3 Productivity Hacks for Business Owners — People First Content
I’ll start by getting the truth out of the way. This article is inspired by my own quest for the holy grail of productivity. “Maybe there’s something new I can try to get more done,” I thought to myself.
Instead, what I found was a lot of the same advice I’ve been hearing since I launched my company over three years ago.
“Get organized.”
“Set goals.”
“Track your metrics.”
Great. Before I can be more productive, I need to figure out how to get organized, set goals, and track metrics. None of those ideas play to my strengths, especially personal organization (that’s why you’ll never see a picture of my desk.)
Now, I’m not saying these are terrible pieces of advice for everyone. They just aren’t the right sort of advice for me, especially when it’s crunch time and I need to somehow cram 50 hours worth of work into the next 12.
If you’re reading this on your phone as you quickly scarf down your lunch before your next call, you can probably relate.
So, today I present to you three simple, realistic productivity hacks for business owners. What else would you add?
3 Productivity Hacks for Entrepreneurs
Here are some ways I stay productive, especially when 24 hours a day just isn’t enough.
1. Embrace the freedom of NO
I’m a people-pleaser at heart, which made this one a real challenge at first. However, once I started embracing the power of saying “no” to things, my whole world opened up.
Sometimes, it’s a direct no. For example, “No, I can’t chaperone that field trip” or “no, I don’t take calls on Sundays.” (Unless, of course, it’s really urgent.)
Other times, it’s a “no, but.” As in, “no, I don’t have time for a call today, but how about tomorrow?” Or “no, I don’t have the resources for that project, but how about I put you in touch with someone who does?”
If you’re a “yes” person like me, try saying “no” more often. Think of it this way — saying “no” to the things you don’t have time for or don’t want to do frees you up to say YES to all those things you actually want to do!
2. Stop multitasking
As a business owner, I know all too well that you have a lot of demands. The problem is that the human brain just isn’t designed to multitask effectively. So, quit trying to do everything at once!
Doing too many things at the same time means you’re never fully focused on anything. I know this from experience, but don’t just take my word for it. Scientists have also described how humans are naturally terrible at multitasking.
So, I’ve stopped trying to check my email while I simultaneously run an SEO report as I’m on a call with my team. Instead, I give each task my full attention. It sounds like more work upfront, but it ends up saving me from having to do rework later.
3. Don’t overengineer your productivity
There are a million and one productivity tools and apps out there promising to help you finally get your work organized and on track. The problem is that it’s extremely easy to fall into a rabbit hole of productivity tools, both analog and digital.
I call this “overengineering your productivity.” You end up spending more time trying to be productive than actually, you know, working.
I finally found a productivity tool that works for me because it’s stupidly simple. It’s an app called Todoist , and no, I’m not going to make any sort of commission if you click the link. I use the free version because I don’t want any bells and whistles.
Before I found this app, I made a to-do list on a Post-It note at the end of the day. The problem was that I would end the week with a dozen or more Post-Its cluttering my desk. Now, I can just click a satisfying circle when I’ve completed a task or move it to tomorrow if it doesn’t get done.
Bonus Hack — Outsource Your Content
I’m going to give you one more hack-outsource the stuff you don’t want to do.
For me, it’s accounting. I’ve never been a numbers person. I’m never going to be a numbers person. It’s just not in me. Fortunately, I’ve found a fantastic accounting firm that takes care of bookkeeping, payroll, taxes, and all that other stuff for me so I don’t have to worry about it.
What’s the thing you put off the most for your business? If your first thought is “content,” you’re in the right place!
At People First Content, we can help you get quality content out to your target audience so you can have more time to work on the things you enjoy doing.
Want to learn more? Let’s talk!
Originally published at https://www.peoplefirstcontent.com on March 1, 2022.
