5 Productivity Hacks

Posted on 29th June 2021

Professional productivity and personal time. Hectic hustle and healing headspace. How do we attain the structure that prevents burnout while achieving the growth we desperately want to see in our business?

We’ve seen the other blogs. The ones filled with corporate jargon-filled hacks, packed with fluffy promises of finding structure and work/life balance if only we followed their “simple” steps. And these steps? We’ve seen them before: write a to-do list, get 8 hours of sleep, etc. If these steps were so simple, so natural, why don’t they stick?

At DDC we know that finding a new routine in the midst of starting or running a business can be overwhelming. Being an entrepreneur or a manager is hectic. Our clients are busy, they’re overwhelmed. If it were so simple, we’d all be balanced business bosses!

So, let’s take a moment to gently fine-tune and strategize the building blocks we’ve heard over and over again.

1.    Write a Short To-Do List

You’ve seen “write a to-do list” many times before. But have you been specifically told to keep the list short? How overwhelming would it be to start the day with a list of 25 tasks? Very! So, start small. Aim for only four or five tasks per day. If the remaining 20+ tasks are mentally distracting, write them on a “To Do Later” list and tuck it in the drawer or on a separate tab. You’ll get to them later, you will! So don’t let them distract you as you focus on the short list in front of you.

2.    Set Your Custom Sleep Routine

“One size fits all” might work for some, but it doesn’t work for our sleep schedules. The goal to achieve the classic “8 hours of sleep” simply isn’t needed or isn’t possible for everyone. Whether it’s because of your lifestyle, energy levels, or other responsibilities, instead of forcing a goal of 8 hours of sleep, focus on what your body needs and how much sleep it takes to feel your best. The true success is finding the custom sleep routine that works for you and to keep that schedule.

3.    Ignore Your Inbox…until the scheduled time.

Pop up ads are annoying and distracting. If they weren’t, there wouldn’t be so many pop-up blockers that we willingly download or pay for. Now, with that in mind, how many email notifications pop up on your screen? See? Just as distracting. Instead of pinging between your current project and your inbox, we suggest you schedule time to reply to emails. Yes, make it calendar official. Once you’ve done this, you can focus on your projects without the pop ups, knowing that any incoming message will be thoughtfully responded to during your scheduled time.

4.    Don’t Get Too Organized

A clutter-free workspace is great, but you shouldn’t go from 0 to 100 in two seconds. Doing a deep clean with drastically new storage systems can be overwhelming and could lead you to feel even more disorganized because you no longer know where anything is. Start with one aspect at a time. Perhaps that stack of miscellaneous documents you’ve had in your drawer for 4 months?

5.    When Apps Attack

You’re starting your business or your new professional role. There are so many new projects and tasks coming your way and you don’t want to lose track! Keep it simple. Don’t let the countless productivity apps end up on your phone. Spend time clarifying what you specifically need to feel organize and then research the app before downloading. This way, you won’t feel like you’re drowning in distraction by navigating through 14 different apps. Again, keep it simple, keep it focused.

We hope these tips help you to transform, develop, and change…in a realistic and attainable way. If you’d like to continue to deepen your professional development, contact us today!

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