How to Implement My 2-Week Productivity Process …

We see it so often … especially at the beginning of a new year, all the articles titled “How to transform your life in 2 weeks”.

Many of us have trained ourselves to look within and reflect on the past year and make some changes for the coming year. And in 2020, we had more time than ever to reflect seriously and adjust!

Now, the facts state that it can take 14 to 26 days to form a habit and a bit longer for an action to become automatic.

So, if we want to start making better choices and make our working lives happier and more manageable, two weeks is a great way to start.

We at Virtually Untangled are committed and dedicated to professional and personal growth. And we strongly believe in the magic that happens when we pause to reflect on how things are going on the outside — with our levels of productivity — and on the inside with how we feel, and then make a plan of action to make things flow more smoothly. We believe in work-life balance and making our workspaces our own to promote creativity, productivity and fun! We always want to strive for happiness, regardless of our ambition or activity.

So, when we look within and find that we are feeling unsatisfied with what we have accomplished at the end of a day, or our to-do lists are growing way faster than we can keep up with (such is the life of an overachiever am I right?) that tells us that we need to make some adjustments in the productivity areas of our working day.

The last thing we want to do is to take our fun projects on the to-do lists and make them feel like actual work … actually, like chores! Our lives should be nothing but a well-rounded mix of fun stuff and work stuff. And when we feel like we are getting buried in them both, our mindset can suffer, and we need to take five and tackle a new list entitled “How to break this cycle!” I have spent a long time honing my skills in what I can do to get myself out of a lousy mindset with my productivity. And I know quite a bit more now than ever before about what sparks me from within and gets me cranking out quality work like never before. And the positive boost creates a new cycle of happiness and satisfaction.

So, let’s take some time together today to dive into my tips n’ tricks for getting the juices flowing and giving that negative voice inside your head a break.

First, let’s start with the basics …

Rest.

People can only function if they take care of this fundamental need. And you’ve heard me stress this many times in our 300 blog posts and on our new-found podcast journey with you.

As entrepreneurs, we are always so busy, and often our minds are full of ideas 24/7, so a good 8 hours sleep seems like a dream. But sleep allows your brain to process and refresh itself. You need to get at least 8 hours each night to avoid causing problems with your concentration, organization and even decision-making.

If you can’t fall asleep because your brain won’t turn off (which tends to be me some days when I’ve overly full of excitement and ideas!) and it’s running through every single thing you want to accomplish the next day, it may be time for a new bedtime routine. It’s also important to know when your optimal time to sleep is. If you are a night owl and love to get work accomplished all night and sleep all day, that’s what you should do. It’s time to build your routine around your body clock, and good things will happen.

So next up in the life “basics” category is creating a tremendous wake-up routine!

Creating an enjoyable morning routine would benefit you to set your intentions for the day and feel refreshed. Waking up early is a habit shared by most of the world’s most successful people.

Doing so adds time to complete your most important tasks — business and pleasure — and allows you to get started on your work needs and desires with a clear, alert, and refreshed mind.

This last “basic” is a complete no-brainer …

Fresh drinking water is non-negotiable throughout your day to keep your body and mind hydrated and SHARP!

So, when you feel like the day is dragging and making you sleepy, try a glass of cold water to refresh your focus. Same thing with exercise … I know for some of us, the natural response is, “Who has time?” but try building this into your workday by taking some stretch breaks, walking during lunchtime and using the stairs as often as possible. The long-term benefits will astound you. Even a concentrated 20 minutes per day can change the course of your schedule in such positive ways. The surge of endorphins can give you the kick-start you need for a busy afternoon when you usually would be ready to snooze, especially for those of us who spend long periods sitting.

Next up is one of my favourites … Yup, planning and organization!

It’s TIME to create your to-do lists ahead of time.

I am a list maker and a nerdy list lover. The key word here is PLANNING. And your productivity depends on it. A considerable tip is to refrain from attempting a to-do list the day of. You are perhaps anxious about everything you feel “needs” to be done, which can lead to over-planning your day with unrealistic goals. Then at the end of it all, you will only make yourself feel bad for not getting it all done … Thus, perpetuating the negative cycle.

See where I am going with this?

You will honestly be able to tackle your to-do list much more effectively by organizing your thought train and writing it all day (or night) before, as this gives you the time you need – and deserve — to mentally prepare for each task, project, and goal. You will also save more time this way as you will already know your day when you wake up. Granted, not every list-tackling day will run as smoothly as we all hope it will … There will be tech hiccups, unplanned client calls and emergencies. But at least this way – whether those hiccups present themselves or not — you can dig in and get started instead of planning around how you’re feeling or what you feel up to doing that day.

Keeping lists making in mind … A handy dandy tool I discovered, which is now one of my absolute fav things EVER, just so happens to be my very next tip …

Keeping a planner with daily and monthly tasks and goals.

I also want to do a quick “shout out” to the ladies that run The Happy Planner, as everything they do is my JAM! And everything they share with the world is completely amaze-balls and helps make my virtual world go round! I buy one of their amazing planners every single year. I get so excited for a fresh new one hot off the press that I race to the store the second they come out in early August so that I can get the pick of the litter. Why? Because in today’s entrepreneurial world, it takes more than just a simple to-do list to keep track of everything you want and need to accomplish. Yes … we go mostly digital with tools like Asana, Trello, BaseCamp and Slack … But there’s nothing truly like having your agenda right in your face at all times! It can be way too easy to miss important tasks, meetings or even contract renewals and get side-tracked by other projects and duties that arise. Especially for us creative thinkers, one thought can lead us down the path of other thoughts and before you know it, your focus is gone, and it’s dark outside!

So, by keeping a planner that is filled with inspirational goals, projects, meetings, scheduled days off, “Soul” days (thanks for the idea, Nancy!), team and client birthdays, contract renewals, lead opportunities, personal reminders, and so on … will allow you to get everything your heart desires done. It will also remind you of all the long-term goals and plans you have set out for yourself.

Now, in reality, this is just step one.

Setting priorities to get these things accomplished is step two.

One way you can achieve this is to sort out all those wonderfully amazing goals, projects, and tasks according to the impact they will likely have on you and your business vs. the effort it takes to complete them. Because if it looks “too hard” or like it will take “too long,” no matter how badly you want this goal for yourself, you’ll sluff it off and choose something easier from your list.

Organizing your planner this way saves you time and helps you avoid spending energy on things that don’t yield much return.

And with that being said …. if you haven’t already … head off to your local craft (I’m a total sucker for a good ‘ol Michaels trip!) or office supply store and pick out an annual planner that works for you.

Remember, grab something fun! And something that suits your personality!

Okay … Part of the planning process that is ever so important is next up …

Setting yourself some truly realistic deadlines.

Deadlines are SOOOOOOOO important because they provide the framework for us to get things done. They can also help dictate the pace and priority of a specific project to keep us on the straight and narrow.  

But on the flip side, they can also be very intimidating. So, remember to establish deadlines for yourself that are realistic and manageable given the goals and projects at hand — and the time available to you to accomplish them. Try to build some flexibility for dealing with anything unexpected that will inevitably come your way. And also, try to schedule in such a way to include your well-deserved breaks, and that brings your JOY!

Next up … Extended planning!

Okay, really now … HOW EXCITED are we to FINALLY be looking at an almost fresh new year … right in the face?! I, for one, am ecstatic to get out from under all that crazy weirdness of the past few years and plan this coming new year in all its glory. If I want my team and I to succeed, I need to set us up with some goals. Without goals, you will lack focus and direction. And when that happens, things tend to get sticky, messy, stressful, and completely overwhelming.

Goal setting allows you to take complete control over your business’s direction and provides a benchmark for determining your future direction.

So, list everything you’d like to accomplish in one calendar year to get the ball rolling. Then break that list down to your top 3 items. Take your top 3 things and break them down further into a specific timeline of what you need to do to accomplish this goal. All the while, of course, attaching dates for each. Then joyfully plunk this all into your new planner!

Okay … After adding your larger goals to your planner, you can see your top priorities and plan out other items in and around them.

Seriously … Go right now and schedule yourself some quiet time to fill in those blanks! We’ll wait here for you.

One of my favourite quotes is from the great Tony Robbins, who said …