Secrets for a More Productive New Year

Let’s Crush 2020 Goals!

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Last week we talked about my productivity systems and some of my favorite productivity planners (you can read Best Planners to Get 2020 Off to a Productive Start here).

There’s more to being productive than adding a few systems and tools.

What else can we implement to make sure we’re as productive as possible to reach our goals?

First and foremost, it’s about creating habits and creating an environment to succeed. The planners and the systems are all secondary and won’t work unless you’re in the right environment.

So how can we create a productive environment?

Know How You Work

The first step to creating a productive environment is understanding how you work.

Some of us work best in a clean, organized, and minimalist environment (this is me!) while others operate in chaos and need to have things everywhere.

Some of us need to work with music, while others prefer silence.

Consider the following questions when you’re analyzing your typical and most productive work environment:

Do you get easily distracted?
Do you need a clean space so you can have a clear head?
Do you need to have water or coffee next to you, or do you need to be full before you get to work?
Can you power through projects as soon as you sit down, or do you need to set timers to work effectively?
What’s your vision or personal mission?

Eliminate Distractions

Now that you’ve determined how you work, let’s get you set up in your ideal environment.

Organization Tidy up. Clean out your desk and get rid of anything that isn’t necessary for the business (if you work from home, keep anything personal separate from business). Organize your desktop so files are easily found and you’re not wasting time searching for the right file. Vacuum and dust if you need to.

Tech Distractions When you’re ready to get down to business, put your phone on airplane mode. Install the Self-Control or Freedom apps onto your desktop so you avoid rabbit hole websites and social media. Use Inbox Pause to prevent new emails from coming into your inbox while you’re working or plan to only check email a few times a day.

Personal Distractions Let family and friends know that you’re working and don’t want to be disturbed. Shut the door and keep any pets out (unless they’re better off in the room, like my cat).

Set SMART Goals

Okay, you’re down to business now so let’s get to it.

One of the keys to being productive isn’t just to set goals, it’s to set the right goals.

Think about a goal you weren’t able to achieve in the last year. What was the reason for it? Was it vague, realistic, and aligned with your vision or business? Did you have a way to track it or a deadline to work toward?

Vague, irrelevant, and unachievable goals are kind of like taking a road trip with no route, final destination, or arrival date in mind. If you want to drive from Los Angeles to Chicago by Christmas, you’ll map out the best route that will get you there:

Quickly but safely
By December 25
Following I-15N to 1-70E, etc.

SMART goals are like planning a road trip with a destination and arrival date in mind.

When you’re sitting down to set goals for 2020, make sure you’re setting SMART Goals so you know exactly what it is you’re working toward.

What is a SMART goal?

Specific - make them clear and specific
Measurable - you want to track your progress and stay motivated
Achievable - make sure it’s realistic and attainable, otherwise you might not see success.
Relevant - does it matter to you and align with your brand / vision
Time bound - give yourself a deadline and something to work toward

Knowing exactly where you’re headed and by when will increase your productivity tenfold.

Check in with yourself

This is why I love the Productivity Planner* and the 2020 Rock/Star Life Planner*. Both have sections to review how your week went so you can make changes come the next week.

Take stock of where you are at the end of each day, the end of each week, and the end of each month. Review your goals and the tasks required to achieve them, and monitor your progress. See where you can improve, what you can eliminate, or what you can pass off to a team member or virtual assistant.

But it’s not just about looking at your goals or what you achieved. Check in with yourself too.

Do you feel productive or is something still lacking?
Do these goals and projects feel right and aligned with your business, your mission, and your vision?
Is something missing?

Checking in with your business and yourself will help you make necessary adjustments to streamline and become more productive going forward.

Systematize What You Can

My productivity system helps me to plan out my week and day to make sure I can get tasks accomplished, but consider what else can be systematized. These could be:

Workflows such as:
Client onboarding
1. Content creation
2. Recording
Email automation
Templates

Workflows are lifesavers when it comes to being productive because you have each and every step in the process written down, whether digitally or in a physical notebook. You won’t miss steps and have to go back, you’ll know what comes first and what comes last, and you’ll be able to pass this task on to someone else easily. This makes client onboarding, content creation, and even projects such as recording a podcast less time consuming and more streamlined.

Email automations will cut time from your day, especially if you’re sending multiple emails a week to your list. You can batch create emails, and then schedule them to send on a particular day to a particular group of people. There are many platforms out there including:

MailChimp
ConvertKit
Constant Contact
ActiveCampaign

My favorite to use is ConvertKit*. It’s simple and the advanced features (forms, landing pages, and sequences) are incredibly intuitive compared to those of MailChimp. Yes, it is a paid marketing platform but they offer a free trial (and trust, me it’s worth the money if you’re sending out emails or creating email funnels).

Templates exist for nearly anything you can think of, and are especially useful for graphic design. Graphic design isn’t for everyone, so instead of wasting hours trying to prefect your Instagram posts, Pinterest covers, or other basic graphic design needs, purchase a template set or two. Creative Market is my go-to site for templates for anything from social media to eCourse design, email, website, fonts, and so much more.

Take Back Your Day in Just 5 Easy Steps

If you’re looking for even more productivity hacks, I put together a guide with the 5 steps I take each week and day to knock out more tasks, spend more time working on my business (not in it!), and finding time for the things I love to do. Just fill out the form below and the guide will be immediately delivered to your email!