There’s a lot of data, articles, and information available about productivity and creating a to-do list. There are tips & tricks on how to stay focused, track your time, hacks, to-do lists, time blocking, and more — even I talk about it.
However, as a business owner/entrepreneur, our schedules aren’t always a typical 9-5. Work may start and stop throughout the day and that’s what I want to touch on here.
How to stay productive and stay on a schedule even when your schedule might not be predictable. But, before I jump in on productivity, I want to touch on why it’s so important to have a routine.
Routine is important
Some people may think that they just need the willpower to be productive – and that’s it. For sure it will help you, BUT having a routine will get you further.
After you take the time to establish the routine, you’ll be able to do it like clockwork. Having a routine then requires less effort from you. Your brain and body know what to do. With that, you then have more energy left over for creative work or the actual work you do.
Routines help your brain; it sends messages about what comes next. When your brain knows what to do and doesn’t have to think or make decisions about what’s next, it gives you the mental energy to do the work.
Half of the problem in getting work done is thinking about when and where you will work on the tasks, which then decreases the likelihood it will actually get done.
A routine takes your list of tasks and work to do from your planner or your head and schedules them into a specific time and place to get it done. It creates a calendar if you will — making it so much easier to accomplish the work you need to do. You know it will get done because you have created the time and space to do it. It’s not just floating around in your head or giving you anxiety about when to do it or wondering if it will ever get done.
3 Productivity Tips
So now, 3 tips on how to handle productivity for an unpredictable schedule.
1 – Create a Routine
Although work is likely a bigger portion of your day, you will also benefit from having a routine for the non-working parts of your day. Making time in the morning and evening will leave you feeling less discombobulated and overwhelmed. Instead, you will be setting yourself up for success in both life + business.
Solution: Create morning and evening routines.
Good morning and evening routines set you for up for success. They help you achieve more, think clearly, and do work that actually matters. They keep you on track through your day and make sure you get the most important things done.
Although it can take a bit of discipline to get into a good routine, the benefits outweigh the initial struggle. Here are 14 morning and evening routines you can implement to create your ideal day.
2 – Structure Your Day
No matter what type of work you do, having some sort of structure you can depend on each day, each week will ensure you get the right work done each day.
Solution: Implement calendar time blocking
Start by evaluating your week and identify the most productive days and/or the hours in your day.
One common productivity hack is to organize your week with buffer, free and focus days. This method allows you to designate certain days of the week (or hours of certain days) to focus on the important things you need to get done to move your business forward, days where you don’t do any work, and days when you work ‘in’ your business.
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3 – Keep YOUR Routine YOURS
Remember that your routine is YOURS. And, you have to take into consideration what makes you feel good and what works best for you.
You can read about other’s routines, their productivity, their tips & tricks, their styles, but at the end of the day, you have to do what works for YOU.
Solution: Align with your mind and body’s own rhythm
Creating your recipe for productivity based on listening to your mind and body will make you more successful.
By creating routines, adding structure around your life + business, and working with how YOU are, you become unstoppable no matter what your schedule or to-do list look like!