It can sometimes seem as though we live in a society where everyone’s value is measured by their productivity. Thanks to the rise of social media, we see everyone’s highest points – the promotions, the engagements and the money-making – and none of the lows. So, while it may look like all your friends have perfectly organized pantries and whisk their kids to all of their activities with time to spare and looking fabulous, that’s probably not the reality. Plus, social media can serve to make you feel like you’re not getting anything done while it steals your time so you really AREN’T getting anything done.
There’s nothing wrong with the occasional lazy day, of course – they’re good for us and good for the soul. But if you feel as though you’d like to get more organized, here are a few hints and tips to help you achieve maximum productivity for your best results yet.
Log Off
No, not off your work laptop – but off social media. The aforementioned cultural phenomenon has completely changed the world as we know it, usually for the better but also sometimes for the worse as well. Even though you may use social media for work (I do), we all know what a huge rabbit hole it can be. You think that you’ll check out Facebook for a minute or so after sending off your latest email, and then fifteen minutes later you’re still scrolling and have totally forgotten what your focus for the day was. This can really damage your productivity on a day to day basis, so disable your social media apps if you need to and wait until the end of the day to check them.
Make Sure Your Systems Are Up to Date
Pretty much every business relies on a lot of technology these days to make things happen, which is useful…when it works. Whether you work for yourself or you run a small business, chances are you’re probably not going to be a tech wiz who can sort out every complex issue you are faced with. That’s why it’s always best to get experts such as Spectrumwise on board, so you can be sure you are working with the best system available. Slow networks and dangerous viruses can easily kill your productivity, so make sure your technology is working for YOU and not the other way around.
Organize Yourself
This is something all of us know we should do, but actually getting around to it is another question in itself! You will see your productivity levels go up hugely if you take some time out every week to organize yourself and your work. This could be done on a Sunday evening, as you check what meetings and tasks you have coming up for the week. Invest in a calendar or planning journal and make use of apps such as Google calendar to help with this. You can even invite other people to meetings and business calls on Google calendar, which helps them with their planning.
Organization will probably always be a bit of a struggle for those of us who work from home but getting some systems in place can definitely make it feel less overwhelming and help you to feel more productive and find more success.
