This year has been a tough one for many people. Being a coach, I've found it particularly difficult as the gym's have been closed for a great portion of it. On top of this, being self employed has really challenged me to push myself, to maximise my productivity in areas I wouldn't usually have to focus. This week, I've been reflecting on some of the things that I've been doing in order to increase my productivity.
1. Setting and revisiting goals weekly.
This one is something I've been doing with clients for years. Revisiting your goals each week will ensure you're doing what you can each week to reach them. On the other hand, it'll also highlight which goals probably don't serve you that well and may need tweaking.
2. Breaking up personal and professional goals. During my first couple of years of business, I completely neglected my personal goals. I can't really complain though as I'm not sure I'd be where I am today if I hadn't. But this year, I've spent much more time and energy on some of my personal goals. I really do believe this has helped me to be more successful in my everyday productivity too.
3. Setting only 3 things to complete per day.
I used to be that girl with everyday to-do lists the size of a mountain. Now, I set myself a maximum of 3 things to do each day (outside of my main focus and non-negotiable's). This ensures I spend my time on things that truly are important to my productivity as well as feeling satisfied with the work that I've done at the end of the day.
4. Taking more time off per week.
Until this year, I'd beat myself up about taking a day off. I hated not replying to clients within an hour and wouldn't have dreamt of taking a whole weekend off from social media. These little resets have been incredibly valuable to my productivity.
5. Refining my sleep schedule to ensure quality sleep hygiene.
I've never been a morning person but I do have to admit that it's when I get my most valuable work completed. This year has shown me just how important sleep is for every day function. I used to be that trainer who would preach about the importance of sleep schedules but never actually applied it to myself. I've gone form 4.30am starts and an 11pm bedtime to 6am starts and a 9.30pm bedtime, and believe it or not, I now have so much more time in my day to be getting things done. I no longer rely on my 4pm coffee nor am I zombie-ing my way through my morning tasks. I appreciate these aren't the be all and end all of productivity and of course, we all need to put in the work to find what works best for us. Upon reflection, these were just the top 5 things I know I've changed this year and have positively impacted my productivity levels! What are you biggest productivity tips? Always here,