Part of good personal development in regard to your business life and personal life includes creating better online habits, so that you can achieve more focus throughout your day. The more you can focus on business stuff during daytime business hours, the more time you’ll leave to focus on the important people in your life during the evening hours. These tips will help you achieve better focus and help you enjoy some de-cluttering during your time online, so that you have a day that that results in more productivity.
1. Have a plan.
Having a plan for your day – even if it’s just a simple bullet list of to-do items – will help you be more productive. Divide your business tasks from your personal errands. Some people swear by the “brain dump” method, where you write down every single thing that’s on your mind and then organize it into categories, such as Must Do, Client Work, Future Projects, or Personal Errands. Utilizing this method gets the extraneous ideas out of your mind so you can focus more clearly on the task at hand.
2. Schedule how much time you will allot for your online activities.
Try using the time block method, which entails blocking off a certain number of hours to work with coaching clients, writing your next book or course, or to reconnect with your list by scheduling a month’s worth of emails. Simply follow the plan and you’ll see your productivity increase because you know exactly what has to happen next. Try this method at home, especially with tasks you don’t enjoy, such as housework or yard work. Block off a certain amount of time and work as quickly as possible to get the job done.
3. Reduce your online to-do list.
When you are looking for a workday that results in more focus and more productivity, it is best to create a realistic list. This means you should cut some items off your list that can wait until another day or that can be delegated to a VA. Try not to do everything in one day because you will naturally run out of time. Prioritize and do the most pressing online tasks that cannot be put off. When you are not frazzled by thinking you have so many things to do online, you will produce better quality work.
4. Take a few breaks.
When you are online for a long time, your mind can start to wander. You get distracted and strive to engage in less meaningful activities, which reduces your focus and your productivity. Rather than sitting at your desk for hours on end, take some breaks throughout the day; your body and your brain will thank you. You’ll gain mental clarity about what you need to accomplish and be able to recognize when you are veering into less productive activities.
5. Do the more difficult tasks prior to lunch time.
It is highly advised to do your more challenging items before you head off to lunch. This is because your mind has more vitality in the morning and will be able to make it through the difficult tasks more quickly than if they were left to be completed in the later part of the day. This technique is sometimes called “eating the frog” and you’ll have an immediate sense of accomplishment when this one task is complete.
Avoiding distractions throughout the workday is paramount to your success, especially if you work in a home office. Start off with these five tips and you might surprise yourself with your increased productivity.
