9 Powerful Productivity Hacks That Never Fail Entrepreneurs
Are you a business owner, entrepreneur, or solopreneur? Discover these nine productivity hacks to make the most of your day!
Starting and running a business is challenging. You'll always have something to do. You never clock out, unlike working a regular job.
How can you stay productive when you constantly have a growing to-do list?
I find ways to distract myself when I should be working on my next article or working to build another income stream. These nine productivity hacks work for me to keep me on track toward my goals. They’ll work for you, too!
🚨Problem: You Waste Time On Small, Unimportant Tasks
You begin your day by answering emails. You check social media messages and voicemails. You fill your day with little tasks.
Your day is gone before you know it! You haven't done any productive real work.
✅Solution: Do The Hardest Thing First
Did you know that your brain has the most energy in the morning?
Stop wasting your energy on small stuff. Tackle your biggest and scariest tasks first!
Here are three examples of how to pick the most difficult task:
Pick your most important task the night before.
Work on your largest task before you check emails and messages.
Finish your most critical task or make significant progress before moving to easier things on your to-do list.
😎Why Does This Work?
The rest of your day feels easier after completing your most challenging task.
You won't continue to procrastinate on the most critical task.
You tackle it first thing during the day rather than last.
🚨Problem: You Get Distracted Easily
Your phone vibrates or rings. You scroll through social media.
You check your favorite news site. You watch funny videos on YouTube and TikTok.
Your day is now gone due to distractions.
✅Solution: Eliminate Distractions To Go Into Deep Focus
Distractions kill your productivity.
Here’s how you can stop distractions from derailing your day:
Turn off all of your notifications.
Use the full-screen mode on your computer to hide your other open tabs.
Use the Pomodoro Technique: Work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break.
😎Why Does This Work?
Your brain can't deal with constant interruptions from distractions.
The fewer distractions you have, the more you can get done in less time.
It's a simple equation.
Less distractions = more work done!
🚨Problem: You Forget Important Tasks And Deadlines
Did you miss an important work meeting? You forgot about it.
Were you late to meet up with a friend? Time flew by.
Did you have a great idea yesterday? You don't remember it.
My best ideas come while I'm taking a shower.
✅Solution: Write Everything Down To Dump Your Brain
Your brain thinks. That is what it does.
Your brain isn't for storing your to-do lists.
Here are three ways to dump your brain:
Carry a small notebook with you, or use an app like Tasks. I use Tasks on my Google Pixel phone every day.
Write down every task, idea, and deadline as soon as you think of it.
Review your list every morning. Prioritize your tasks, ideas, and deadlines from most to least important.
😎Why Does This Work?
You free up mental space in your brain when you write things down!
No more forgetting about important deadlines, tasks, and ideas!
🚨Problem: You Work Too Much And Burn Out
You don't take any breaks. You work late. You push yourself to your limit. You never rest.
Always working does not mean that you're productive.
I had a mental breakdown and hit rock bottom because I burned myself out. I never took any breaks. I paid the price.
✅Solution: Your Brain Needs Regular Breaks (Take Them!)
Your brain is a muscle. Muscles need rest to grow strong. Your brain will crash if you're constantly feeding it information and problems to solve.
Here are three strategies to give your brain a rest:
Follow the 52/17 Rule. Work for 52 minutes on a task. You can then take a 17-minute break.
Stand up. Stretch. Do exercises in your office. Walk outside during breaks. Go to the gym.
Never eat at your desk. Don't look at your phone while you eat. Your brain needs a rest from information overload.
😎Why Does This Work?
Short breaks allow you to refresh. Breaks help you to refocus.
Taking breaks will help you get more work done in less time.
Give your brain breaks.
🚨Problem: You Say “Yes” To Too Many Things
A friend needs help. A family member asks you for assistance. A client asks you for a favor.
Your schedule becomes packed. You now have no time for your tasks and work.
Saying "yes" is a sign that you're a people pleaser!
✅Solution: Protect Your Time By Saying “No”
Your time is precious. Time is your most valuable resource. Guard your time.
These are three simple ways to get your time back:
Before you say yes to anything, ask yourself, “Does doing align with my business or goals?”
If they do not, politely say, “I’d love to help you. I can't right now."
Schedule and make time for your priorities first. You can help others once you finish all of your work and tasks.
😎Why Does This Work?
Every "yes" to someone is you saying "no" to your goals.
Protect your time!
Stand up for yourself.
Fight to achieve your goals.
🚨Problem: Meetings Waste Your Time
Meetings go on forever.
People never get to the point.
The most outgoing personalities take the limelight.
There are never any resolutions to the problems.
✅Solution: Make Meetings Short And Effective
Meetings should be emails. Emails keep a record of everyone's communication in the email chain. It’s difficult to record what people say in a traditional meeting.
But if you have to have a meeting with your colleagues:
Set the time limit to 15-30 minutes max!
Set a clear purpose for the meeting. An example would be deciding on the company's new logo.
Only send invitations to the people who need to attend the meeting. Keep the group as small as possible.
End the meeting with action steps that people must follow before the next meeting.
Repeat this process for any future meetings.
😎Why Does This Work?
Shorter meetings = less wasted time + faster decisions + action taken to grow the company + generate more revenue + make the company more profitable.
🚨Problem: You Multitask, And Nothing Ever Gets Done
You're writing an email, checking social media, and eating lunch.
Nothing gets finished at the end of your day.
You then wonder why.
You're multitasking instead of single-tasking.
✅Solution: Focus On Single-Tasking!
Multitasking slows you down. You make more mistakes when you multitask.
Focus on one task at a time.
Single task!
Move on to the next task after you finish the first one.
Here are three simple ways to focus on a single task:
Close all your tabs, apps, and anything else you don't need. Only use the one tool that you need for your work.
Work only on one task until you finish it. You can set a time limit to work on the task.
You can move to your next one.
😎Why Does This Work?
Your brain works best when it focuses on one task.
You'll find that your work quality will improve.
You'll discover that you finish the task faster.
🚨Problem: You Procrastinate On Big, Scary Tasks
You put off the hard project.
You're afraid of the task that scares you.
You fear a big project.
✅Solution: Break It Into Tiny, Easy Steps
A big project scares you.
Why?
It's too vague.
You need to break it down into little steps.
If you're going to write an article, break it down into steps:
Step 1: Choose your topic.
Step 2: Write your outline.
Step 3: Write each section.
Step 4: Find copyright-free images.
Step 5: Edit the article and make sure everything is original.
Step 6: Decide on the article's title.
Step 7: Find the cover image that fits your article's topic.
Step 8: Hit publish.
Step 9: Repeat the process for your next articles.
You can break anything down into simple, small steps.
😎Why Does This Work?
Tiny steps make starting easy.
The rest will naturally follow once you start.
You need to start first!
🚨Problem: Your Day Is Chaotic And Unplanned
You wake up in the morning.
You have no plan for your day.
You jump from task to task.
You don't get much work done.
You're exhausted by the end of the day.
✅Solution: Plan Your Day The Night Before
A simple plan is what you need.
A strategy keeps you on track.
These are three simple strategies to get ready for tomorrow:
Write down your top three tasks before bed to work on tomorrow.
Schedule them in your calendar when you’ll do each task.
Schedule your breaks, meals, and fun time into your day.
😎Why Does This Work?
You start the next day more focused when you plan.
A strategy for the upcoming day prevents you from scrambling.
A plan for your day brings order to your life.
🏁Summary
Choose one productivity hack that you want to work on.
Pick the one that you think is the easiest.
Move on to the next one after you master the first one.
Small changes lead to big results over time.
It's up to you to make your workday easier, faster, and less stressful!
Which productivity hack are you going to try first?
Disclaimer: This content is for educational, entertainment, and informational purposes only. Always consult a professional before making health, life, financial, tax, or legal decisions.