Productivity and Time Management Basics
This time of year in particular, I get a lot of requests to teach productivity and time management basics. After years of coaching business owners and business professionals, I’ve realized that there is no one size fits all when it comes to productivity. Different work styles, personality styles and even learning types mean different tools. There are endless templates, apps, planners, etc. so FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU and stick to it!
Here are some tools to start with. Trust yourself on which section to start in, try a couple things and see what works. A common mistake is to over-engineer things and then not keep it up! Don’t fall into that trap - choose one or two things to try and remember that less is more.
1. Planners
There are daily, weekly, or monthly - choose which view you prefer
Choose if you like electronic (google calendar, outlook, etc.), paper (planner, wall, dry erase, notebook), or some combo of both
Bullet journaling - learn more here plus check out pinterest if you are a creative type
2. Time blocking
Organize your day by blocks of time for specific tasks or groups of tasks
Start small! Don’t build this all out until you’ve seen yourself follow through on it. Start with one or two blocks per week, get consistent and then add more
You can start with my ideal calendar template here. Build out where you’d ideally block your time, what your ideal week looks like.
Be honest with yourself! When time blocking, make sure you're accurately blocking the time you need so you don’t set yourself up for failure. You can always adjust the time blocks as you get more familiar with how long certain tasks will take.
3. Accountability
When you have someone or something (like an organized class, group of people, etc.) hold you accountable, you are 65% more likely to do it. So tell people the tasks and projects that you are working on and you are more likely to do them
You can do this in the form of text, phone call (bookend the task with a quick call), or a zoom co-working session
4. Use a timer to focus
The pomodoro method is where you work for 25 minute stretches of focused work broken by five-minute breaks
I’ve found simply using the time timer helps to focus you in on the task at hand as you watch the time pass visually
5. Task and project management
Google sheets is a simple place to start when new to project management - head to the template gallery and get a simple project tracking sheet or a detailed gantt chart (to track dependencies, percentage completion, phases, etc.) if you want to get detailed
Most people enjoy the look and feel of some simple apps and websites more than a spreadsheet. Some examples are: Asana (my fav), Monday.com, Trello (for people more visual), Clickup, Notion or Airtable.
Mindmaps - if any or all of the above has you already closing your browser then an old fashioned pen to paper mindmap might be just what you need! It works the way your brain works. Allow the ideas of each section of your project to flow onto the page and break them down into categories, you can download my free mindmap tool here.
6. The small things count
By adding, removing, or adjusting certain productivity elements in your environment, your productivity levels can be affected. Your job is to figure out which ones are decreasing your productivity and which ones increase it!
Some people like to light their favorite candle that instantly puts a smile on their face, which can feel energizing.
Turning on background music or noise can help you feel productive (some people love this, while others find it distracting - experiment to find what works for you). Using a similar type of music to get you into the zone can focus you quickly with repeated use.
Start out with your desired outcome and then work backwards. Do you want to spend less time in front of your computer? Stop missing meetings or arriving late? Do you find yourself with post-its everywhere and you want it all in one place? Decide your biggest trouble-spots and match that up with a tool that would solve that one issue.
Need help? Email me at ks@kristinswansonconsulting.com and tell me your questions and I’ll point you in the right direction. Or book a free consultation here.
