“Unplugged and Focused: How Technology Can Help (or Hurt) Your Productivity”
Captain’s Log: Day #21 of my 30-Day Challenge to write a 500-word article every day for the next 30 days.
Mondays always signify the start of a new business week. And with that comes a new week of grinding and hustle. One thing that I strive for is to be more productive consistently.
With lots of distractions like the internet, cellphones, and all the other entertainment available it can be distracting and difficult to focus and get things done.
But here are some things that I execute to help me get more things done:
Identify priorities. Just like what I mentioned in one of my previous blog posts, you need to identify your core priorities. These would be things that need to get done by hook or by crook. Stephen Covey has a quadrant of activities based on the level of importance and urgency, in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, he states that ideally, you should be spending most of your time on things that are not urgent but important. The key though is identifying what activities are important, what moves the needle in your business, and working around it.
Work in time blocks. Eugene Schwartz one of the legendary copywriters had this famous routine of working in time blocks of 33.33 minutes. For me what this does is it sets a timeline that I need to focus on a task, it’s not too long that I lose attention, but not too short that I quickly finish everything. It also helps because you give your eyes some time to rest, after every time block, I take a quick 5-minute eye rest and do some breathing exercises, stretching or just look out the window.
Have a hobby or stress-relieving activity. When I feel stressed, I do is play the piano, or sometimes take a quick walk. Having an activity that lets you get back in the right mindset can be a lifesaver. Because, once you lose some momentum, it’s difficult to get back on track unless you have a routine that can get you back in the right mental space.
Use technology to your advantage. I have an app on my phone that locks my screen so I don’t get tempted to look at social media or browse the internet on a whim. It also lets me focus on the task that I need to complete during my time block.
Music. It has been proven that music can stimulate you to be energetic depending on the type of music that you listen to. Sometimes I try to listen to my favorite hits, sometimes I trip on some classical music. It depends on you but as long as it gets you going, then it serves its purpose.
Those are some of the things that have helped me when working, I can’t say I’m perfect but so far, these have worked for me. What’s important is you find something that will work for you and build a routine around it so you can get disciplined and sustain it. Hope you have a great week ahead!
