The new year is here and it is time to start back to work and crushing our goals for 2021. If you’re still recovering from the weird week between Christmas and New Years, where the day of the week is just as irrelevant as that pair of jeans in your closet that you haven’t put on in weeks, I’ve got some tried and true productivity hacks to help you get your mojo back so you can make 2021 your year to shine.

• Time blocking: Okay, I know, I might sound like a broken record if you’ve read some of my older blog posts, but I’m only repeating it because it has really changed the game for me. By taking some quiet time to sit down and plan out my week in blocks of time, I open the door for focus and productivity like no other because I know exactly what is up next at all times. For example, my time block might look something like this:

       8-9 am: breakfast with the kids & get them out the door to school

       9:15-10 am: devotional time

      10:15-11 am: getting ready for the day (shower, getting dressed, etc.)

      11:15-11:45 am: checking my emails, adjusting my to-do list as needed per client requests

      12-1 pm: client work for Client A

       1-1:30 pm: lunch break

       1:45-2:30 pm: client work for Client B

       2:45-3:30 pm: client work for Client C

       3:45-4 pm: snack break, kids come home from school

       4:10-4:15 pm: checking emails from that day

       4:15-5 pm: personal work for my business

       5:15-6:30 pm: client work for Client D

       6:45- 8 pm: family time

       8-10 pm: me time/tying up loose ends

Now this obviously changes as the need for my time changes, like some days we have after-school sports (when COVID isn’t an issue) or I might have a meeting to attend to instead of one of my work blocks. You’ll also notice that I have about 15 minutes of time in between things. This helps me transition fully and also acts as a buffer in case I’m 5 minutes away from being able to finish something or want some time away from my computer.

• Snack breaks: While feeding yourself is really the bare minimum, one of my favorite productivity hacks that can get brushed over in the hustle and bustle of the workweek is stopping for a healthy snack. Going for the carrots and hummus instead of the potato chips could be just the boost that your body needs to stay on track for the long haul. Taking a quick 10-15 minute break between your time blocks or meetings to give your body the nutrients to keep going is great, and it gives you an opportunity to step away from the screen– win-win! 
• Mute your notifications: There is nothing worse than being in the groove, checking things off of your list left and right, only to be interrupted mid-task and have your whole flow knocked out of sync. If you’re time blocking (which you totally should be!) then that time block is 100% committed to what you’ve created that block for. No Instagram like notification or Facebook message needs to be popping up on your screen to distract you. Those notifications will still be there when your focused time is over, and you’ll likely be more motivated to get your tasks done during your focused time so you “get the reward” of looking at fun things or interacting with your friends.
• Stop multitasking: This one was the hardest for me to implement personally because the idea of multitasking means that you should be able to get more stuff done at once, right? I hate to break it to you, but it actually does the exact opposite of that. When you try to split your concentration into multiple tasks at once, none of them can be given 100%. So you might notice more things being “completed,” I’m willing to bet they are at a lower quality than they would be if you dedicated time to each task on its own. I’d even be willing to up my bet and say that it would take you less time to do those tasks individually than it took you to try to do them all at once.

This might seem a little extreme at first glance, but we’ve got businesses to grow and legacies to create! There is no time like the present to put in the work. What do you think could help you most in your business? Comment down below and let me know or share something that you’re already doing that could help us all out!