Easy Tools for a More Productive Work Day - It’s a Short List!

Goal Setting looks different for everyone. In fact, some people may not even think about it. They are just stuck in their email, refreshing their inbox, waiting for the next task to come. Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links (to products I have used before and love).

During my PMG-North Bay lunchtime seminar on Finding Inspiration, panelist and local business owner Nicole Smartt of Star Staffing said something that really hit home. “You're not going to find your inspiration if you are worried about 800 emails.”

Finding time to be inspired is important to moving forward with your goals. Finding time, in GENERAL, is important to moving forward with your goals. Being stuck doing tasks all day never moves anyone forward.

Ever since becoming a mom, I have been focusing on time management. Mostly because I only have a few hours each day that Rye is with a nanny, so I have to be VERY intentional with my time.

The idea of "time management" is thrown around so much in the corporate world, yet so many people choose to ignore it because they are not sure how to get started (or they THINK they don’t have the time).

My own focus on becoming more productive applies to myself as well as my clients in their social media marketing efforts. I want them to find the time to actually do social media marketing: to spend dedicated time creating content and connecting with customers through social networks.

Social Media Marketing seems to be one of the first things to go when people are so busy with other tasks. But if I’m being honest, most of the time they really aren’t that busy. The real issue is that they don't manage their time correctly. #TrueStory

Productivity tool number one - simple to do list

Every time I get an email that requires follow-up action, I create a task in my reminders through my iCloud. I add it to an ongoing list of “To-Dos” with no schedule, then each night or first thing in the morning, I check that list out and add due dates/times. Sometimes I add a note about how long that task should take. This helps me categorize my tasks so I can have a good sense of how my day should look.

When categorizing your tasks, make sure to add the important ones to the beginning of your day. You’re more likely to accomplish them before getting bogged down by other things that may come up throughout the day.

Your To-Do list can be a regular old sheet of paper, a physical planner, a special app that you pay for, or a reminder tool that comes with your iPhone or Mac.

It’s all about what makes sense for you.

Productivity tool number two – 60-minute timer

When people are first starting out with tracking their time, sometimes the simplest tools are the best (mostly because they are easy and don’t take a lot of time to figure out, which can be a barrier to getting started). A plain timer that you can set for 15- to 30-minute increments is one of my favorite ways to keep on-task.

I sometimes use my phone, but for some reason, I find it easier to hit STOP and go back to what I was doing if I use something other than my timer. That is the key: actually stopping your work once the buzzer goes off. Even if you set your timer for 15 minutes in the morning so you can check social media for your brand, stop after the timer is done and start on your next project. This way you don’t go down the rabbit hole that Facebook so often becomes and end up in an argument over politics on a friend-of-a-friend’s page.

No mom's have time for that... 

Add a crazy two-year-old toddler + a household to manage, and you have even less time to focus on goals for work. Now that I pay someone to watch my child, I only have a few hours in the day to work/run errands/take care of myself.

I have to make sure every free hour I have goes toward something meaningful. Not scrolling through Facebook for hours on end (like I used to). 

Try out one or both of my tips for time management and let me know if either of them works for you by messaging me on Twitter or leaving a comment below. @sharayray.

Sunbeam Timer, 60 minutes

Panda Planner Pro - Best Daily Planner for Happiness & Productivity

 Honestly, it doesn’t matter what you use to keep up with your goals - just writing down your overall goals, monthly priorities and daily tasks help make sure you reach your goals.

Every morning I start my workday by looking at bigger picture goals for the month, and projects for the week, and then I break them down into simple bite-size tasks that I can get done each day. When I make it a priority to stick to my routine and write down my tasks, I find that I feel less frantic, and more accomplished at the end of the day.

These two productivity tools have changed the way I tackle my daily tasks, but you do have to figure out what your goals are in the first place. That is where my Goal Planning Strategy Workbook to help marketers or small business owners figure out their personal and career goals.