Maximizing Productivity Archives - Page 2 of 5

Steal This Trick from Insanely Productive People

We all want to be more productive.

Maybe your to-do list is so long that you can’t finish everything. So you want to get it all done in the time you actually have available.

Or you simply want to blast through the stuff you have to do so you can have more time for the things you want to do.

Either way, you could definitely use some time management tips that will cut wasted time and effort and maximize your efficiency.

And there’s one productivity hack that truly productive people turn to religiously — task batching.

So we’re looking today at what task batching is, why it works, how you can get started, and how you can take your task batching powers to the next level. [Read more…]

7 Laundry Hacks to Save You Time & Money

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

I’ve heard that there are people who enjoy doing the laundry . . . but I’ve never met a single one.

Odds are, you wish that you had a magical helper — a laundry fairy who would pick up, sort, wash, dry, iron, fold, and stow your family’s clothing without your needing to lift a finger.

But, failing that, it’s up to you to face the never-ending chore of doing the laundry.

But what if you could make doing the laundry faster and easier? [Read more…]

How to Get Your Kids to Do Chores: Secrets of Organizing Pros & Rockstar Parents

Raise your hand if you’ve ever wanted to move to a new home just to get away from the mess at the one you’ve got!

It’s hard enough when you’re single to keep your home organized and tidy. But when you mix in a spouse, kids, and maybe some pets, it can feel as though you’re fighting a losing battle.

So how do you do it??? How do you get your busy family unified and working together? How can you get everyone to conquer that never-ending chore list so that it’s actually done — without tears or screaming? And how can you get organized quickly and easily?

To find the answer, I collaborated with Citi to find the real experts — organization gurus and parents who have successfully rallied their families to maintain ship-shape homes!

I rounded up their secret strategies and recommended tools. And I’m sharing those with you today.

There’s no better time than now to get your family organized. So get ready to conquer your crew’s collective goals and manage your household responsibilities with this easy action plan.

[Read more…]

How to Practice Self-Care (and Why It Matters)

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

Self-care sounds like a glorious luxury.

Focusing your attention on your own well-being instead of your kids’ extra-curriculars, your never-ending to-do list, your job, your obligations, and so on? What on earth would that be like?

But practicing self-care matters. It’s the difference between really living and simply surviving from one moment to the next.

In fact, this year, my husband and I — weary from a period of too many projects, too much stress, too many obligations, and a vibrant preschooler (whose energy I’d like to borrow!) — decided to make self-care a requirement for ourselves.

Around that same time, I coincidentally read an incredible new book by one of my favorite authors, time management guru Julie Morgenstern. My goal in reading the book was to make sure I was using my time as best as possible to be a great parent.

But Morgenstern’s book, Time to Parent, actually challenges readers to make time not only for raising a human but for being a human as well. (I highly recommend picking up a copy!)

So today I’m talking about what self-care is, why you (desperately!) need it, and how you can incorporate it easily into your life with astounding returns on your time investment! [Read more…]

Should You Really Eat That Frog?

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

Mark Twain once famously remarked the following:

If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And If it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.”

From this pithy comment was born a productivity mantra — “Eat that frog!” — popularized by Brian Tracy. Tracy penned a short but powerful and widely read book, Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time.

The idea is this: A frog is a completely unappealing item on your to-do list — that project you can’t bring yourself to start, that chore you hate, that phone call you don’t want to make, etc. And Tracy’s advise is to grit your teeth and just do that action item as the very first task you handle that day. Then, the rest of your day can only be better.

What if you’ve got two frogs? Tackle the biggest, ugliest one first. Then turn your attention to the second one.

But should you really eat that frog? Is Tracy’s advise honestly the best way to get things done and maximize your productivity? [Read more…]

Why You Really Need to Take a Break (and How to Do It Right)

For many of us, a break can often feel like a frivolous luxury.

You feel like stuff is piling up while you’re vacationing. Like you’re letting down your boss, your family, or yourself if you have some “me time” for a few hours. Like you’re slacking off if you stop working for a full lunch break or even just a 10-minute breather mid-morning.

If you’re a parent, you’ve probably heard this phenomenon labeled as “mom guilt.” But that nagging sense that you simply can’t take a break is a feeling shared by many women (and men).

But, boy, do you need a break!

So today, I’m looking at why taking breaks is an absolute must, how you can beat the guilt, and what steps you can take to maximize the benefit of your breaks. [Read more…]

Want To Be Surprisingly Productive? Don’t Finish That Project. Here’s Why.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

All right, so I’m totally guilty of this one.

Years ago, I read a great crime novel. Suspense, drama, intrigue — you name it. So I figured that the author’s other books must be pretty awesome too.

As a result, over the years, I’ve visited my local library and borrowed one after another of her books. And some of them weren’t bad. The rest? Awful.

I was happy enough reading the good ones. But guess what I did with the snooze-worthy ones?

Yeah, I read those too. Cover to cover.

Those novels weren’t the least bit compelling in the first few chapters. They weren’t remotely thrilling at the halfway point. They were — at best — meh all the way through.

But I finished those suckers anyway.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Total waste of time. To make matters worse, I wasted more time in complaining to my poor husband about how crummy my latest read was.

Of course, you can clearly see how utterly silly it was to keep throwing away precious hours like this!

But think for a second. I bet that you’ve got at least one time-wasting story just like mine.

And that’s where “the art of non-finishing” comes in . . . [Read more…]

How to Trick Yourself Into Being Unbelievably Productive

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

If you haven’t read one of David Allen’s books, it’s time to hit up your local library.

For decades, he’s been one of the foremost experts on business and personal productivity. And his GTD system — short for “Getting Things Done” — has a near-cult-like following of productivity lovers. And the book that started it all, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, has one of the best tips for tricking yourself into being productive.

Here it is . . . [Read more…]

How Micro-Actions Can Help You Conquer Your Goals

If you’re like most people, you’re probably a bit disappointed and frustrated right about now.

It’s a few months into the new year, and you’re already losing traction on at least one of your new year’s resolutions. You’re not where you hoped you’d be, or you’ve thrown in the towel already.

The problem for many of us is that we set ambitious goals that are nearly impossible to achieve. Think about it:

Are you a fast food junkie who’s now trying to eat 100% healthy foods?
Are you a compulsive spender who’s now trying to stick to a barebones budget?
Are you a clutter magnet who’s now trying to maintain a Martha Stewart home?

And once you mess up just one time, it’s tempting to get sucked into self-doubt that leads to even more mistakes.

But you can break this ugly new year’s resolutions pattern.

You can make big changes in your life. In fact, you can do it without any of the stress and self-flagellation. The trick is to realize that it’s rare that people successfully make those big changes overnight.

That’s where the magic of micro-actions comes in. [Read more…]

9 Ways to Save Money & Stress Less This Holiday Season

The holiday season is here! But while the kids are dreaming of dancing sugarplums, you may find yourself searching for gifts and making the world’s longest holiday to-do list.

Had enough of your annual, end-of-year expenses and hair-pulling? If you want to maximize your holiday cheer this year, try these nine tips for spending and stressing less, so you can enjoy the season instead. [Read more…]