9 tips to improve your productivity today

People always ask me how do I BALANCE it all and what my secret is. I have been juggling a full-time job out of the home, an online retail store, this blog, another blog, two children, a husband and a household for almost a year now and I still don’t know the secret to BALANCE. Every day it’s a constant struggle, if I take on one task another is neglected, which is usually the house work.

Luckily last night I ran into a great article on The Life Uncommon, where they list 18 Tips to Improve your Productive.

1. Set your alarm for early – I have been doing this already. I try and get up at least 2-3 hours early to get work done because I’m more productive in the morning. In the article they are suggesting just a couple of minutes, but do whatever works best for your schedule.
2. Batch your emails – This is probably the best way to handle email, set certain times in the day where you will check and answer email instead of checking as they come in. When I’m at work I used to keep my email open all day, but now I find it easier to check once in the morning, during lunch and then when I get home.
3. Be inspiration ready – Keep a pad of paper and a pen next to your desk while you are working. I carry my moleskin and pen everywhere I go, it fits nicely in my purse, so when an idea sparks I jot it down so I can review it later
4. Add some tunes – They always say listening to classical, instrumental music helps when you are working. I personally listen to Pandora Radio while working. I don’t listen to instrumental music because it makes me sleepy.
5. Gauge your current performance level – How productive are you feeling right now? Our concentration and production levels peak at various points of the day and are unique for each person. I’m more productive in the mornings which is why I get up so early to work.
6. Make a to-do list – A friend mentioned to me last night on Skype a great way to manage your to-do-list. Arrange your tasks in four groups: important/urgent, important but no urgent, urgent but not important, and not important/not urgent. Thanks Tara!
7. De-clutter your desk – I am horrible at maintaining a clean and organized work space. I will try and de-clutter on a weekly basis, but it only takes a stack of mail and some inventory to mess it up again. When we move, creating a REAL office space will be my top priority.
8. Sign off AIM, MSN, gChat – I think Twitter and Facebook fits under this category as well.
9. Make Goals Visible – It’s important to remember what your ultimate goal is. I have a vision board above my computer with sales goals, traffic goals and weight goals so I will see them every day. I also have pictures of things I REALLY want too!

For more tips on how to improve your productive check out The Life Uncommon. Do you have a productivity secret productivity tip that you would like to share?