After more than a year of blogging consistently, I settled into a comfortable routine. I knew what tasks I had to do each week- a post, pin, newsletter, etc. and how I had to arrange my schedule in order make the magic happen. But even though it appeared as though I had found my groove, my to-do list kept growing and I couldn’t find the time to tackle important, long-term projects. I knew that there had to be a better way. I was ready to leave my comfort zone, up my productivity game and learn how to work smarter, not harder.
When it comes to solopreneurship and content creation, I’m choosing ease. Business guru Tim Ferris says that 20% of the tasks on your to-do list yield 80% of your results. If we streamline our systems and complete the these tasks in as little time as possible, we can reduce useless activity and maximize effectivity. What does that mean for you? More $$ in your bank account and less time spent working! Can I get an amen? Parkinson’s Law says the more time we have to complete a task, the more time we’ll spend on it. Hey boss babe, are you ready to effortlessly double your output? Take a look at my top 5 productivity hacks to get started…
1. Choose your 3– When I was first starting out as a fledgling blogger, I would create a massive to-do list for myself each day. Sometimes it was up to 10 items long! But instead of serving me, this daunting list made me feel overwhelmed and anxious. I was always busy, stretched too thin and yet somehow I couldn’t seem to get all my work done. Maybe you’ve been there too. You know what’s more effective and realistic? Choosing only 3 items to prioritize each day.
“Being busy is most often used as a guise for avoiding the few critically important but uncomfortable actions.” – Tim Ferris
Strive to identify those tasks that are the most important. The ones that will move the needle and allow you to see the results you want. Let the less important items go, they will be there tomorrow. Ask yourself, “Would I feel happy and satisfied if this ends up being the only task I complete today?” Then do that thing and notice the weight that’s lifted from your shoulders.
2. Morning Pages 2.0– If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you know I’m a big fan of the Morning Pages. But for any newbies out there who aren’t familiar with the practice, let me break it down for you. The Morning Pages basically consists of 3 pages of stream of consciousness writing that you complete first thing in the a.m. This daily ritual strengthens your sacral chakra and electrifies your creativity. The key here is that you have license to write *anything* you want- from mundane grocery lists to rants about your trip to the DMV to waxing poetic about the adorable way your cat nests in your hair.
Previously, I would journal for a page or two (one of my favorite methods of emotional healing) and then fill up the final page(s) with trivial filler. But now, I use that valuable real estate to write blog posts instead! I am now averaging 1-2 blog posts per day instead of just 1 per week. All thanks to this tiny but pivotal adjustment. I already set aside that time for writing, so why not use it to hone my craft and get sh*t done? And somehow, because I resemble a bewildered zombie in the morning (self-proclaimed night owl over here), the writing flows incredibly easily. Probably because my brain is not alert enough to criticize or censor the content. Give it a try! No matter what industry you are in, you will be blown away by the results.
3. Plan it Out– One of the biggest evolutionary leaps in my productivity journey was planning things out in advance. This might sound deceptively simple, but in reality it’s life-changing. I used to write a blog post each week based on whatever I felt inspired by at the moment. But now I plan my blog posts 6 months in advance. Yes, you heard me right! But Avalon, I don’t have that many ideas, you might retort. Let me share a potent quote from James Altucher that radically altered my perspective, “Here’s the magic trick, if you can’t come up with 10 ideas, come up with 20 ideas… You are putting too much pressure on yourself. Perfection is the enemy of the idea muscle.” There you go! Never worry about running out of ideas. You have an endless supply within you.
If the muse moves me and an idea arises that I feel compelled to share (sooner rather than later), I simply adjust my blog schedule accordingly. I will even create themes for each month that I can design my other content around to form a cohesive vision. You can plan anything in advance- photos, email marketing, Pinterest pins (I use Tailwind), IG posts/stories, etc. When you have everything planned out, you can feel confident knowing that you’ve prepared for what’s ahead and you have the tools you need to succeed. I highly recommend this strategy if you are a content creator, it has helped me immensely!
4. Binaural Beats– I don’t know about you, but when I work I’m rarely in a noise-free environment. My husband who also works from home is talking (loudly) on a client call, the tv is on, or my neighbors’ Beagle down the street is howling. It’s enough to drive a girl crazy and it certainly isn’t conducive to a productive day at the ‘office’. So how do I overcome this? An artful combination of noise-cancelling headphones and binaural beats.
Binaural beats change the frequency of your brainwaves and alter the chemicals released in your body. What does that mean in plain English? Binaural beats have the power to improve cognitive ability. They are a fantastic choice of background music for studying or creative work because they strengthen neural pathways and increase brain plasticity which enhances working memory. There are different frequencies of binaural beats, each with their own benefits. I recommend listening to the alpha hz variety while working because they boost focus, clarity and ability to recall information. And they get brownie points for drowning out the construction noise down the street. You can find my favorite binaural beats for working and creating here. Want to learn more about the countless other benefits of binaural beats? I do a deep dive on them in this post.
5. Time Batching- a.k.a the key to time management and your new productivity bff. I first discovered this valuable tip from The Skinny Confidential. Time batching is your golden ticket to instant productivity and everyone can benefit from it. Basically, you choose any recurring task that you do regularly and allot a specific amount of time that you’ll to devote to it. For example, on the first Tuesday of the month you might batch photography. You set aside 2 or 3 hours to style and take all the photos you need over the course of the month (hopefully you planned them out like we discussed in #3). How efficient is that? You can knock out a whole month’s worth of photos instead of toiling over the same task each week. Last time I did this I took 13 photos in one session! This also significantly reduces the time spent on clean up and editing.
You can use time batching for smaller tasks too, such as email. Instead of dipping in and out of your inbox all day, you might decide to decide to check and answer emails every day at 2 pm. Time batching allows you to concentrate and focus on the job at hand. Want to take it to the next level? Decide how long is a reasonable amount of time to complete the task. Then set a timer for yourself. You can use the one on your phone, but I prefer the Forest app. When you hold yourself accountable and you’re mindful of the time it takes you to complete a task, you are much more likely to check off all the items on your to-do list. Time batching will keep you present and motivated so that you can avoid distraction and get things done.
These 5 small changes have transformed me from productivity novice to aspiring aficionado and I know that they can do the same for you. Let me know some of your productivity hacks in the comments section below. We all have something to learn form each other. Meanwhile I’m off to make a raspberry collagen smoothie and write the weekly newsletter <3 Keep on slayin’
