 One of the most frequent questions I get asked is "Can you help me figure out how to prioritize my tasks?" Seeing endless tasks on your list day in and day out can certainly be overwhelming and not very motivating. My quick answer is yes, it is possible to prioritize those tasks. I'm going to walk you through the three methods I believe our the easiest to implement so grab a cup of coffee or your favorite tea, get comfortable, and read along. I promise you that it is well worth the read and will help you begin to sort out those endless tasks that maybe don't even belong on your list. "Productivity isn't magic. It's discipline." ~ Darren Hardy
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 It’s not enough to dream of success. It’s not even enough to set goals. The only way to truly achieve your dreams and build the business you’re meant to build is to sit down and just do it. Brian Tracy puts it best in his book No Excuses when he states "the best definition of self discipline is this: Self discipline is the ability to make yourself do what you should do when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not." And that’s where many of us…well, fail is a strong word. I prefer to say that it’s the doing that trips us up more times than not. We overbook our calendars until today’s to-dos become next week’s past dues. We procrastinate on the things that are important while attending to things that are merely “nice to do.” And sometimes we simply take on too much—even when we know better.
The answer? Embrace these five productivity hacks that will help you get more done in less time.  Recently, I took some time to take a good hard look at my business, the plans I have, and the strategy I have in place.
Over the last few months, since my mom's health declined and her subsequent death in May, my number one focus has not been my business. I was beating myself up about it, asking questions like "why haven't you been posting on social media"; "how can you expect to fill a program that you haven't promoted in the last four months"; and "girl, you need to get a handle on all of this". I decided to take a side step and used some time to focus on getting to the root cause of what was stopping me and how I was going to create a plan to get me through this brick wall spot in my business. In doing my side step, I discovered a distinct parallel between business and life and decided that sometimes course correction is needed and sometimes you just need to apply grace and gratitude.  It’s not experience. It’s not extraordinary skills. It’s not even a powerful drive. Although all of these things can definitely help your business grow, they’re not a prerequisite for success. After all, no one is born with experience or skills, and not all successful people have a powerful drive. The one thing that does make a difference, though, is your “why.”
The “why” is what ultimately drives us to success, but here’s the thing: it’s different for everyone. Your why is not my why, and my why is not your why. It’s a deeply personal choice that can have great meaning.
 There are many different ways in which people waste time. Some are quite evident, while others are hidden or not given much thought. Sometimes we do things just because well-meaning people suggest we do. We fill our plates because we think that's what is expected of us. Often, we spend time spinning our wheels on activities that take our focus away from the actual work because we believe that it's what's needed. Adding in unnecessary time sucking activities can be detrimental to us achieving our ultimate goals.
Let's take a look at the following top 5 time wasters and how to avoid them.  If you're like most busy people, you're always looking for ways to increase your productivity. If only you can find a way to:
It can feel frustrating and even discouraging when you simply want to focus on all the small steps that need to be done to reach your ultimate goals and it feels like you have a million stumbling blocks in the way. One of those biggest stumbling blocks (aka, your brick walls) is increasing your productivity, focusing on the most important things, and finding the time in which to get it all done. Thanks to the amazing technology we have available to us today, there are a plenty of tools out there that can help you do just that. Here are 3 of my favorite productivity tools to help you limit distractions and stay focused. (And I'm throwing a bonus one in there too)  So, you want to increase your productivity but you're not sure how to go about doing it. Well, my friend, you've landed in the right spot. I've earned my title of Productivity Guru because I just might know a thing or two about it. It's time to sit back and get ready for a journey down productivity lane... When I look back to when I first started out in my online business several years ago, I was one hot mess! I thought I had it so under control but just taking one look at my working hours would tell a different story. I easily worked 12 to 14 hours a day, six days a week. I told myself it was because I was building a business.  Really? Who was not being honest with herself at that point? But that wasn't the whole of it. I neglected pretty much everything else in my life but my business. I stumbled out of bed to my office and then I'd stumble from my office back to bed, most days. Luckily, I have a husband who picked up A LOT of slack around the house and meal chores! I was out of control. I spent almost every waking hour working! I woke up one morning at 5 AM tired, grumpy, and wondering if I'd made the right choice to be an entrepreneur. I was second-guessing myself, not because I didn't have work but because I had SO MUCH work. I was working about 60+ hours directly with clients. The rest of my time I spent trying to build my business further. Organization, processes, and time management was out the window! It was on that day that I decided to use my knowledge of managing time -- you know that thing that I taught others how to do -- to my advantage. I had to start running my day and stop my day from running me ragged!
 Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash Are you planning to make New Year’s Resolutions? Why not ditch the resolutions this year and make some SMART goals you want to reach instead. There are a couple of reasons why resolutions may not work well for you. If they do, great. Keep doing what you’re doing, but if they don’t, then read on. We’re so used to breaking our resolutions, that we start to think it's okay to try a little and then give up. It’s a mindset thing. A goal on the other hand, particularly if it’s a SMART goal (read more about setting SMART goals here), is something we believe we can reach. That makes us work a little harder and not give up on the end goal.
 Getting Business ClarityWho couldn't use a few tips on creating more clarity in their business?
Being able to see everything through a different lens is so helpful and so I'm sharing some practical tactics that I practice and would be easy to implement in your own business life. If you're anything like me, I'm sure there's been plenty of times where you've sat down to catch your breath and wondered "Did I accomplish what I set out to do today?" Our list can be endless and sometimes we find ourselves running from one thing to another, only stopping to refuel with yet another cup of coffee or collapse into bed at night. Does your life feel a bit like running a marathon? My friend, if it does, here's the perfect opportunity to take a break and spend a few minutes reading so put your feet up, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and join me as I share some of my very favorite tips.  Childhood memories of the big hunt for pussy willowsOne of my fondest memories of spring as a kid is watching the winter snow begin to melt and hunting for pussy willows.
My brother & I knew the places to tromp through the woods to find the best pussy willow bushes and, each spring as the snow melted & formed muddy ground, we'd don our boots and go in search of those wonderful plants. The pussy willow is actually a scrubby willow bushy type of plant and those small, silky buds are actually flowers before they bloom. Those flowers are called catkins. Catkins usually don’t rely on pollinators to spread their pollen. Instead they simply release their pollen into the wind, where it may or may not land on the female flower parts. In order to hit their targets, the catkins must produce a tremendous amount of pollen. |
AuthorIf you struggle with managing your time or staying focused on the must-do tasks, Pamela is your business soulmate. Archives
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