Every business owner, big or small, has one thing he is desperate for, and that is time. Time to make money. Life would have been so much easier if the day lasted for 30 hours, right? Especially when you are starting a new business.
We tend to think that all this new technology will help us manage our time a lot better, but reality is quite different. It is now painfully difficult to have some time off just to clear your thoughts, especially if you are the owner. Almost all of the responsibilities fall on your shoulders. But even though running a business is not a nine to five job, it can become close to that if you organize your time a little bit better. Here are some of the best and unconventional productivity hacks that will make your job a lot easier for you.
Turn off the alerts
Now, probably 90 percent of the world population have a smartphone. And we all know how annoying they can be sometimes, and how fast they can steal our attention. It will drown you with notifications, from e-mail all the way to tweets and games. It is essential that you shut it up. You only need to hear work-related notifications and that’s it.
Ignore the news
Okay, so, five people got mugged last night, there’s upheaval in the Middle East, Kim Kardashian wore an expensive dress etc. Did anything change in your life? Oh wait, it did: you lost 30 precious minutes reading this. Most of the things that are in the news lately are usually just prettily packed feces: trivial, depressing and unreliable. If something really important happens, you will find out, don’t worry.
Get some exercise
It has been scientifically proven that a short morning exercise can improve your cognitive abilities, and with that of course – your productivity. It energizes you rather than exhausting you, it promotes good health and improves your mood. Less stress equals more efficiency, so tomorrow set your alarm 30 minutes earlier – you won’t regret it.
Give yourself a break
You work hard every single day – you deserve a break. Our mind isn’t designed just to work all the time anyway. For the optimal productivity try to work actively for 25 minutes, and then have a five-minute break. Go for a walk and inhale some fresh air, eat a chocolate, stretch, drink a cup of tea – anything that relaxes you the most.
Use dead time
Teach yourself to be productive all the time, not just during business hours. Next time you are on your way to work or waiting for something, instead of listening to music or just sitting and doing nothing, send some e-mails, make some notes, plan your next day, remember your tasks etc. Time is money – don’t waste it.
Declutter
We all know that there is no way to be productive when you are under a stress. And if there is one thing that induces stress, it is definitely mess and clutter. You need to clear all those papers, throw the garbage out, let some fresh air in and you will notice how your heart rate is getting back to normal.
The two-minute rule
Let’s get straight to the point: if there is a task you know you can complete in two minutes or less, do it instantly with no hesitation. It is going to take you a lot less time this way than it would later. Remember this and implement it in your life this instant.
Sign in on Sunday as well – just for a second
Yes, Sunday is the day when you just want to relax and think about anything but work. However, if you tend to get overwhelmed on Monday mornings, logging in during Sunday can alleviate that Monday mania. And no one said that you need to answer e-mails or make phone calls, but simply to assess how Monday is going to look like, you know, to plan it.
Give yourself some artificial boost
If you really want to give your maximum sometimes, consider using cognitive enhancer pills like the ones from Lucid. These pills increase our creativity, memory and motivation, as well as concentration. Who knows, you might turn into Lucy eventually.
Social media is not allowed
Did you know that an average person spends almost 4 hours every day using social media? That doesn’t sound like a lot, but what if we tell you that that is a quarter of your awake time? It is actually a lot, right? Just imagine all the things you could do in that time. We know it would be too much to tell you to uninstall all of your social media apps, so instead try removing them from your phone’s home screen, as well as your computer browser toolbar. There is nothing important there anyway.
Multitasking is a myth
Last but not least – our worst enemy. Let’s get this straight once and for all: our brains aren’t made for multitasking. They just quickly shift your attention from one task to another. And the unwritten rule is that multitasked projects can never be high-quality because we didn’t commit fully to them. Plus, multitasking is actually taking more of our time, it’s not saving it. So stop doing it immediately and focus on one thing at a time.
How do you like these productivity hacks? What are in your opinion best productivity tips? Let us know in the comments.
