority of people. Being productive can seem like such a significant effort, especially when you’re not as motivated as you were when you started out. 

We all have our tendency to have our mental and even physical blocks from time to time; from a busy schedule and a lack of sleep, your typical writers’ block, and just a plain lack of enthusiasm for your whatever activity you need to get done for your business in general.

In this article, we’ll be discussing how to be more productive in your workplace and as an entrepreneur. 

First and foremost, trying to start out or get back on track is important. Productivity is the key to having a successful business. 

These can help you start building up a solid plan on ways to get back on top of your game if you’re lagging. 

1. Make a simple to-do list 

This will stop you from overwhelming yourself and tiring yourself out. 

Creating a simple and reasonable to-do list is a good way to start out your day and get things done. Note that not all tasks are equal. Some you’ll be able to finish in a matter of minutes, and others will take longer than you expect. The way we then distribute our time becomes unbalanced. We tend to do the short easy tasks first and tend to procrastinate as we get to the longer, more complex tasks. 

So, how do we create an effective to-do list? Sounds simple enough right, but many people tend to mess it up. 

• Keep it simple – having at least ten items on your to-do list can be really effective. 
• Meet MIT’s – most important tasks. Start the list with at least two crucial tasks on the list. This way, you’ll be able to complete some of your important tasks early. 
• Break it down – if you need to write a research paper, it can be quite intimidating. Break it down by writing “the first section of the research paper.” 
• Stay Specific – for general tasks that require a lot of time, list specific steps that you can take towards finishing this goal. 

2. Focus on one goal at a time

Whatever your top priority is, it’s your job to execute it. But how do you determine what’s important? How do you determine what the most important thing is for your business? 

Well, there’s a simple but effective rule that is even efficient when managing a team in a professional setting. That’s the 90-90-1 rule, confused?

 The 90-90-1 rule is – spend the first 90 minutes of your day for 90 days to do that one important task. This will prevent you from spending all your time on one task the whole day. Splitting your day into multiple 90-minute sessions will ensure that you get multiple tasks done for the day. 

3. Track your time 

Tracking your time is essential; you’ll be able to pick up on what you spend most of your time doing. From checking your email to spending some time on your favorite social media, you’ll have better time management skills. By rearranging these things will assist you in getting more done in less time. 

Tracking your time for at least two weeks can help you figure out where your problem areas are and the quirks and advantages you have during the day.

4. Figure out your two peak hours 

Your general workplace work hours are between 9 am-5 pm. This doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone’s peak hours are between these two times. Many people are more efficient in the early hours of the morning and many others who are night owls. 

Personally, I find that I’m more active and at my peak when everyone else is getting up to start their day. This is when I’m able to focus the most and put my time and energy into important tasks. 

It’s a good thing to find the 2 hours you’re most productive. By figuring out your peak hours, you can schedule you the most important tasks for this time of the day. You’ll be able to identify patterns when you’re engaged in “deep strategic work” and when you’re more focused on the mundane tasks like checking your email. 

5. Section off tasks

Not every task or job will take you 30 minutes to do. Some will take up to 8 hours or even take as long as a couple of days. In situations like this, it can be difficult to pinpoint where to begin. This is where sectioning off your tasks can help. 

By sectioning off your tasks, you’re basically breaking down one major job/task into sub-tasks. By sectioning your work off, you’ll be able to focus on one thing at a time; this will prevent you from getting distracted. This method ensures that you’re able to complete your work faster and with better quality as well. 

Here are a couple of tactics to get you started on sectioning your tasks:

• Choose a task – it doesn’t matter whether your to-do list is long, short, or anything in between. As long as your responsibility gets undivided attention, it’s perfect. 
• Set a 30-minute timer – Commit to the task for this set time. Work at the task till the timer goes off
• Take a short break – taking breaks are essential. They ensure that you don’t overwork yourself. 
• Repeat all of the above – and you’ll be set to go from here on out. 

6. Declutter your workspace 

Did you know that your physical environment affects your work? Don’t you just feel like working in a fresh, clean environment? A clean environment is one way to get into the correct frame of mind to start working. As you declutter and organize your space, it’ll be easier for you to organize your thoughts and think straight. 

It helps you to be more productive when you don’t have to hunt down and search for documents that you need; you’ll save precious time this way. You also be able to focus more on the task at hand. 

A few tactics that can help you declutter and keep your workspace clean:

• Purge your space – clear everything off your desk, filing cabinet, drawers and decide from there what’s worth keeping and what not necessary 
• Decide what stays – and of course, what should go. Avoid the “what if I need it later” mindset. This only lets you pile more and more unnecessary paperwork. 
• Label everything – I mean every single thing. File for finances reports? Label it. Have medical papers to be posted? Label it. Label everything. This will make your life so much more manageable. 
• Rethink your filing system – organize your files according to the topic, most recent and most important tasks to complete. This will help you avoid wasting time. 
• Make this a weekly routine – making it a habit to declutter your space will surely keep you on the straight and narrow. By doing it every week, you’ll always have a clean environment to work in. 
• Clean before you go – this will prevent you from having clutter over from the day before. Unnecessary paperwork that’s not needed should be tossed out or filed according to maintain order. 

7. Group similar tasks together. 

By grouping similar tasks together, you make it easier for yourself to have a good workflow without distraction. 

You see, by switching between tasks, opening and closing files, starting and stopping, and beginning and ending. All of these small moments distract you, add up, and eventually, you’ll lose track of a task you were doing. These moments break our concentration and do us a disservice. 

As I said above, grouping similar tasks together will keep you on a good workflow. If you’re reading and responding to an email, then you should read and respond to every email on your email list. If you’re sending out a bank statement, make sure you send out all of the bank statements to the necessary people and companies. This will not only conserve time, but it’ll save you from a break in concentration as well.

8. Stop multitasking 

As effective as this might seem to be, it’s not. By switching between tasks, it only creates more lapses in our concentration and makes us more tired. It’s a common myth to think that by multitasking, you’re more productive. We’re not actually doing anything but skimming over the surface of everything and wasting precious time. 

There’s an actual neurological study on the effects of multitasking. A neuroscience behavior professor Daniel Levitin at McGill said once “That switching comes with a biological cost that ends up making us feel tired much more quickly than if we sustain attention on one thing.” and contrary to popular belief, coffee doesn’t necessarily help you in the process. 

Again, Daniel Professor Levitin also said: “People eat more, they take more caffeine. Often what you really need at that moment isn’t caffeine, but just a break. If you aren’t taking regular breaks every couple of hours, your brain won’t benefit from that extra cup of coffee.”

So what do we really need? In a literal sense, a break. Drink some water, get some fresh air, maybe even go for a quick walk, or have a rapid-fire workout. These things do nothing but awaken your brain and help you maintain your concentration and alertness. 

9. Get sunlight 

Yes, you read, write. Get some sunlight. Studies show that you’ll improve your productivity and alertness with more natural lighting. Also, it affects the timing of the circadian clock, which then impacts your wakefulness and fatigue. 

You’ll automatically feel more focused and motivated. 

Quick Bonus tips:

• Put together your outfit the night before – not only will this save you time. Hunting for clothes at the start of the day is barely a good start at all. 
• Take a cold shower – cold showers increase your mood and alertness. They also strengthen your immunity and circulation. What else do you need for better concentration? 
• Stay away from your phone – for the first hour of your day. Your first working hour is likely to be the most productive hour of the day. Keep it interruption and distraction-free.
• Smiling more and commit a random act of kindness – not your typical tips, but this is scientifically proven to increase your mood, productivity, and alertness. You’ll be surprised by how well you perform. 

Now let’s see the common reason that makes us lack productivity. These are important because not only will you be able to pinpoint your own bad habits; you’ll be able to stop them before they fully develop. 

Common reasons why people lack productivity:

Counterproductivity is undoubtedly the biggest enemy we all have when it comes to completing tasks and running a business.

Emotional energy

We all have a terrible habit of investing too much of our emotional energy on people and things we cannot change. We often invest too much emotional energy on things that won’t impact our current business plans and work efforts. 

The general person’s mind is obscured by distractions such as Sports, celebs, and actors. Channeling your energy into something useful can enhance your productivity. 

The mindset of an entrepreneur is generally different. It is filled with ideas on what to do next and how to overcome the current obstacle. 

Self-Doubt 

A lack of confidence when starting out as a freelancer is not a new thing. Not being as accomplished as every other entrepreneur in your field can make you doubt your capabilities. 

Ways to overcome this is jotting down your fear, doubts, and what it’s. Looking at these will make you realize that the worst possible scenario might not even be as bad as you made it out to be. Every situation can be overcome, every mistake can be learned from, and you will be able to recover after a downfall. It’s all part of starting and running a successful business. 

Lack of discipline 

This is a major key factor in determining how successful your business will become. The amount of work you get done, your focus, execution of plans, and everything else unmentioned depends on how disciplined you are. 

It’s so easy to slack, the damage done isn’t as noticeable at first, until you start losing clients. Bad habits are easy to settle into, and remaining mindful of this can help your situation. No doubt, it is tough to make yourself work hard and to the best of your ability when you have no superior around. 

Imagine going into an office and refusing to work or working at your own leisure? You’ll end up getting fired at the end of the day. 

You can’t expect yourself to wake up next week and have a whole new attitude and level of discipline, these things essential things take time. 

The best way to get into a good habit of working is to stick to a schedule and stay consistent. It might not be as enjoyable as you’d like it to be, but what business doesn’t bloom from consistency and hard work? 

Create an environment that allows you to stay focused and motivated. This will encourage you to continue working.

Lack of motivation 

The inevitability of going through lazy bouts as a freelancer is no joke. You don’t have set work hours to follow that compel you to jump out of bed and get to work; instead, you work at your own time. This is dangerous, especially since we tend to lose motivation reasonably quickly. We’re only human. 

By research and personal experience the one way to overcome this dilemma:

Set a timer for 20 minutes; the only thing that matters is that you start working. Once the timer finished, don’t be surprised if you feel more motivated and carry on working. Creating personal challenges for yourself is a great way to start. 

No clear vision 

The biggest culprit that takes the cake does not know why you’re doing what you’re doing. Why are you putting yourself through this? You started with a goal, didn’t you? You fledged to stay focused, motivated, and to work hard all the time, then life happens. Maybe taking an hour break turns into a few hours, turns into a day. Eventually, you’ll have backlogged, and you’ll be lagging in your business. This is when you’ll stress when you’ll try to follow and step by step list to getting things done. This is the quickest way to burn yourself out. 

Once you come to, you’ll realize that you lost your way. You don’t know how to get back on track, and you forgot the reason why you’re doing what you’re doing. 

To get back on track is to ask yourself, what impact will this have on my life? Why did I start this business in the first place? 

Setting short term goals can help you get back on track. Your vision will give you a target to aim at, making things that much easier for you. 

Not only do I use these tips, but I’ve learned a few new ones along with you as well. 

Now that you know all of these, you’re well on your way to being a more productive person in the future. Not only will this benefit you, but this will benefit your business as well.