There are days when you just want to lay in your warm, comfy bed but your tasks and chores do not agree with that idea. We procrastinate because we are lacking that “drive”. Something that’s strong enough to motivate and encourage us. It could be a deadline. It could be for positive feedback. The only thing that sets productivity and procrastination apart is the mindset. Fortunately, mindset can be manipulated just by doing simple hacks. Now, the question is, what are you willing to do to become productive?
- Paint the town red and blue Lots of women are naturals when it comes to organizing and making anything beautiful. Why not use this unique talent into something that will help you become more productive? A Science Daily study suggests that red enhances attention while blue boosts creativity. Next time you redesign your workplace, use these colors. Good for the brain, pleasing to the eyes.
- Do a quick 10-minute cardio blast. Endorphins — also known as “happy hormones” are released when we exercise. Start your morning right with a shot of happy hormones. A quick 10-minute jog outside increases blood flow to the brain which can sharpen your alertness, awareness and improve overall mental health. I asked women entrepreneurs on what productivity hacks work for them. I hope you find a hack that will work for you as well. According to Susan Rakowski, editor at Small Business Opportunities magazine and www.sbomag.com, “Women are great at multitasking and seem to have a built-in beacon to succeed. But don’t create obstacles. It’s important not to over-think every problem or situation that comes up in running your small business.” Here are three productivity hacks she employs when the overthinking template sets in:
- Take a walk. No seriously, get up and take a walk. “When my pace slows down, when the ebb begins to conquer the flow, I get out of the workspace and take a walk. I focus on the nature or the cityscape view. After a few minutes of getting away from the work, you’ll feel refreshed, and ready to take on the task with a renewed vigor.”
- Don’t overdo the ‘to do’ list. Just don’t. “Our enthusiasm and passion for our work can sometimes mean we want to conquer it all in one day. Some of us put too much on our daily ‘to-do’ list when we should be making a daily, weekly and monthly project sheet. Putting too much on the daily list, and not seeing the work load evaporate by the end of a busy day, can be counterproductive and can make us feel like failures. Focus on your daily agenda, but do not cram it with too many activities and projects so that you end the day feeling defeated with only accomplishing 20% of what was on the list. Be realistic in what you can accomplish in a day. You’ll do a better and more thorough job, too.”
- Tackle an easy project first. “You must begin a tough assignment: a proposal, a business plan, a presentation for a new client. Before tackling the big job, launch a quick project that you can complete in thirty minutes or less. This will help you ‘warm up’ for the large, more involved work project. Tackling a task quickly will also give you more confidence to complete difficult assignments.” Hannah Grant, owner of Captura: Wedding Photography in Adelaide, shares her simple hacks to survive the whole day without procrastinating. “These are helpful not only to those who work in a office, they can also be helpful (and effective!) to home based working women.” Here are two productivity hacks she employs when the procrastinating impulse lashes in:
- Inspire yourself through creativity. “You know those inspiring quotes from Pinterest? Pick your top five quotes, print them, and create your customized ‘inspirational board’. Every time you feel like procrastinating, stare at your board for 10 seconds, breathe in, breathe out. Now that you feel inspired and motivated, go nail that task!”
- Take time off from social media. “How many times did you promise yourself that you’ll just comment on one post and ended up browsing your friends’ timeline for the last week? Social media has become a familiar part of our everyday lives. Sometimes we check our mobile devices just because – no reason at all. When you have a task, remove all mobile device on your desk. Turn them off if you must. Just for a few hours, focus on your task or chore. You will be surprised how productive you become by just removing that habit for a couple of hours.”