I used to wear my career and business like a badge of honor. Not only was I a people pleaser but I also was a little self-righteous and believed I was ‘better than’ others because I could get so much domestic and commercial work done in a day.

Or so I thought.

Of course I was doing things but I was also burnt out, overwhelmed, extremely tired, and constantly on edge! Not only that but I didn’t have much to show as a result of my ‘busyness’, other than feeling like I was going to break and collapse at any moment.

Basically, I was busy but not productive. When you are someone who has big goals for themselves, you have to focus on what is most important and making sure you have the brain power and energy to get it done. Let’s take a look at these few points below on how to go about it:

Decide What Is Really Important.

Prioritize one or two tasks or projects that you want to devote most of your attention to and leave the rest for later. Also, observe and identify those tasks that take up lots of your time but can be outsourced. Can you do those tasks at a later hour or date? Can you hire someone to come help, for example, clean your house? Or maybe you stop a task or commitment you no longer enjoy, especially one that is absolutely not necessary.

Time Blocking.

This is an awesome productivity tool. Split your day into chunks and schedule everything. Use color codes so you can see every task clearly. For example, I schedule in my workouts, my time with clients, content creation, downtime and even my home chores such as cooking, cleaning, and relaxing with the family, etc. This helps with having a clear picture of my activities for the day.

Take Breaks.

No matter how much you think you can put in focused work for hours on end, chances are you can’t, unless you are okay with totally crashing out. A better way is to work hard for a certain number of minutes or hours, say 90 minutes, with no distractions and then step away from the work to take some time out to recharge. You’ll come back refreshed and more focused.

Set Boundaries With Other People.

So often, we say yes when we want or NEED to say no as we let people dictate and take advantage of our time. The human nature seeks to satisfy his/her own desires and would rather have their needs met above anyone else. Allowing others intrude on our time not only takes up space in our day. It also leaves us feeling stressed out and resentful.

Have A Set Sleep Time.

Asides from being an important health booster, lack of sleep makes it hard to concentrate or make good decisions. Shoot for at least 7 – 9 hours of good sleep and watch your productivity soar!

Enjoy!