I keep telling my husband that the word “being productive” in my eye simply means creating. So, everyday when he gets home after a long days of work and asks me how “productive” I’ve been, I usually look at him with a huge smile! To be really productive that day means, that I simply did a lot of either physical or mental work! *winkwink. During the beginning of our photography business we were exceptionally productive. We shot over 30 weddings, and even more portrait sessions in the fall. We took care of every step of the process ourselves.
But I wasn’t efficient. I worked all day, every day, and not to mention us having two little ones with me through out the day, made it twice the challenge. I barely had time for friends and family, let alone time for my hubby. Starting a business is a ton of work, and long hours are to be expected, but I came very close to burnout more than once. It wasn’t sustainable or healthy.
Over the years Ed and I have learned to take on less work, and got better about efficiency. But I have never been great at it. I still liked to watch my day time shows in the background as I worked, checked social networks a few times a day, and I got in the habit of spending the whole day working at a half-focused pace.
Until, I realized that my friends aka my fellow stay at home mom’s, got way more done in an efficiently manner. These ladies seemed so organized, so well put together that I had to ask! The standing changes that they made were, sacrifices and improvements. Simple, right!?!
Over the past two months I’ve (very slowly) changed not only my personal habits but my business habits as well. I’ve found myself accomplishing more and in doing so, enjoying it! So… here’s a few things that have helped me become more productive.
Remove Distractions
As soon as I get back from dropping the kids off to school, I remove all of my distractions. The T.V., the Laundry, anything that will allow me to get up and walk away from my thoughts. This has been the area where I’ve had the most dramatic improvements. I used to watch TV shows as I worked. It felt fun, but actually kept me chained to my desk way longer than was necessary. Now, I play some settle music as I create. I can jot down my ideas, and let it marinate with out any distractions. My productivity level has excelled!
Sayonara social media
A major distraction is social media. I used to check Instagram or Facebook throughout the day, and it would not only disrupt my focus from what I was working on, but then it would lead me down the rabbit hole of the internet, clicking on links and getting completely pulled away from the task at hand. I slowly removed my “on” time to different slots of the day and I’ve plan for it a lot better. I’m way more productive and I complete my daily duties!
Now, from a business perspective, I can see how being active on social media can really help with clients, both in communicating and marketing. I simply found that these tools were hindering me more than helping me. I’ve concluded that spending more of my time connecting one-on-one with our audience via blogging, and through emails is what I much rather prefer. So, stay tuned friends.. I’m excited to start connecting with all of you!
Get Organized
I’ve tried all of the systems for task management. It’s like a habit to see if something might be better, or might make you that little bit more productive. But the real efficiency comes with finding something you can use, and then just using it, and focusing on getting the work done, not on trying out something else the next week.
I use Wunderlist. Wunderlist is a super simple to-do list that syncs perfectly with my computer and phone. If I think of something I need to do, I put it in here. When I’m figuring out what to work on that day or week, I put it in here.
Daily hubby chats/check-ins
Ed and I are getting into the habit of having regular on-line chatting discussions about the kids, the business or even just to say hello has helped me with my day. It secures a sense of an open communication as partners in the business. A quick 5-10 minute discussion, with the hubby, has kept us on the same page and let’s us know if the other needs anything. So far I can definitely see the benefits, and I hope it sticks!
Weekly goals
I used to try to map out what I was going to be working on each day. But, as I mentioned above, I’m not very good with a strict schedule specially having three kids, all involved with activities. I was suggested to try weekly goals instead of daily or even monthly ones. I’m happy to report that it has been working a lot better for me, my family, and our business. Some days I’m just not in the mood to write, so I’ll work on some home design projects, or a stack of small random tasks that needs to be taken care of. I don’t feel bad if I wind up spending a whole day trying to tackle a tough problem. With a weekly schedule I’m way more flexible, I pick tasks based on what I can be most efficient on at any time, and more work gets done.
Stay Energized
My work approach used to be the long haul grind. Sit at the desk, all day every day, and make it happen. Breaks were for wimps, and would just stress me out anyway because I wasn’t getting work done.
Taking a break from work is one of the best ways to clear your mind, recharge, and come back to what you’re doing with excitement. Whether it’s taking a lunch break to make a nice meal, going for a afternoon walk, or taking evenings and weekends off, these moments have not only helped me work better, but they have helped me avoid burning out.
I usually put on some good music (right now I love putting on a Google Play radio station and just leaving it to run. Tons of great, upbeat music!) I drink lots of water, grab energizing snacks and, believe it or not, I stopped wearing my jammies. Yep, I used to be the stay-at-home / work-at-home stereotype mom that all the other parents knew me as – Owynn and Ella’s mom in yoga pants and a shirt, and I treasured it.. but I’ve forced myself to get dressed, and I find I feel a lot more focused and able to get down to work because of it!
There are still lots of things that distract me, incoming emails, Pinterest, and there are still lots of ways I’m still very disorganized..I’m truly happy with how these last few months have gone, and I’m excited to see how the next two will become. Like what I was told, start with the small changes and slowly work yourself up! Stay energized and productive friends!!