I might be a bit of a nerd when it comes to getting stuff done.
But I just really like checking things off and moving on to the next thing! [Except for the things I love to procrastinate, of course.]
Any other to-do list addicts out there?!
Getting stuff done is not only about prioritizing, it’s also about optimizing the best time to do different things, because not everyone wants to get up and workout at 5am, for example.
I hear a lot of people say things like “you should get up in the morning and do your stuff”, which is great for people like me whose work is most effective in the morning, but there are just as many night owls out there who get their stuff done in the middle of the night. Crazies 😉
We all have 24hrs in a day… Do you prioritize, optimize, and get stuff done in that time?
Below are some of the things I do to get more done. Check them out, and if you have some tricks up your sleeve that I didn’t mention, let me know! I’m always up for optimizing. 😀
01. time blocking
This is probably one of my favorite things, because after 3pm, I just don’t function well enough to do creative work. So that is what gets done for me first thing in the day when my brain is firing on full blast.
02. Notifications
This is probably the biggest life saver… turn off ALL of your notifications when you are trying to get stuff done. If you have a team, and don’t feel like you want to hold them up, it might be hard not to be available, but if you have timed blocked and they know about it, then things can be planned around it. Also, put your phone on airplane mode. I never have my email push notifications on. I only get them when I choose to go look at them, and then I turn on do not disturb on my computer too.
03. Schedule time off
Not only do you need to schedule time to get work done, you have to schedule time off as well. If you happen to be like me and really like your work, it could be hard to turn it off sometimes, so make sure to schedule your workouts, time for family/friends, and hobbies in order to rejuvenate.
04. delegate
Do you have somebody who helps you? If not, stop what you are doing and get somebody to help you, even if it’s just for a few hours a week. It can be with whatever it is that you are not the best at. It can be anything from accounting, client relations, marketing, cleaning, or even cooking!
05. templates
Having templates for things you do often is a time and life saver. For example, I have templates for my client work, emails I send, and even for articles like the one you’re reading right now. I love templates because they save me and my team time, which in turn saves money, and that’s what I call a win-win!
06. Multitask
No, I’m not saying to work on multiple work projects at once, but you can however, schedule calls when you are commuting (which happened more often pre-covid for most of us), listen to books/podcasts while working out, or even invite a friend to an activity to be able to catch up while doing something fun at the same time.
07. plan out your travel around town
Just me? I like to plan out my stops, so they go in a nice loop and not back and forth all over town. Lots of time is saved that way.
I hope these suggestions inspire you to get more done! Oh, and don’t forget to let me know if you have any other ideas on how to optimize your day.
