To increase productivity when you’re working on your own can be hard to do. Especially when you’ve got to do it on a daily basis. Staying motivated and productive is hard for all freelancers.
In this blog, you’ll learn how to increase productivity in your daily life using these 9 tips. After you’ve used these 9 tips you’ll be setting yourself up for success every day whilst taking care of your physical and mental health.
9 Tips to Increase Productivity
Develop A Habit
Typically in the new year or on Birthdays we make resolutions to form new habits to achieve a goal. Then after a few days or weeks, we break the habit and don’t achieve the goal you’re striving for.
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits says that you need to start creating habits that are easy to stick to. As a freelancer and in life, I’ve often found this to be true.
For example, when I want leads for my freelancing business. I start my day by searching for 5 leads. It’s just 5 leads from a mountain of sources from remote job boards and freelancing websites.
I make sure that I do this by setting reminders or alarms to do this at a specific time everyday for a month. After the month has gone, it becomes a habit and I easily continue the habit without missing a day.
You can also work this into your daily life, you don’t need to just use this productivity tip for your business. What new habit will you be making today?
Get Inspired
Burnout is real. When you’re in a state of burnout, you lack the motivation and inspiration to work on your business. In these moments, take some time out to get reinvigorated and get fresh eyes on your business.
Get inspired by listening to a podcast, reading blogs, and networking with people who inspire you. Inspire you to where you want to be both personally and professionally. Then when you get back to work you’re filled with energy and motivation
Whenever I’m lacking motivation, I
- Go for a walk
- Listen to a podcast
- Chat to people online and offline
By doing these simple things, I’m ready and filled with excitement to be back building my business.
Do you ever suffer from burnout and how do you overcome this?
Take Regular Breaks
Instead of taking the long lunch break, take short mini breaks throughout your working day.
If you’re someone who after a lunch break is feeling sluggish and lose motivation to keep working, mini breaks are ideal for you.
Schedule in a mini break after each big task you do.
Exercise
Exercise? Don’t you need to do a full-on gym workout?
Instead, do a little bit of exercise for 5 – 15 minutes. 5 – 15 minutes of a gentle walk, bicycle ride, or do some home workouts.
By doing exercises you can increase productivity by 72%.
Remove Distractions
Working from your sofa can be hard to do. You’re in a place where you would normally watch the TV or mindlessly scroll through social media.
Work more effectively by setting up a home office. A dedicated space for your freelance business.
Be In Tune With Your Body Clock
Everybody has a different body clock, although there are 2 specific types of body clocks. Which do you identify yourself with?
- Night Owl
- Early Bird
Nothing is wrong with being a night owl, not everybody needs to be an early bird. You’re not lazy if you are a night owl.
Everybody needs to work when they are at their optimum time to focus on their work. When you work at your personal best time of day, you increase productivity.
This situation obviously, cannot always work if you have to work specific times. For example, once I worked doing appointment setting and I had to work specific times the client wanted me to do the phone calls. Long story short, it didn’t work out as I couldn’t work when I was at my best.
After all, we’re running a freelance business. We want to be able to work the hours that we want to work.
So, always check with your client if they have specific times of day they want you to work.
Get Ready
Get ready and put yourself in the right frame of mind. When we go out to a job, we get ourselves ready for the day. We don’t turn up in our pajamas.
No, we show up looking like a professional. You need to use this mindset for your freelance business.
Here are 4 quick tips on what you can do before you start working on your freelance business.
- Get dressed into an outfit that makes you feel good and professional
- Clean your face
- Do your makeup (even it’s just some foundation, mascara, or a bit of lippy)
- Sort your hair out and style it like your a boss
Drink Water
Stay away from that coffee! Drink water instead
- Brain function
- Making your muscles stronger
- Hydrates your skin making it youthful
Most importantly by drinking water, you increase productivity which can only benefit your freelance business.
Be Intentional
Be intentional with your time by allocating specific time to do
- Replying and Sending Emails
- Social Media
- Marketing
- Doing Client Work
By being intentional with your time, you’re more focused on the task at hand. Not being distracted by what’s going on everywhere else.
On social media, we’re even more distracted with conversations and funny videos. Instead, you need to be on social media working it like a boss.
5 steps to help you work social media like a boss
In A Nutshell,
Even if you absolutely love what you’re doing, there are times when you won’t. Using the 9 tips, you won’t just increase productivity but it will help keep you motivated.
