Ways to Be More Productive

Before I had Edie, I worked in TV and audio production which was often fast-paced and meant that I had to utilise different tools in order to help me work quickly and efficiently. While I’m no longer in that industry, I have even less time to work so I have to be extremely smart about what I do and how I do it. I’m working during nap times, after bedtimes and grabbing any opportunities I can to reply to emails, write blog posts like this one and get some work done.

Here are some tips and tricks I have picked up along the way:

Make a list

If you know me, you’ll know I chuffing love a list. You could use apps like Trello or Evernote so you can access your to do list on the move, split it into different sections and add deadlines so it keeps you accountable.

However, I am a massive fan of an old-fashioned pen and paper list. I think there is nothing better than writing down my tasks in a stream of consciousness so they’re out of my head and on to paper.

I aim to write my list towards the end of the day so that when I start working again I know exactly what I need to do and therefore I’m not spending 20 minutes trying to remember what I need to complete. 

There is no better feeling than physically ticking or crossing off completed tasks too!

Be realistic

Once you have your to do list ready, break it down and make sure that you don’t give yourself too much to do at once. If you only have an hour to work, break big tasks down into smaller ones so it’s not too overwhelming to try and fit everything in.

Utilise spreadsheets

Spreadsheets can really help you get your shop in order. Use them to log and visualise data within your business. If you do tasks when they are small e.g. tracking your sales each week, they will be a lot more manageable than doing it on a monthly or quarterly basis.

 Schedule social media posts on Later

If you’re active on social media, and you post regularly, scheduling your posts on Later will save you a ton of time. If you have a rough idea of the topics you’re looking to cover you could spend an hour creating graphics and writing captions for the next few days and then schedule your posts so you don’t have to worry about getting them out on time. This helps to avoid the inevitable procrastination that comes with having various social media apps open.

Avoid distractions

It can be tough to carve out an hour to work when you have children to look after, or there are other jobs around the house to do. Finding somewhere in your home to get work done with very little opportunity for distraction can be tough, so a good tip to make sure you can concentrate is to put your phone in a different room (unless you’re working on your phone), or turn off social media apps. I always find myself tidying stuff up in the room I’m working in, so making sure there is very little clutter might also help.

 Listen to something

You could listen to a playlist of upbeat songs to motivate you to get cracking, I like this playlist by Emily Coxhead.

Podcasts can help you feel like you’re not working alone, from comedy to business, true crime and sports, there is something for everyone. Radio is a passive medium which means that you don’t have to put all your concentration into taking in what you’re hearing and this can help you get going with your work.

 If you make a podcast and would like some ideas to help to make it really stand out, check out my editing tips blog post.

Don’t always work in the same place

In pre-Coronavirus times I would try and work from home in our spare room, but often I’d get a bit fed up of seeing the same four walls. So, I mix it up – an hour at the kitchen table, popping to a coffee shop (remember those?) and perhaps some time in the garden if it’s not chucking it down. I live in West Yorkshire, after all.

Take a break/set yourself a reward

I’m the sort of person who needs to know that once I’ve completed a task, I can have a break or have a treat of some kind. Setting yourself rewards for getting work done might sound a bit daft but knowing that once you’ve finished a job you can pop the kettle on or have a snack might just help you work a bit quicker. I know it does for me.

Use Dropbox/Google Drive

If you work from home and then in an office, or using your laptop and then a tablet, utilising Dropbox or Google Drive will really help you access files on different machines. Google Drive is free to use (up to 15GB) and is a great way to store files you need to access in different places. You can also collaboratively work on documents on Google Drive too. Dropbox does the same kind of thing and has some extra features but you’ll need to pay for those.

If you employ these tips you’ll be tons more effective, you will get more work done in the same amount of time and feel less frazzled and more accomplished. You’ve got this!