This week's post is in response to a question I posed on my Facebook Page: "Entrepreneurs, what's your biggest challenge right now?" Coming in first was "being productive, not 'busy.'" I asked some colleagues to offer their insights on productivity.
The query: As entrepreneurs, we're always busy, but that doesn't mean we're productive! What is your best productivity tip or tool that helps you stay focused on what's most important?
I forgot to add my own tip! 🙂 This week I'm on a "social media sabbatical," taking time off from Facebook and Twitter (LinkedIn is OK, since it's purely business development). To help me resist temptation, I've installed the Firefox plugin "LeechBlock." It allows me to designate certain sites as off-limits, down to the day and hour. Once my sabbatical is over, I'm going to keep it activated, telling it to block FB and Twitter during prime working hours, giving me maybe 30 minutes each day to check in and post updates.
Going cold turkey has been slightly painful, but I feel more focused and productive than I've felt in months. Hooray for LeechBlock!
My recent post Why “Fake it ’til you make it” is Lousy Advice
Wow!!! I didn't know that there was such a thing as a block to stop people from visiting sights. I will check this out and install it as well! Thanks a million for the information!!!
I love to do lists. I live by them. if it's not on my list, it doesn't exist and it doesn't get done:). I look at my list each day and ask myself "At the end of the day what is the most productive thing/things, I could have done. And I do those.I also got a lot of input from a fabulous and enlightening interview I did recently with international time management expert Robyn Pearce.
?Robyn gives really practical advice on:??
Why traditional “To Do” lists don’t work?
Personal time management in dealing with overwhelm?
Mastering the steps of delegation?and my favourite
Getting over the 'you've got mail' syndrome and managing email better?
?I thought I was pretty organised and I learned so much more during the interview. It really is worth a read.
Excellent post! I found it through Betty Lochner. One reason entrepreneurs get trapped in the busy vs productivity is because they are creative and filled with ideas. It becomes very easy to bounce from one idea to another without a plan. While we all know that planning is important, we frequently do not do it. I have found that many entrepreneurs that I work with plan a lot initially in their business, but somehow get off track over time.
I do agree with the tip of not overdoing it with productivity tools (e.g. looking for the latest and greatest to do list management) but a vision will help keep you on track. For example, every year I create my theme for the year. I pick 2 – 4 words that represent what I want out of the year. Then as I go through my day, I periodically check to see if what I am doing matches that theme. This year my theme is Decisive-Productive-Action. A strategic business plan is a must if you don't have one because it guides your choices and makes sure you are not like that gerbil in a wheel running and running and getting nowhere. Being productive means that you are taking action on things that are LEADING you to something.
Look at Your Done List
1 – At the end of today, make a list of everything you have done. The bigger and the smaller things. You could even do it now.
2 – Next, look through the list. Check off everything that is leading you towards your goals.
3 – What is your ratio of checked to unchecked? Being busy is not being productive. If your checked is not greater than your unchecked, fix it tomorrow and see stress diminish.
What is your ratio?
Great post. Showing up that you are busy does not make you land up in a segment where in the productivity gets hampered without doubt. But more or less, if the process is being considered to manage the time in a respective manner for a successful sort of productivity. Check out one of the tool that I preferably use for the time tracking and management, the cloud based hours tracking tool from Replicon – http://www.replicon.com/olp/hours-tracking-software.aspx