20 Ways To Maximize Productivity As An Entrepreneur
Do you ever have those days where you are sitting in your office and it doesn’t matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to focus on one thing long enough to get anything accomplished?
I am not one to use sports references much, but I see it as being pretty much the same as that kid who is on the sports team who is picking dandelions in one corner of the field while the rest of the team is playing the game. The problem is, if the ball comes towards you and you aren’t paying attention, you may miss a great opportunity.
The “wandering mind” phenomenon greatly affects entrepreneurs who work alone or with a small team, but it can also affect those of you who work in a larger office setting as well.
Here are a 20 ways to avoid the phenomenon altogether, and if you are already there, some things to pull you back to the present.
Set daily, weekly, monthly, annual goals and revisit them often
Set success metrics up for yourself – don’t be afraid to reward yourself!
Create a daily task list that you can physically cross things off of
Schedule email, social media, and personal breaks
Schedule project time slots for each task/client
Turn off sound and visual notifications (email, social media, etc)
Take a quick walk around the block or work out
Go sit at a coffee shop to work for a while
Find a way to reach out to one new potential client
Eat a healthy snack
Bounce an idea off of a colleague or friend
Work standing up
Schedule a fun distraction in the day that is a reward for finishing a project (you don’t get it if you don’t finish!)
Hang creative and colourful art/inspiring quotes in your office
Have your company’s vision statement as the screensaver/background on your computer
Schedule at least one brainstorm every day (even if it is just with yourself!)
Enjoy some downtime where you completely unplug! (The world will not self-destruct)
De-clutter your workspace – but don’t use that as an excuse to avoid getting other stuff done!
Make sure you are getting enough sleep (this can be a tough one)
Keep track of things that pull your focus so you can avoid them later