6 Productivity Tips and Hacks

Staying productive is such a hard thing to do for many people. We constantly coach productivity and organizing clients to help them be productive and stay on task. Everyone learns and does things differently. Here are 6 simple things you can do stay more productive. 

• Create to-do lists and break big tasks down into smaller, manageable tasks.
• Set daily goals of what you want to achieve. Start with your most important or difficult task first. Commit to achieving one goal a day.
• Use the Pomodoro technique where you set a timer and work for 25 minutes and then break for 5 minutes. 
• Use app & website blockers that blocks you from getting on certain social sites and apps while you are working. 
• Have an accountability partner or business mentor you can talk to about your goals and check in regularly. 
• Use iPhone's screen time controls to help you increase productivity. 

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3 Productivity Tips for Working From Home | Houston Professional Organizer

Raise your hand if you are still working from home ✋We have helped endless clients get organized in their various spaces to help them better work from home. Professional organizers have been on overdrive the last year and half too because a majority of companies went to work at home situations, so as a professional organizer we have been been helping clients figure out their various work from home situations. Some people are now either going back to into the office or doing a hybrid work from home / go into the office situation. 

• Master to do list: write everything down that you need to do. Try to focus on 1-3 things to accomplish a day. That way you do not set yourself up for failure.
• Use the Pomodoro technique: set a timer for 25 minutes and focus on tasks for those 25 minutes. Then take a 5 minute break. Using the Pomodoro technique helps you stay focused on things that are important and need your undivided attention. 
• Use site blockers: it blocks you from going to various websites like social media. This helps you stay focused and get things done!

What are some of your work from home productivity tips?

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6 Reasons Why it is Important to Write Things Down for Visual People

Are you a visual person? I am and writing things down with pen and paper really help me remember all the things that I need to do for myself, my business and for clients.  Doing professional organizing and concierge tasks for clients can mean juggling a ton of different balls all at once and writing everything down visually lets me quickly scan what needs to be and what the most important tasks may be. If you are a visual person like me, here are some reasons why writing things down is important. 

• It helps you remember things. You can often retain more when you are doing the act of writing things down.
• It helps you keep a record of what needs to be done. Are you a list maker? I am and having a written list helps me keep a record and track of everything that needs to be done. I can ask my husband what needs to be done, but he does better when he has a list and can check things off.
• Helps you get your ideas out of your head. Do you ever think of ideas at the strangest times? I do and writing things down immediately if possible helps me remember them. A lot of times these are things that need to be done in business or various ideas I have about various things. 
• Clears the mind. Before bed I often try to do a brain dump to get everything out of my head that is going on and what needs to be done the next day. This is so helpful to not start the days off chaotic thinking of the 5 million things that need to get done and how they are going to get done. That is why I try to plan the night before. Since having a baby this has been extremely helpful. 
• Helps with productivity. Keeps you on track of what needs to be done and staying productive because you can see what needs to be done and map out the best way to prioritize those tasks. 
• Frees up mental space. Getting things out of your head really helps you clear your mental space. 

Some other thoughts....

• Because I write so many things down I have made it a "goal" this year to use up various notepads I had laying around that were half used. I am happy to report that it is going well so far.
• I once read that writing things down in a green pen or pencil helps you remember things more. I am not sure the science behind this, but I like the color green so it works out well.
• I love using colored pens in general for writing things down because, for me, it helps me remember things more and I actually WANT to accomplish things. 
• I don't know about you, but for me making lists and crossing things off of them just feels dang good. 

Are you a visual person? Why do you like writing things down?

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3 Tips for Trying to Balance Work / Life While Working From Home

Are you still working from home because of the pandemic? Many of our professional organizing and concierge clients are still working from home, so we have helped them in many different ways get organized and TRY to help with their work / life balance. I don't think there will ever be an absolutely perfect balance, but there are definitely things that you can do to help you alleviate stress and not feel so overwhelmed all the time. When you are at home working in confined spaces it can be tough and if you are a procrastinator, you will find excuses to do other things that are stressing you out like organizing your desk. 
Here are 3 tips to help you when you are working from home. 

• Invest in desk organization products like drawer organizers, desktop file system, school cart. Here is a school cart we created for a client. Drawer organizers are definitely one of the items we use the most when working with clients. You can find a lot of office products we use for clients here on our Eco Modern Concierge shop page. 

• Organize your space at the end of each day so you start the day fresh and ready to go. This is extremely helpful when you are trying to be productive. It is such a great feeling to wake up in the morning and not have to clean up your work space. This goes for any area of your home as well. Spend 15-20 minutes or less each night straightening up areas and you will wake up less stressed and ready to get a jump start on the day.

• If you need help in a specific area outsource it. In the long run it will save you time, money and reduce your stress levels. Outsourcing various areas of your life is extremely helpful if you don't have the time or are finding it hard to make the time to get certain things in your life done. Somethings you can outsource errands, house cleaning, yard help, organization, meal prep, etc. Figure out if you outsourcing it is cost effective and then go from there. 

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Silver Linings During Quarantine / Stay at Home Orders

During the say at home orders and quarantining I could have quickly gone into a super negative deep, dark place, but chose to see the silver linings in many things even though there were many challenges along the way.

I was SUPER productive on the business and personal front. I really got a TON done. I made a master to do list of everything I needed to do and tried to check off at least 3 tasks a day. The larger to do tasks I broke down into smaller tasks or did part of it each day until I finished. This helped me tremendously without me feeling too overwhelmed.

I was happy that if I was going to get hacked it happened during quarantine. I of course DID NOT WANT TO GET HACKED, but it was out of my control. It happened. I was able to deal with it for 12 hours straight because we were in quarantine.

I got to read a ton. I was happy to finish some books I had been wanting to finish reading and starting new ones.

We saved SO much money. Not going out to restaurants, bars, stores, etc.we ended up saving a TON of money, which is an awesome benefit. We realized we needed to be more diligent in making this happen more often

Appreciate the small things. We take so much for granted on a daily basis and I really appreciated the small things like cooking dinner, spending time with my husband, playing games, etc.

Less stressed. Not driving in Houston traffic significantly reduced my stress level by a lot.

Got creative. I love to create and consider myself a somewhat creative person, but during quarantine we made signs for essential workers, colored, painted, made race cars, put together a wood catapult, put together Legos, etc. I love how peaceful being creative is.

Exercised almost daily in some capacity. We rode bikes and walked A LOT!! This was an amazing benefit of being in quarantine.

LOVED spending SO much time with my husband. We get to spend time with each other because of not working as much and being home a good chunk of the time was an amazing benefit. We got some house projects done, which was amazing.

I learned a TON of new things. I took a ton of webinars and online classes several times a week.
Watched movies I love and haven't seen in years. I watched tv a little, but not as much as I thought I would. I think because I was busy being productive in other areas.

Happiness. All of these combined was pure happiness because these can be very unhappy times.

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How to Efficiently & Productively Work from Home

I know you have probably seen so many posts and tips already about working from home, but this is something that I have had written for a couple years and thought I would go ahead and post it. As a productivity consultant there are a few tips that have helped my clients through the years.

Have a dedicated workspace. Whether this is a room or a corner have a space that is strictly dedicated to work and something you can walk away from at the end of the day.

Make sure your space is organized. When you have an organized space you are usually able to be more productive.

Make a list of everything you need to get done. You can keep a handwritten list if you are visual person, an electronic version or in list apps like Evernote.

Do the most difficult / important tasks first. When you get the most difficult tasks out of the way first, you feel less stressed and it makes getting your to-do list done much faster and easier.

Use the Pomodoro technique. It is where you set a timer and work on a task for 25 minutes straight and then take a break for 5-10 minutes.

Check email at designated times. That way you can focus on your email for a set amount of time.

Don't procrastinate and let home tasks distract you. Working from home can be difficult for some because you think about all the things that you need to get done in your own home.

Plan out each day. This way you know what you need to get done and stay on task.

Have set office hours. That way when you are done with work,  you are done.

Be active. If you are sitting all day and don't have far to walk to get a drink or food you will get minimal amount of exercise. Be sure to make it a point to take breaks and exercise at some point throughout the day.

Take breaks. It is necessary to take breaks in order to give yourself a mental break. Plus, it helps you with creativity and reduces stress.

Get dressed for work. Don't stay in your pajamas all day. Actually get dressed this can help you feel productive and makes you want to go to work. Plus, if you are on video calls you are ready.

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5 Productivity Tips + Hacks That Helped me During Quarantine

Being productive can be very hard for many people. During quarantine I heard a lot of people say "I wanted to be productive, but couldn't get motivated", this was even coming from some of my professional organizing friends. As a professional it is my job to help others be productive. Surprisingly, I was very productive the last 2 months, but mainly because I did a couple of things that helped me not get so overwhelmed. Here are a few things that I did.

I made a huge master list of EVERYTHING that came to mind that I wanted / needed to do. This included business and personal tasks. Then I set a goal of getting at 3 things done each day. It could be a simple tasks or hard task.

I broke up big tasks into smaller manageable tasks. This helped me not get completely overwhelmed with the big daunting tasks. Some of the big tasks included going through photos on a hard drive, updating my website's shop page and writing letters that I had been meaning to send.

I made a chore chart of the smaller tasks that I wanted to work on daily. This chore chart help me stay motivated in accomplishing my daily goals.

I tackled many hard tasks first that I knew would help me function better and not feel as stressed. There were several things work wise that I knew needed to be done that would help me feel better in the future like updating the holiday card mailing list, finishing the process of getting my trademark done and finally connecting with lawyers, etc.

Staying on top of things. Because I didn't feel too overwhelmed with my to do list once I started doing these things, it became routine and I was able to stay on top of things pretty well. That doesn't mean I never skipped a day of doing one of my daily tasks or ever felt non-motivated. All in all because I did try to make it a habit it was easier to achieve overall.

What are tasks that you got accomplished during quarantine?

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Intentional Focus to Help With Productivity

I started this blog post last year, but never posted it. I am not sure where I heard about intentional focus, but it really got me thinking how important it is. I talk to organizing and concierge clients about this all the time, but without usually calling it intentional focus. What is intentional focus? To me, it means being purposeful in your daily actions, really understanding the process of what we do and why we are doing it and focusing on one thing at a time. Don't try to do all the things all at one time and constantly multitask. I am very guilty of this, but I am trying to be better. Be intentional and focus on what you really need to do and what really matters.

Here are some benefits and tips of intentional focus:

Have daily goals or intentions. Don't try to do all the things everyday. Set 3-5 daily goals or intentions in order to accomplish and achieve what you want.

Helps with productivity. Intentional focus helps us be more productive overall because we are giving our full intention to each tasks instead of stopping and focusing on various other tasks all at the same time.

More creative. We are able to be more creative and when we intentionally focus on things because it can opens us to new ideas since we are really relishing in the process of tasks. New ways of doing things often come to mind when things are more clear in our head. Hence why I get so many ideas while I am working out or driving.

More likely to accomplish your to do list. Intentional focus really helps us get through our to do list because we are not constantly stopping and starting.

Be grateful for everyday things. Start and end your day with gratitude, it really shifts your attitude for the day. Intentional focus reminds us to be grateful for so much. Certain tasks take a lot of time and when we are understanding the full process we are able to have gratitude for so much. For example, I have to call into the alarm company and dread being on hold with customer service, but I am grateful to have an alarm to protect my family, I am grateful for the customer service agent who was able to help and save me money, etc.

Less stress. We are often times less stressed because we are accomplishing the things that we want to rather than having a to do lists with only few things fully accomplished here and there. I am ok knowing I will not get to everything on my to-do list and that is ok.

More happiness. Overall, when you focus intentionally you are happier overall. It makes you appreciate the small things in life.

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Work From Home Productivity Tips

Being a professional organizer and productivity consultant and working a lot from home has me feeling all kinds of mixed feelings. I am trying to stay as productive as possible, but am losing a little motivation. I know there are all kinds of tips and tricks out there when it comes to working from home, but here a few things that could help. This of course isn't all my tips, but few. Especially if you love making lists and area a visual person. Are you still working from home? 

• Do a brain dump list. List everything that is on your mind and then categorize them into various categories like work, personal, hobby, etc. Then prioritize them. This helps alleviate a lot of stress and anxiety and essentially makes you more productive. 
• Use a folder or binder (electronically or physically) to store your master list. This is great to keep ongoing track of your lists and then you can add things to that binder or folder that is related to your list. Like if you need to dispute a bill, make sure that bill is handy in the folder so you can remember account #s, what you are disputing, etc. 
• Color code list. If you are a visual person like me than this can be very helpful when looking to see what needs to be done. 
• Cross things off the list. If you are compiling a handwritten list the act of crossing things off the list can be very effective and exciting. Make it a challenge with yourself to get more things done. 
• Use the Pomodoro technique. This is where you set a timer and work for 25 minutes and break 5 minutes.
• Use app & website blockers. They block you from getting on certain social sites and apps while you are working. This is so you can be your most productive self.
• Do something creative for 5-10 minutes. This can be just taking a walk outside for some fresh air, working on a hobby, etc. 
• Have an accountability partner or business mentor. This is great so you can talk to them and check in with them regularly.

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5 Back to School Productivity Tips for Students

I don't know about where you are, but here in Houston school is back in session for many districts and it is time to get organized and start the school year off right. Below are 5 productivity tips for students.

Write it down! Pen & paper is the perfect way to keep track of what you need to do and when you need to do it. Consider getting a paper calendar and a plain 'ol notebook to keep track of everything you need. Electronic is great, but with your looming to do list pen & paper is great way to visually see what you need to do and help you retain it.

Get ready the night before. Prep the night before so you start the day off right. Get your bag, clothes and lunch ready so when you wake up you have to make as few decisions as possible. This helps you start the day off not stressed and ready to learn.

Get rid of distractions. When you are studying, doing homework or trying to focus block out distractions like t.v. and your phone. Leave the t.v. off. Put apps on your phone like Moment, Cold Turkey & Self Control that prohibit you from checking social media.

Take breaks. It is not good for your mind or body to never have a break. If you are studying or focusing for an extended periods of time, get up walk around, get some water, step outside or do whatever you have to do take your mind off of something.

Take care of yourself. Remember that it is important to take care of yourself. You need to get proper sleep, exercise, eat healthy (don't load up on energy drinks) meditate or do whatever you need to do to keep your body & mind performing at its best. That's help you all around in your everyday life.

What are some productivity hacks you have for back to school?

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A Houston Professional Organizer's 5 Productivity Tips

In this video I share 5 productivity tips that have been helpful for my clients and I. Whether you are trying to organize your life or save time, these productivity tips can be very helpful.

What are some tips you have? 

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The Importance of Celebrating the Small Things

We often celebrate the big things, but it is just as important to celebrate the small things in life. If you have big goals, the small things that lead to those big goals are just as important. We often get caught up trying to only celebrate big life moments, goals, projects, etc. Lately, I have been trying to celebrate the small wins and things in life because those are SO important and necessary. 

Benefits of celebrating the small things:

• You are less stressed. 
• You are happier at work and at home. 
• People around you notice the changes. 
• You are more productive. 
• It helps you achieve life / work balance in a different way. 
• Motivates you to keep on going.
• You have fun!

Photo by Thomas AE on Unsplash

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Tip: One Thing to Do Today to Be More Productive

If there is one thing that you do today to be more product. Use the Pomodoro technique and unsubscribe from your emails you no longer want for one hour. Believe me, you will feel liberated. I don't know about you, but I get SO many unwanted emails.

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5 Productivity Tips + Hacks

Recently have been asked to speak on panels and taught classes on productivity tips and hacks. As a professional organizer, I get asked constantly to help others stay productive, so they have more time. Who doesn't want more time on their hands?! I will hopefully do a series and continue to post productivity tips and hacks. Below are 5 tips and hacks that I and many of my clients use.

Use the Pomodoro technique. This is great technique to use to really stay focused. You pick a task to get accomplished and set a timer for 25 minutes. Then after the timer dings you take a 5 minute break. If you focus on one thing at a time it will help you get more accomplished and be more productive.

Use site blockers. Site blockers are a great way to not be on certain sites while you are trying to complete tasks. Like social media sites. 

Prep the night before. This helps so much when you are trying to get ready in the morning. If you have your clothes already picked out, lunch possibly made, what you need for the next day, etc. it can be a huge time saver. 

Outsource tasks. If you outsource things like errands, admin tasks, etc. you can gain so much more time to do things you love. This is where Eco Modern Concierge comes in ;)

Do what you can and stay positive. Simple as that. You can't do it all and if have a great attitude all will work out just fine. 

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11 Ways to be Productive Throughout the Day

I know you have probably read 5 million different things on how you can be productive throughout the day, but I wanted to share some tips on what I do when I have the most productive days.

Prepare for the next day the night before. Lay clothes out the night before, get all papers and supplies ready for the next day, prepare as much of your breakfast / lunch for for the next day. When I do these things I feel way more at ease and ready to tackle the next day. Plus, I am not running around like a mad woman the next morning trying to get all these things done.

Get enough rest. When I get the proper amount of sleep I feel WAY better, like most do.

Get up early. I am a morning person and feel that I can get SOOOO much done early in the morning when there are few distractions. Plus, I get up early so I can beat the horrible Houston traffic.

Clean off counter tops / do the dishes. The night before or the morning before I leave for work I like to make sure the counters are clear and the dishes are done. This makes it easy when I come home from work to get started on dinner.

Make the bed. I don't know why I feel better when I make the bed in the morning, but I do. Mornings that I leave before my husband, he will often do it. It is something that is so simple and quick. When I come home it feels like things are more complete.

Drink lots of water. This is something I have been trying to do more of the past year and I think I have accomplished it pretty well, but of course there are days / weeks that I don't drink enough. The key for me is to carry around a bottle of water around with me always and refill it throughout the day.

Exercise. This is something that I have struggled with through the years, but when I exercise at the beginning of the day I feel SO good throughout the day. My exercise of choice, as you may know, if you have been reading a while, is yoga. I love the stretch I get early in the morning.

Listen to music. Listening to music gets me pumped up for the day and during the day.

Take breaks. It is important to take breaks throughout the day to regroup. For me I like to get outside and walk around. There is something about being in nature that I love. I love work exploring and just taking a break by walking.

Plan throughout the day. I like to keep planning throughout the day. I utilize my planner a lot to keep track of what I need to do, clients, meetings, networking events, personal events, etc. I feel more on top of things when I plan throughout the day. It helps me stay organized and ready to continue to tackle the day.

Write things down. I constantly write things down. Just like planning throughout the day, it helps me stay organized and be productive. As a concierge /professional organizer this is a must in my book.

How do you stay productive throughout the day?

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