Get more done in less time, overcome procrastination,
and become a master at time management,
with these five super simple productivity tips
that I've been using in my daily routine
for the last 10 years.
(upbeat music)
Ah yes, that elusive state of mind that we all strive for,
every single day.
Productivity.
(laughs)
We all know what it feels like to be unproductive.
And ironically, even sitting down
to do this video on productivity,
was something that I put off until the very last minute
because every time I sat down to do it,
I'd find myself distracted by something else.
It is no secret that it is far too easy
to become distracted these days,
more now than ever before,
thanks to social media and emails and text messages,
and the bazillion other notifications
we get sent to our smartphone on a daily basis,
that seriously derail our productivity train.
But it is not just this that's to blame.
The truth is that the human mind is literally wired
for a constant state of distraction.
So in a recent study, two Harvard psychologists found
that the human mind is actually wired
for the state of continuous distraction,
and they found that we spent around 47%
of every waking hour "mind wandering."
Yeah, you know what I'm talking about here.
One minute you're working,
and then the next minute,
you're thinking about that time you embarrassed yourself
by falling out of your desk in French class
in the fifth grade.
(tongue click)
Yep.
So this begs the question,
are we doomed to deal with chronic procrastination
and unproductivity forever?
Now, while I do believe
that procrastination breeds productivity,
yes, you know what I'm talking about,
when you leave something to the very last minute,
there's nothing like the looming pressure
of a fast-approaching deadline to get those keys tapping.
But that cycle between procrastination
and then that mad dash to get things done in time
isn't exactly sustainable,
nor does it breed your best work.
Luckily, I am here to tell you
that there are some mindful habits
that you can easily implement into your daily routine
to dramatically improve your focus, productivity,
and even the quality of your life.
And these habits are even more insanely important to master
once you become your own boss,
and no one is around to kick your butt into gear, but you.
After being a freelance copywriter for over 10 years,
I've developed a pretty good system
for maximizing my own productivity
and getting more done on a daily basis.
So in today's video, I'm gonna share with you
the five things that I do every single day
to breeze through my to-do list
and produce my best quality work,
even when I'm feeling super unmotivated, like I was today.
Plus I'll share some words of wisdom from my Posse community
on how they get into flow
when the procrastination bug bites.
And make sure to watch to the very end
for a super juicy bonus tip,
which is honestly the key to not just being productive,
but also living a fulfilled
and satisfied Work From Home life.
So buckle up and get ready
because we're about to shift into GSD mode.
Hey guys, what's up, it's Alex coming at you this week
with a video to help you smash your to-do list,
wow your clients, and truly live your best life
by working smarter, not harder.
So if you're a self-identified
chronic procrastinator like me,
give me a thumbs up below to let me know you're here.
And if you're new to the crew, welcome.
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and freelancing tutorial every single week.
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Go ahead and hit that subscribe button below.
And don't forget to ring that bell to be notified
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Alright, now before we dive into my tips,
to actually define productivity
because we all know we want it, but what is it exactly?
Well, according
to the good ol' Googs, "Productivity is the effectiveness
of productive effort as measured in terms
of the rate of output per unit of input."
Yeah. Productivity is a quantitative measurement
that you can't actually quantify at all.
And can you ever be 100% productive?
How do you gauge productivity?
Well, how productive you feel you are
and how accomplished you feel at the end
of each day is directly related
to your individual goals and expectations.
So maybe you spend an entire day brainstorming
seemingly useless ideas that will actually someday lead
to a multimillion dollar product launch
or lead you to starting an eight figure business, who knows?
Well, on the surface
it might not seem like you accomplish much that day.
You've actually done quite a lot of important work.
I am a firm believer that there's a time
and place for everything in your work schedule,
a time for brainstorming,
a time for planning, a time for implementation,
and a time for review and reflection.
So the very first step
in maximizing your productivity is just to
release the impossible expectations
of constant hustle and grind.
Listen, life is about balance
and that is true when it comes to your work life too
not every day will be an "implementation day".
And that is okay.
Learn to recognize the value in brainstorming
and planning and yes, rest and reflection too.
So with that in mind, here are my five productivity tips.
Tip number one, ease into your mornings.
Alright, now, first things first,
you need to make sure that you're starting each
and every day in the right state of mind,
which trust me is easier said than done,
when you consider the normal stress and chaos
that a lot of us encounter during our morning routines.
Maybe you spilled your coffee
all over your white shirt this morning
or maybe you were up with a screaming baby all night long.
Maybe you're going through some tough personal stuff,
or maybe the first thing you saw this morning
when you woke up, was that mean text message or bossy email.
All of these things can sabotage your productivity
for the day before you even get started.
So something that I like to do before I sit down to work
is first I remove all distractions.
I put my phone on Do Not Disturb.
And honestly, just doing that one thing can have
the biggest impact on your productivity.
Then I go to the kitchen and make myself a cup of coffee.
And then I spend about 10 to 15 minutes
either sitting alone in silence
or connecting with my partner, Jackson.
As much as possible, I like to ease into my morning,
so my set point for the day is slow, steady, and mindful,
not rushed or stressed.
So I'll sip my coffee,
I'll listen to the birds
or watch the fireplace, depending on the time of year.
And I take some deep breaths while I plan my day ahead.
So this allows me to regulate my nervous system,
calm myself down from anything that was hectic
or stressful the day before
and then focus my energy on the work ahead of me.
Now, even if all you have is five minutes,
I highly recommend you do this.
Really protect your morning time.
Alright, tip number two, time block your day.
So this is key to maximizing your productivity.
Find out when you work best.
Morning, afternoon, evening or night,
and then time block your day accordingly.
So this is how I time block my days.
I reserve time for creative brainstorming,
time for handling project and admin tasks,
and time for meetings.
And because I know
that I produce my best work in the mornings,
that is when I dedicate my time to being creative.
So the mornings are typically when I get the most
writing content creation and client work done.
Then as I move into the afternoon,
my creative fire starts to dwindle a little bit
and I move more into the left side of my brain.
So that's when I'll do any editing or responding
to social media comments and emails or administrative tasks,
like sending invoices or paying bills
and then I'll schedule any meetings
for the last few hours of the day.
As I'm winding down, I like to have conversations.
Here's the thing,
everyone has different creative time though.
So start to experiment with your workflow
and take notice of when you're
at your creative best,
then schedule everything else around that.
Protect your creative time fiercely.
Alright, number three is to make a list of MITs.
Alright. Now this is something that I do religiously.
Mapping out my MITs or "Most Important Tasks,"
really helps me to prioritize what I need to get done
on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
So every Monday I jot down my MITs for the week,
and then I assigned days to accomplish each task.
So I like to separate my daily tasks using the 1-3-5 rule.
So I'll do one big task, say like writing a piece of copy,
three medium tasks, which could be reviewing work,
or getting into the studio like this to record a video
and five small tasks, which could be as simple
as responding to an email that has been sitting
in my inbox for a while or scheduling a call.
So I start at the top doing the big
or most difficult tasks first,
and then I work my way down to the medium tasks,
and then of course the small tasks.
So this helps to make sure that my creativity
and energy tank is full when I need it most
for that big creative task.
If you wait to do the hardest thing until later,
your tank will be empty
and not only will it be more difficult for you to focus
on that task, but it will take you longer too.
And that is when I feel the most unproductive,
when I get to the end of the day,
and I still haven't done that big thing on my to-do list.
And tip number four, try the Pomodoro technique.
So the biggest secret to being productive,
taking lots of breaks,
which I know, I know,
feels very contradictory, but give it a try.
I'd recommend using the Pomodoro technique.
So this technique is a time management method developed
by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s.
This technique uses a timer to break down
work into small intervals, separated by short breaks.
So traditionally this technique is done
with 25 minutes of work, followed by a five minute break.
Now the genius behind this technique is
that it makes a big task, much less daunting.
I mean, just the thought of sitting down
to write an entire sales page can be so overwhelming
that you put it off for maybe weeks, right?
But when you approach it from the mindset of,
hey, I just need to work for 25 minutes.
It becomes a lot less overwhelming
and your way less likely to procrastinate.
The key to this method is
to actually take those breaks though.
So stand up, leave your desk,
maybe make a quick healthy bite to eat.
If your break involves checking emails and replying
to work inquiries, then it isn't really a break.
Is it?
Now I do believe there are some exceptions to this rule
because every writer knows the importance of flow state.
And when you are in it, you don't dare leave it
or you might never find it again.
So if my 25 minute timer goes off and I'm in the middle
of a really juicy flow state, I won't stop,
I'll keep writing but then
I'll take a longer 15 to 30 minute break later,
when my creativity starts to dwindle.
So you can set your own timer or feel free to use
one of the many free Pomodoro timers you find online,
just Google it.
Now tip number five,
work on one thing at a time.
So multitasking might seem
like an efficient way to get more things done in less time,
but studies show that multitasking can actually
decrease your productivity by 40%.
This is because constantly switching from one task
to another is stressful on the brain,
resulting in less efficient focus
and a lower quality of work.
So if you do have multiple things to do in one day
this is where your MIT list really comes in handy.
Learning to prioritize your workflow is one
of the most important things that any entrepreneur can do.
So if you really want to shave time off your tasks
following a few tips
like learning keyboard shortcuts can save you a ton of time.
And I am a huge fan of keyboard shortcuts.
They have been a game changer for me.
Now before I sat down to record this video,
I was feeling super unmotivated.
So I asked the Posse over on Instagram
for some advice.
You guys shared so many incredible productivity tips
with me.
And I wanted to take a minute to share just a few
of them with you here.
So Mara says meditation helps her.
Rameet says, "Change your state,
revisit your WHY and visualize the consequences
of procrastination like Netflix or napping,
which are my vices."
My girl Natasha says, "Do a sweaty HIIT workout,
write a gratitude list or put a timer on."
Lucy says, "Go out for a walk in nature with your dog."
If you have one.
Anna says, "Just start writing badly action
first and motivation second."
and Jensen said, "Take a mid day shower."
I love that idea
because I always get the best ideas in the shower.
So thank you so much for your tips Posse.
And if you have any productivity tips that I missed
go ahead and drop them in the comments below.
And now for the super juicy bonus tip,
I promised you, do something you enjoy.
I know, I know, it sounds cliche,
that if you do what you love
then you'll never work a day in your life,
but there is so much truth to that statement.
When you're doing something that you genuinely enjoy doing
then you're less likely to dread the day ahead.
Being happy at work and loving what you do
is a serious productivity booster,
that actually enhances your performance.
In fact, according to this study
from the university of Southern California,
it has proven that people who enjoy their jobs
are more likely to be optimistic, motivated, learn faster,
make fewer mistakes and make better business decisions.
So this really is the biggest secret to not only
more success in your career,
but more fulfillment in your life.
And while we won't always enjoy every single task
we have to do in a day,
if you're feeling the procrastination gremlins
start to rear its ugly head,
start your day by doing the task you enjoy most first.
It's a good way to kickstart your engine
and start getting things done.
Good luck.
And until next time I'm Alex.
Ciao for now.
(cheerful music)
Alright guys, if you enjoyed that video,
make sure to check out the next one from me right here.
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Hey guys, what's up?
It's Alex.
And in this video, I'm going to let you in on a little
behind the scenes action on my secret copywriting process.