It doesn’t matter if your working week is made up of two hours, or 80 hours; everyone – including the work-at-home moms, freelancers, business owners, Internet marketing experts – we all have just one common goal: Productivity!
Time is money, and ultimately translates into more profit. However, we all can fall victim to various productivity killers.
Setting your Goals
Do you have your goals clearly set out and defined? I cannot stress this enough; without proper goals any business is doomed to fail. Are you spending your time forever reassessing where you are, what to do next, and so on. If so, not only will you be denying yourself valuable working time, but you will be unable to see through that fog to find your road to success. To achieve maximum productivity we all need a clear road-map.
Watch your Time – Keep to your Schedule
To be truly focused on your current task, set your watch – and keep to your schedule.
Forget your emails! Close down your browser windows – don’t be tempted to just ‘have a quick look’ at Amazon or eBay. Unplug yourself from places like Utube, even though it may be tempting to have a quick peek!
Close the door and get on with your work – no distractions. You will achieve far more work once you’re ‘unplugged’ from your surroundings.
Set Rules
Many of you freelancers, consultants, and Internet entrepreneurs work from home or other places with physical, real-world distractions. Don’t allow your productive streak to become de-railed. Setting up a clear set of rules and following them consistently is especially critical for maintaining a healthy, productive work environment. Ensure your colleagues, family and children understand this.
Give yourself a break
Everyone needs a bit of a break sometimes. Give yourself some time off; short breaks at work are known to help you solve complex problems. A study has been done (Northwestern University in Illinois) that suggests that taking short breaks relaxes the body and the mind, which can really help produce inspirational ‘sparks’, that may produce that ‘Eureka!’ moment that leads to an important discovery.
Keep yourself healthy
Now, health issues matter to every one of us, not just those who forget to set their goals.
Get enough sleep; although it’s tempting to work all hours and to ‘just finish this last little thing…’ before switching off the PC. If you’re not sleeping enough your productivity will suffer.
Exercise properly and eat properly. Your work will benefit; you will have a sharper mind which in turn makes those tricky tasks easier to complete in a faster time. Your health is your best investment, so look after it!
I’d love to know your thoughts on this, so please leave me a comment.
Till the next time
Maggie
Recent Comments