Unveiling the Core Principles of Productivity
Productivity is often described as the art of accomplishing tasks efficiently, rather than staying busy until exhaustion. Many of us fall into the trap of doing too much without focusing on what truly matters.
True productivity is more than just filling up your schedule; it's about directing your efforts toward meaningful outcomes. As life evolves, so do the challenges to our productivity. Even the best routines can become stale, requiring us to reassess and readjust.
Are you ready to explore productivity further and discover some savvy techniques to enhance your effectiveness?
Common Productivity Problems.
Look, it’s not me, it’s You.
Most humans have the same common struggles with being more productive and this can vary for each person, especially with Single Moms.
Below are five common factors of why most of us struggle. Besides the fact that we are NOT robots, most of us are just keeping busy and aren’t getting anything done.
Not Writing Things Down
Having clear, defined goals is like having a roadmap for your tasks—it keeps you on track and amps up your productivity.
Beginners often inquire about initiating productivity because they don’t have previous experience at all OR… are just so overwhelmed they don’t know how to prioritize their tasks. If you are not writing down your goals as the first line of defense, then I get why you are not surviving.
So let’s slow down a little and get CLEAR.
Write down your goals.
Write them down daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly - whatever it takes!
This is something all business owners do, big or small. Even if you are not a CEO at a major tech firm, YOU are the CEO of your life. Without going too much into detail, let’s discuss a basic overview of what you need to get started to take a visionary snapshot of your life right now:
First, grab a piece of paper, a notebook or open up a Google Doc or the notes app on your mobile phone.
Second, write down EVERYTHING. Get it out of your head and onto paper. This is commonly known as a “the brain dump.” If you wish, you can also group like- items together (errands, calls, stuff at home, groceries, etc) for some much-needed batching that will come in handy later.
These can be tasks, projects, goals, wish lists or anything you just need to remember to do, get done or purchase.
Third, think about your daily routine and figure out where there are pockets in your day to knock out these tasks. For some of us, it’s the early morning before the kids wake up, during lunch or the evenings after a full-time job. Even if you only have 5 minutes here or 10 minutes there, find a way to make use of that time.
Fourth, write down everything you know is a distraction because we are going to kick those to the curb. Eliminating distractions, detaching from people or detaching from your phone is the key to productivity success for all you newbies out there reading this. Make a note of what you can eliminate for good versus temporary to achieve your short-term goals.
Time Management Woe’s & How to Master Them
Ineffective time management can hinder productivity, boosting you faster toward burnout. Time wasted on non-essential activities impacts your overall output and in business, it keeps you from making money.
Revamping your Instagram should become a second priority to working on your blog post or designing a digital product aht has the potential to make you money. I know this can be confusing for most of us because we feel everything is essential.
-Paying attention to our kids is essential.
-Working on our passion project while hoping it will make us money in the future, is essential.
-Getting laundry done, or our family has no clean underwear, is essential.
Priorities and goals can almost change at a moment’s notice too, which is what makes staying on track and being productive even harder. Throw in having kids, taking on a side hustle, going back to school, or taking care of elders - all alongside having a full-time job - and it gets really easy to fall off the wagon.
You may not be managing a tech team or a cluster of middle school students but sometimes in your personal life, you are doing a lot and maybe taking on too much.
Ever heard of the Pareto Principle or the 80/20 rule? It's all about realizing that 20% of your efforts generate 80% of your results. Set your intentions daily on what 1-3 tasks you will complete that will make you feel like a rockstar. Techniques like the Pomodoro Method, time blocking, or setting time limits for tasks help you manage your time more effectively.
You'll be surprised at how much more you can achieve when your time is structured and focused.
These are just a couple of techniques that help break tasks into smaller, manageable chunks into short “prompts” by using a timer.
I know you want me to tell you ALL the answers, but there are no right or wrong answers. You have to try different time management hacks and see what works best for you. *Spoiler Alert: It will change as you grow, so don’t get frustrated or discouraged. In this process, you will probably learn more about yourself than you ever imagined!
Multi-Tasking Mayhem & Prioritization
Remember all those years it was “cool” to say you were great at multitasking? Well, that was a L-I-E.
Juggling too many tasks. It's just NOT effective. Overwhelm kicks in, quality dips, and eventually, you catch yourself ignoring your children.
One of my biggest struggles with trying out multiple side hustles over the last 6+ years was constantly trying to find shortcuts to building an online business. I wasted years starting and stopping side hustles all because I kept swapping niches or strategies that I thought would make me money faster. In the end, all that time I could have been making money had I stuck to one thing and one thing for at least 3+ months.
There are no shortcuts to building a business or getting a job - you just have to do the work and sometimes that can take weeks, months, or even years to get to the level you want to be. I’ll be honest, I was never thinking about making more time for my child. I was always trying to do more in my day.
But, I knew I needed to fix something when my son started saying “Mommy get off your computer.” (he’s 7 now) Multi-tasking is something that is widely accepted at a job but in real life, we all know it just can’t be done.
They say that people are only productive about 4-6 hours a day due to the enormous amounts of distractions we all have dealt with.
texts and email notifications
unexpected calls and voice messages to return
life chats with co-workers
those meetings that could have been an email.
personal emails, calls, texts
family distractions, if you are working from home
Part of the “distraction” is the act of trying to multi-task! Some of the side hustles I attempted in the last few years fizzled out quickly because after setting up one business, I thought I could set up another and grow both at the same time. I quickly became stretched too thin, then felt like giving up!
My biggest issue with productivity is the overwhelming feeling of the paradox of choice.
Having too many choices can make you feel stressed as if you are being pulled apart like a slice of pizza.
Opposite of this are folks who do nothing because they feel stuck due to having too many choices.
Sometimes It feels better to not take a risk at all than to take on too many risks. That’s where I come in…to help you figure out how to narrow it all down and get rid of those distractions so that you can focus on what truly matter: You and your family.
Prioritization Power
Start by identifying the most important tasks and focusing your energy on those. You ensure that your efforts yield significant results by zeroing in on what truly matters. Especially on items that will take a long time to complete.
You can always take a larger project and break it down into smaller tasks so that accomplishing one thing at a time will make you feel a whole lot better. How do you pick which ones are the most important? Tools like the Eisenhower Matrix or the ABCDE method helps you identify and categorize tasks based on their importance and urgency.
I know, you have extra priorities on your plate called "kids" and for some of you, you’re taking on an extra 1, 2, 3, 4 + people in your family. At the very least, you will need to pick your priorities for each new day or weekly since things could change significantly.
Can't Focus? Join the Club!
Focus is now the new currency.
Where you focus is where you spend your time. The place you spend your time affects your internal and external energy, and your productivity output, and trickles into your personal and business life.
Constant distractions, interruptions by others, or internal factors like low motivation or fatigue can significantly impede your productivity and even cause you to have a nervous breakdown. Let’s shift your mindset to take the load of responsibility off of yourself. Start by thinking:
It’s OK to not get it all done.
Society has pushed humans for years to work well beyond what we are capable of as if we are as effective as computers or robots.
As a Single Mom we know our biggest distraction is our kids. We simply can’t control another human being and those little squirts can be super unpredictable! But… you know who motivates me more to become the coolest single mom or business owner?
My Son, Hendrix. (love that guy)
So even though sometimes it feels like having a kid(s) can hinder our personal growth, they can also help us grow into better adults. We learn to love unconditionally, have patience, and try new things with each child or phase in your life…all those skills also work great in building yourself a business.
Motivation Slump or Fatigue?
Sometimes it's really hard to tell if you are dealing with a decrease in motivation (the mental) or fatigue (the physical). To test this, first go take a quick cat nap or rest your eyes, and see how you feel. If you are not getting enough sleep, try going to bed early to see if that makes you feel better.
Drink lots of water throughout the day, that will help revive your system and hydrate you so you physically feel better. Drinking water also gets rid of the toxins in your body that can also slow you down physically and mentally.
Try a dose of Caffeine & Theanine supplements for a boost of energy. If you are still feeling depressed and confused about your life, this is where you may just be in a mental slump. This is the part where you will have to really sit down with yourself and figure out what is going on with you and your life. What is the underlying cause of how you are feeling?
Write it down so you don't forget. You may find out it's multiple things you need to get done before your slump is cured.
Chaos vs. Planning
Ever felt lost in a sea of tasks? No plan, no organization—it's like navigating a maze blindfolded while your legs are tied together.
Structure and a game plan for tasks are the secrets to unlocking better efficiency and nailing productivity.
The #1 reason why I use Google Maps is to find out the fastest route to a destination, not to take the long, scenic route.
Even if you get off track, you can look down at your game plan in your planner, notebook, or phone and remind yourself of where you need to go. Even if you have moments where you need a break or you must attend to your child, it’s OK. Don’t get frustrated, you simply get back on track after your break.
TIP: Just write on a Post-it note exactly where you left off and stick that on your computer screen.
Earlier above we merely spoke about writing down your goals, but now you must put them into action. You can use my Goal Worksheet as a great place to start to get really CLEAR with yourself on where you are headed.
Some of you may need to sit on those thoughts for a while first before taking action but don’t take too long.
Give yourself a time limit such as a few days (or even up to a week) to research and consider what you will focus on. Sometimes the only way to know if something is or is not right for you is to move forward, try it out, and experience it for yourself.
Without a structured plan, you may find yourself spending unnecessary time navigating through the chaos, instead of getting rid of it. This is where most of us get stuck. We think we should take care of the kids first, cook first, and clean the house first but what you need to do is work on your dreams first.
Wake up an hour earlier than everyone and enjoy your time to read, think, plan, and take the steps to work on things gradually over time.
When I decided to start my first Etsy Shop, Bad Girl Balm, I woke up 1 hour earlier than my son. I used that time to drink my coffee and watch videos online about making skincare products and then setting up my Etsy shop.
Once I had created a micro-batch of inventory, I would then spend time learning marketing. After I had everything figured out and my shop and inventory were all setup, I later swapped to reading a book during that early morning hour.
Four years later, I am still waking up (or trying) at 4-4:30am to get my day started in complete SILENCE. It's a necessity in my life and I LOVE IT!
Toolbox of Techniques
When you combine 1-3 strategies you have tried and tested that works for you, it's like having a productivity “Superhero Toolkit”.
It's all about leveraging these techniques to boost your efficiency and effectiveness in everything you do.
Let’s go over some basic tools you could use as a beginner…or even if you are starting over and want to remaster some of the basics.
TO-DO LIST:
This could be as simple as a plain sheet of printer paper, or a notebook with a neat or inspirational cover design.
You can also download a printable like my Block-Style To Do List so you can automatically categorize your tasks into similar groups. Writing things down has been known to be more effective than putting everything away on a digital device unless you have a strict routine where you won’t forget you have a to-do list.
I prefer having something tangible, like my planner, that I can sit next to my bed or at the corner of my island kitchen where it is the most visible to me. Some families even have a family station or a wall where they house all the family organizing with a calendar, to-do list on the refrigerator, with hand pockets or areas they can collect things in.
MAKE YOURSELF A PLANNER
Your first planner was probably that old spiral notebook from high school where you wrote down everything and used a LOT of white-out.
These days its easy to get confused by so many pre-printed planners, but my favorite way to have a planner is the Disc Bound Planner where you can insert and remove sheets of paper seamlessly without the paper being permanently attached.
No wonder why spiral planners never worked for me. When your needs or priorities change, with a disc-bound system, your planner can change with you.
These days you can go on Amazon or Etsy and find cool planner parts and accessories that make your planner feel customizable to you. In my Etsy Shop, I do have some planner parts available to ship domestically in the United States.
POMODORO TECHNIQUE
How many times have we been tested on quizzes, exams, and gym activities in grade school? But now that you are an adult, you can choose how and when to break tasks into smaller, manageable chunks into short “prompts” by using a timer.
The Pomodoro Method is traditionally is 25 minutes, but you can alter the time as you see fit. If you’re writing a paper, you’d want the entire 25 minutes but if you’re taking a nap, 15-20 minutes is more appropriate. You can use a timer for free on your phone or computer, or even purchase one of these fancy little pre-set Pomodoro timers on Amazon.
It also gamifies your activities, and in my opinion, makes it more fun when you are challenging yourself and then giving yourself a small reward or treat. (like one gummy bear or Hersey’s Kiss for each task you complete on time)
BATCHING
Batching is when you categorize tasks into similar categories the same way you write your grocery list in categories. I have been batching tasks and things to do for almost two decades, even before I knew this was a thing in the planning and productivity world.
My favorite tasks to batch are errands. Who likes driving all over town or in traffic these days? So I try to make it fun:
Bring some snacks
grab your favorite drink (the non-alcoholic kind of course) in your Stanley Cup
get ready to blast all your favorite tunes.
OR
I give myself a treat of fast food or a latte to give me that boost of motivation to get into my car and DRIVE.
With so many moments some of us have to get in our car, we could also habit-stack and knock out a few other quick errands.
If you have kids, you are already dropping them off or picking them up from school/daycare so why not drop into the grocery store right before or after to grab an item you forgot earlier that week?
Your car is running low on gasoline, so why not fill it up on your way home so your car is ready to go the next morning?
Running errands can feel like a huge burden especially if you run them during peak traffic hours, so make it as fun as possible. If I’m going to run errands I’m going to run them in style too: make-up on, looking cute, sunroof open, shades on, Stanley Cup in holder, and blasting loud music.
SUMMARY
Learning how to become productive is like your secret weapon to level up your game and get more done in your life.Once you've cracked the code on its tricks, bam!
You'll rock it in your personal and professional life. Remember, you were not naturally born with these productivity skills and have to learn these skills over time.
Once the new productive habit is formed tasks become a breeze, and achieving your daily tasks or goals becomes like second nature. Once you’ve mastered the basics of being more productive you’ll naturally seek out other ways of becoming more efficient.
That’s where I come in, to show you those other ways that can make the game of life even better. Stick around and SUBSCRIBE to my blog for LOADS of nifty tips, tricks, and hacks emailed directly to your inbox no more than once a week. (I promise.)
Just like “The Universe”, I’ve got your back! And trust me, it's a game-changer to have the mental support you need while you propel yourself in your life.
Time to unlock your full potential! 😄
What is your favorite productivity hack?
What part of your life do you use it for?
(work, personal, business)
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