What is your favorite productivity tip?

My best tip is to know myself well. I know, for example, that my most productive times are from 7 AM to 1 PM. After that, my brain's just not as fresh.

So, I do more challenging tasks in the morning and leave the administrative stuff for the afternoon.

I'm very right brain and so is my tip. For me, the best productivity tip is to surround myself with vibrant, encouraging, leading edge people. We get to inspire each other, exchange fabulous, crazy, and practical ideas, and our productivity doubles, triples, even quadruples.

I was working solely in a home office and I would get SO distracted. I joined The Village Bellevue last year and my productivity has SHOT THROUGH THE ROOF!

A couple of years ago, my husband and I would go away for a Saturday or Sat & Sun. Someplace local that we hadn't been to for years. We live in the most awesome part of the US. Last year we got too busy to continue. But yesterday the subject came up and now we have plans to do this again. These trips are like going away for 2 weeks, only better. You can pack in a paper bag!!! Or come home to your own little (or big) bed. Just taking me out of my "zone" gives me a wonderful break. Plus we compete on animals and plants we see along the way. Come home refreshed and ready to hit the work again.

Email gets me... thanks for the tip! Avoidance and a distraction. I too am working in isolation. I wonder if there is a "Village" in Spokane. Perhaps I should start one.... thanks for the idea

Historically I have been quite random in my approach to my day - picking the "most urgent" or "most juicy" and flying by the seat of my pants.

Recently I started making a list of 6 prioritized Action Steps daily toward a specific goal with a projected end date. I work down the list sequentially and roll over to the next day the things I did not get done. I am less likely to be enticed away to "the next juicy thing" when I keep my list in front of me.

Does your Purse Help or Hinder You?

Its tweaking the little things like your handbag that can make a huge impact on your daily productivity.

I got inspired after seeing Sunny Kobe Cook speak , founder of Sleep Country USA, flash her teensy 2x4 billfold as her sole method of carrying her money. All that was in this wallet, aka her purse, was 1 piece of plastic and her ID.

Bad purse experiences started flashing before my eyes. Being late rummaging for keys, urgently finding a pen to take notes, scrambling to find my wallet in a seemingly fathomless vacuum of items I "might" use someday--kleenex, advil, pictures. The logic was that even if I never used it, at least someone else would.

How much time do I waste looking for something? If it takes 10 seconds to find a document on a cluttered desk, how many seconds does it take me to find my keys in my purse multiple times a day?

I went from a large, olive green over-the-shoulder bag, to a slim, simple black hand held purse. At first it was frightening to put so little in my purse. It was just a thin wallet and my keys with some business cards. Now I am proud to say all I carry with me is a tiny business card holder that has my ID, one credit card and my business cards.

I've got two free hands at all times, carry only what I need, never lose my belongings, and easily locate a pen, wallet, or keys in one easy move into my pocket. How many minutes of both time and stress have I saved? I could never go back.

While simplicity is bliss, it's also productive!

The night prior I set an intention to get two or three things done that I know are timely. That way they don't keep me up at night worrying and I know when I wake up what's on my agenda to accomplish. So even if new opportunities arise, I am mindful of my priorities. Then the new stuff just feels like gifts instead of interruptions. On those days when I need to get lots of writing done, I take my computer to a local internet cafe. I'm much less distracted, strangely enough, and I don't spend as much time on email, also strangely enough. The simple action of moving to a "writing" location, sets the intention into action.

I write down EVERYTHING I need or want to do in a spiral notebook that goes almost everywhere I go. While I often leave it in the car instead of taking it into a meeting, I usually write down my new To Do items as soon as I return to the car.

If the task has a deadline, I write that date in the left margin. This makes it very easy to peruse my on-going To Do list, and to prioritize it. Sometimes I use colored highlighters to make the list more attractive -- and do-able! LOL

Most importantly, I can look back at all I've accomplished and give myself a pat on the back if I need it.

Pats on the back are awesome, Lori!

I have said for some time now that there are three things I need to do each day. Productivity. Recreation and Relaxation. I believe they are all equally important to maintain my happiness. I make time to do each one every day. For myself it's like going to the spa each day.

In addition to daily lists of 3-5 things I plan to accomplish, I keep an on-going list of little things I'd like to do. By 'little" I mean things that can be completed in 15 minutes or less--like writing a note or sending a birthday card, checking out a website, or making a comment on a blog. Then when I have a few minutes, or need to take a break from writing, I do something little. I get tons done this way--and it feels great!

Hit the X to close the Facebook and email tabs...check twice a day - AM and PM. Spend limited time and answer the priority emails then read those newsletters, etc. another time.

Biznik - Check in a few times each week. With groups now, check in with a few different groups each day or just a few times per week.

Work early AM to mid afternoon. RELAX, nap or whatever, then back to work at nite if no events or social plans. If I'm not flying on adrenaline from biz, I get really tired in the afternoons, so I just learned to roll with it. LOVE my afternoon naps with my kittens :)

TAKE SOCIAL TIME! Happier, more balanced person makes happier, more balance business gal, including productivity levels!

Great tips everyone! Thanks for sharing!

Blessings,
Amy
eco-interior decorator
EcoKind Design

I don't turn on the television! With over 200 channels on there, there's still a lot of crappy television out there...and yet I still get hooked! I'd rather spend a really productive hour doing some small-scale art than waste an hour watching television most of the time. I used to be a Lifetime Channel junkie! But I've outgrown it, luckily.

I really try to plan my time carefully because time can get away from me and I already feel like there's not enough of it. I have to choose what's a priority for me and be clear on WHY it is a priority, and then stick with the game plan.