Navigating Distractions & Improving Productivity

Productivity | 0 comments

Navigating Distractions & Improving Productivity

Do you struggle with creating an environment that supports your productivity? What do you need to navigate those internal, as well as external distractions that keep you from doing the work that you know you need to accomplish?

Minimizing distractions will help you be more efficient and effective, so you have more time at the end of the day and your relationships stay intact.

Here are three ways to improve your productivity:

Clear Communication Improves Productivity

Clear, direct, and respectful communication will help support and improve your productivity. Give the gift of transparency and let everyone at your office, home office, and home know when you’re working as well as what your needs and expectations are.

Things are shifting as we move into more remote work. It’s not always easy to find a quiet space so you can focus on your work without distractions. It’s your responsibility to start the conversation and let the people around you know what your needs are. When you do, it will decrease frustration, anger, and resentment, increase awareness, and improve your relationships. As Brene Brown says,

“Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind.”

When your communication is clear, there will be less ‘bumping heads’ or muttering under your breath. When everyone is on the same page, productivity naturally increases.

What communication, if you shared with those around you, will improve not only your productivity but your relationships as well?

Boundaries Protect Your Productivity

Boundaries are the bridge to more of what you want and less of what you don’t.

Establishing boundaries will support you in doing the work that you need to do so you can increase productivity and decrease overwhelm.

Just like with communication, transparency is key to effective boundaries. If you’re implementing new or reestablishing existing ones, be sure to share them with those that need to know.

Even a two-year-old will understand boundaries if you’re kind and consistent.

What boundaries will help you be more productive and effective, as well as keep your relationships healthy? How will you communicate with them? When?

Environment Impacts Productivity

Set your environment and yourself up for success.

Before sitting down to start your work, make sure you’re prepared to get, and stay, focused:

~ Go to the bathroom
~ Make sure you have a drink
~ Grab a snack
~ Turn off your phone
~ Hang a sign on your door (or back of your chair) that says to not interrupt you
~ Turn off all social media notifications. Yes, all.

Take care of the small details ahead of time so you can minimize distractions and maximize productivity. If you need a checklist, make one. Whatever helps you succeed.

Distractions, internal and external, can be sneaky. I realized this one day when getting up from my desk for the fifth time…in about a 30-minutes. I needed a snack, some tea, switch the laundry, or check a notification that popped up on my phone.

Here’s a quick and easy productivity game-changer:

On your phone, move your social media, texts, and email from the first page to the second. This one small tweak creates an extra step to get to them, so your less apt to pick up your phone and be distracted. But also, it’s creating an extra step to find the distractions.

We don’t need to make it big or hard. Keep it simple, and stay consistent. Experience more joy and less stress.

These are all very simple things that you can do. But let’s be honest, simple does not equate to easy so, one more tip-

Be less critical and more demanding.

That is, less critical of yourself and others, more demanding of compassion and curiosity.

Don’t discount simplicity. It can support you in being consistent, so you can make the impact and income you want by staying productive and not just busy.

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Taking An Active Role In Our Happiness & Fulfillment

Vision | 0 comments

Joy Happiness Fulfillment

As business owners, we’re often seeking more of each (and money as well, but that tends to be a result of creating a life full of joy, happiness, and fulfillment, not the cause).

In last week’s blog, I shared studies on the importance of self-care and how it improves our physical, emotional, financial, social, and happiness levels.

Ya gotta love studies that show self-care helps improve our well-being as well as our bottom line. That alone increases my happiness quotient.

This week, I bring a touch of the Velvet Hammer to my message.

To increase joy, happiness, and fulfillment (and yes, $$) in our lives, we need to take more of an active, intentional role in creating it.  We need to make it a priority and align our actions with what we want to experience.

It’s not a “Well, that would be nice”, but more of a…

“Oh hell yeah, that’s a non-negotiable” feeling of fulfillment.

We need to deliberately align with and CHOOSE joy, make room for it…and that sometimes means making uncomfortable decisions.

Decisions that also make others uncomfortable, frustrated, and let’s be honest, pissed off.

As a result, we tend to step back and choose their comfort over ours.

Their joy and happiness over ours.

Their success over ours.

It’s not sustainable…or authentic.

Ouch.

Again, making your happiness a priority WILL INCREASE success in every area of your life, even if at first it may ruffle a few feathers.

Taking an active role and being intentional will help you feel more empowered and more in control of your life and business, and less the mercy of circumstances or people.

You’ve got to be willing to sit with the discomfort of choosing your Self, your joy, and your SUCCESS before you’ll be able to confidently and consistently unhook from the reaction and discomfort of others.

Joy, happiness, and fulfillment are on the other side of discomfort. 

Ready to get comfortable with the uncomfortable so you can create more of what you want? Let’s set up a complimentary Alignment Review call and get you moving where you want to go.