Wednesday, September 28, 2011

get productive

this week i've been sort of fixated on time management and i wanted to share some things that help me stay focused. i find that these ten tips help me accomplish a lot more than i normally would if i just stuck to my lazy coffee mornings with regis and kelly playing in the background. i'm gonna miss regis.

my top tips for getting things done:

1. make to-do lists. i am loving remember the milk. super user-friendly and syncs with ipad, iphone, etc. you can even tweet yourself to-dos! honestly, what is better than checking things off a list?
2. set a timer and try and see how much you can get done in 30 min, an hour, etc i am amazed by how much i can get done when i'm not distracted.
3. give yourself fun things to do in between so that you feel re-charged. my favorites: yoga, walking, tickling matilda, watching felicity, etc
4. stay away from internet candy: pinterest, facebook, twitter, etc
5. cut out wine (alcohol) during the week. if i have a glass i am calling it a night.
6. make your bed! i feel ten times more organized when my bed is made.
7. put on your clothes right when you get out of bed. if i linger in my cozies, it's a lot slower of a morning (not to say you shouldn't indulge in this once in a while).
8. good jams! when i'm sewing/ crafting if i have fun music i enjoy it more and get more done. quick story: matilda is obsessed with "good jams." matilda: "mama, who is this?" me: "madonna." matilda: "turn madonna up. that's a good jam."
9. turn off notifications and hide your phone. i have to MAKE myself do this, otherwise i'm just checkin' out my instagram stats. lame.
10. wake up 30 minutes earlier. even 15 extra minutes will help your day run a little smoother if you're prepared. you won't be running late and you'll have a moment to be inspired. read something uplifting, watch the sunrise, breathe deeply in meditation.

so spill it. what are your tips for being productive?

image matchbook magazine

9 comments:

the southern hostess said...

These are such good tips! I'm going to see how many I can put to practice this week.

Emily said...

I'm loving these! We do the make the bed trick and it works wonders. Although some days that's all I manage between work and commuting and blogging and everything else! Ha!

Rachel said...

What a great list of tips! Except - your blog is part of my internet candy fix!! I think that making myself a to- do list for the next day before I go to bed helps me remember the things I am carrying over.
Thanks for such a great blog, as usual!

Alivia said...

Oh my gosh, Madonna is a good jam. LOVE!

Shaunna Faye said...

I like the tip about setting the timer. I bet that will get me moving faster. It's like a race!

I'm HUGE on lists. I always have one going.

Lesley said...

@rachel- my blog doesn't count. haha! thanks for the sweet words!!

Kristina said...

Set a routine and stick to it! I am going back to work in a week and a half (boo!) after staying home for my daughter's first 9 months. This week and next, we're slowly transitioning her to daycare, so we've had to wake up so early and get out the door on time. It's been tough. HOwever, if I get everything ready the night before, clothes laid out, breakfast prepped, diaper bag ready, etc... it makes the morning A LOT smoother. Especially when we keep hitting the snooze!

Jamie @ charmingly ordinary said...

Ha! We have a lot of the same tricks. :) My "timer" is usually the clother dryer. I give myself several things to do while the clothes are whirling and then am ready to fold before they are wrinkled.

My Peace Of Food said...

I'm most productive when I'm ALONE. The moment my husband and son leave the house, if I'm free, I'm doing dishes, putting toys away, getting ready for the next meal, all the things my son won't let me do if he's around and wants to play. It's such a good feeling!