It is essential for entrepreneurs to be productive. There is always more things to do than time to do them so unless you choose to get pretty darned deliberate with the time you have, you do not do all the things that need to be done.
And then you feel you are not living to your full potential – An unpleasant feeling, indeed!
Here are 5 things to support you in your quest to be your best
1. Affirm yourself for the things you did
This is very important. Most entrepreneurs talk themselves down. You are driven to make things happen and if you do not feel you are pushing yourself to the limits then you feel in some way, not good enough. The problem with this approach to making yourself take action is that it does not work. It makes you feel even worse and so you get even less done.
Instead, affirm what you have done. Acknowledge all the things you get up to each day and be pleased with yourself for what you made happen. It may seem unimportant and yet, it does matter. So if you are serious about increasing your productivity, choose to look yourself in the mirror at the end of each day and affirm just how much you DID do that day.
And for extra bonus points, look yourself in the mirror each morning and tell yourself how great you are for starting another day as a super entrepreneur.
2. Don’t fill out your to-do list with things that you never complete
Your ‘To Do’ list needs to be full of things that you are most likely to complete each day. Do not just put everything including the non-priorities on your list because you want to tick it off. Yes, there is a sense of completion when you tick things off however, you may subconsciously end up doing the less important but easy things on your list rather than doing the highest priority items. So be wary of having those long 100 plus item ‘To-Do’ lists that make you seem busy but end up reducing your productivity each day.
3. Fit things in that you want instead of focusing on the things you don’t
Instead of trying to get through everything in your day, and finding that you end up managing what you no longer want in your life, choose to do the important things that you want to be doing each day. Do those first and then see what time is left and do anything else in that time.If you get deliberate about this. You will find that more of your day is spent on things you want in your life and automatically, the not-so-great stuff starts to fall away because you no longer have time for it.
4. Take regular breaks after concentrated work
Take time to recharge and change environment. Give your brain a break after about twenty-five minutes of concentrated work. Stand up, walk around and then five minutes later, step back into work. You will find that you do more work in the next twenty-five minute block.This is something called the Pomodoro technique and it works. Also, make sure you have lunch breaks away from your work zone. Leave work completely behind for a period of time and come back to it with fresh creativity.
5. Change your circle of influence
If you want to be more productive, then mix with more productive people.
It can be that simple.
Get mentors, coaches and colleagues who will hold you to a higher standard than you are currently used to. The truth is, you are never doing as much as you can. There is always more inside of you. This does not mean you must go crazy and hurt yourself as you push, push, push but a few tweaks here and there in your time management and your attitude to life may result in your producing a whole lot more than you thought you could.
As human beings, we always tend to be the average of what the people around us are in every area. So, if you want more, start mixing with people who live to a higher standard and people who call you up to their level as well.
Being more productive is not hard – you just have to become a lot more deliberate about it. Unfortunately, most people do not fulfill their full potential because they think they have reached capacity – They almost never have and I see this time and time again with myself, my clients and anyone who firmly decides to make things happen.
Choose to be someone who surprises yourself by how much you are able to make happen.
There is limitless power within you – Tap into it!
