How to Be More Productive in 2016

2016 is here, and it's time to get focused on our pet sitting business growth plan. The plan starts by identifying and eliminating our productivity time sucks so that we can accomplish great things in the new year. Below our 7 tips on how to be more productive in 2016.

#1. Take a Pause Between Tasks

There are some days when I wake up and realize that I have a never-ending list of tasks to complete. I frantically write them all down in my notebook and then jump on trying to get them all completed. This is NOT an efficient way to manage your time or your tasks.

Solution on How to Be More Productive:

1. Prioritize what is immediately necessary.
2. Take a quick pause between tasks and ask yourself, "does this really matter," or "is this moving me closer toward my business goals."

• If the answer is no, then move onto the next immediately important task.
• You can go back to the previous tasks when your more important tasks have been completed.

Tip: Trust me on this one. I can't tell you how many times I have tried barreling through my tasks just to realize that my day was gone, and I had gotten nothing of actual importance completed. Prioritization is key!

#2. Steer Clear of the "Perfectionism Predator"

According to communication expert Anett Grant: "Perfectionism is the predator of productivity." This is another point that I have great familiarity with. I suffer from something called "perfectionism paralysis." This characteristic can be defined as aspiring towards impossibly high goals. The thought of or the inability to reach certain perfection sets me on a procrastination and paralysis cycle where I look for any reason to not release a product or program for fear of criticism that the project is not perfect. Does this sound familiar to anyone? I catch myself doing this quite often. I really need to keep myself in check with it.

Solution on How to Be More Productive:

Here is some advice for you that my mentor once told me, "good is good enough. Get it out there! You can always go back and make changes after it is released."

TIP: Read Getting Things Done by David Allen

#3. Beware of the Social Media Time Suck

The problem with social media is that you can log in to send out some work tweets or business Facebook posts, but then you check your news feed and then next thing you know two hours has passed and you have gotten nothing of substance done.

Solution on How to Be More Productive:

1. Set specific time blocks per day for using social media for business.
2. save your personal social media time for after business hours.

You can also use it as a distraction. Every time you receive a notification that a picture was posted of you, or that you were tagged in a post, your immediate reaction is to go check it out. Am I right? These distractions are eating up valuable time in your day and keeping you from accomplishing your goals.

Solution on How to Be More Productive:

1. Turn off all notifications from your social media outlets.
2. Set specific times to check for updates.

#4. Meditate for Massive Growth

Don't run for the hills just yet. Meditation can be offputting to some people. I'm not sure why, but it most definitely scares some. Don't be afraid!

Meditation has been proven to reduce stress, improve focus and concentration, increase emotional intelligence, and improve creativity and your overall health. These are all pretty awesome things, so why not give it a shot?

Solution on How to Be More Productive:

Download the Headspace App. This free app will get you started on a simple and easy meditation practice, and all it takes is 10 minutes per day. That's it! I challenge you to give it a try.

#5. Stop Multitasking

Multitasking is trying to do more than one thing at a time and can be one of the worst productivity killers. In the age of smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, email, facetime and social media, it is so easy to multitask without even realizing it. And here's a newsflash, our brains are not wired to work that way. Researchers found that when we attempt to multitask, the brain "bottlenecks" the information and quickly moves its attention from one thing to the next, instead of addressing the items simultaneously. Rather than becoming more productive when faced with multiple tasks to accomplish at once, this suggests we only become more frazzled-and thus less able to handle the challenges of a high workload.

Solution on How to Be More Productive:

• Find a distraction-free place to work. I suggest the library.
• Block out distractions by shutting off all of your devices.
• Set a timer and work in two-hour time blocks without distraction.

Tips: Just in case you don't trust yourself to block out all of the distractions on your own some apps can help you out. Check out:

1. Dark Room, a full screen, distraction free, writing environment. Dark Room is just about you and your text.
2. Anti-Social is an app that makes it easy for you to target and block any distracting website so you can be more productive.
3. Rescue Time is an Internet tool that tracks what users do all day so they can learn where they're wasting time, get better at self-management, and make changes that amp up productivity.

#6. Get a Grip on Email

How often do you feel swamped by email? My guess is pretty often. Pet sitters receive email all hours of the days and night with requests and changes from current clients, new client inquiries and emails from their staff. It is endless! I honestly feel like I can write an entire mini-course on this subject, but for today, I'm going to give you some quick tips.

Solution on How to Be More Productive:

1. Do not check email continuously throughout the day. Set specific times for when you will check and answer emails.
2. Set boundaries and expectations with your clients by setting an autoresponder that clearly states your office hours and when they can expect to hear back from you.
3. Create templates of often used replies so that you can quickly cut and paste.
4. Unsubscribe from any emails that are polluting your inbox. (I hope they're not mine, but if so, I get it. ;))

Tip: You can always create a Feedly account and subscribe to the RSS feeds from the writers who content you want to read. This way you'll still receive the updates, but they'll be neatly organized.

#7. Set Aside Time for Yourself

Taking time off is one of the most difficult things for a pet sitter to do. For whatever reason, you are expected to be on call 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. An expectation that I will never quite understand. This is not a healthy lifestyle and is most certainly a recipe to spoil your productivity. You need time off to clear your mind and recharge your engines.

Solution on How to Be More Productive:

1. Schedule your time off at the beginning of the year and alert your client list, so that they can plan their trips accordingly.
2. I would also suggest hiring another pet sitter to cover your visits or contacting another local pet sitting business owner to cover your workload during your time off.

I am wishing you a very happy and productive 2016. You got this!