Hello Zen Organizer,
In this week's episode, we talk about three common productivity mistakes most of us make (yes, I make them too sometimes 😅):
Do you make these mistakes? If you do, don't worry: we all make them! 😅
Fortunately, there are easy ways to correct them!
Not prioritizing your tasks and your to-do list
If you don't know what your priorities are, then you'll end up saying yes to everything, trying to do it all, and exhausting yourself.
The difference between productive and unproductive people is that the former make the most of these hours - not by doing everything, but by focusing their time and energy on what is important and what allows them to reach their goals.
If everything is important, then nothing is important. If everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority. - Garr Reynolds
If you want to live intentionally and consistently reach your goals, you must narrow down your priorities and focus on them daily.
Use tools such as the Level 10 Life (listen to episode #14 to learn more about it and download the workbook "5 Methods to Efficiently Set (and Achieve) Your Goals" for a template) and the Eisenhower Matrix (listen to episode #15 and download the workbook "Get More Done by Doing Less") to determine your priorities.
All the workbooks are available in the free Zenly Organized Library, which you can find under the "Library" tab on the website!
Having no routines or processes in place
A process is "a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end" (Merriam-Webster, 2021).
A routine is a sequence of actions you do regularly and which become automatic.
The advantages of processes and routines are that they:
reduce the mental load of having to think about what you should do at a given moment;
allow to complete dull and non-creative tasks faster;
increase accuracy across documents/projects/procedures;
make it easier when you have to delegate.
Not planning for unexpected events
According to Murphy's law, "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." So make sure you consider that when you plan your days.
Being organized doesn't mean having a fully booked schedule with no space for the unexpected. Because when you do like this, it's almost inevitable that something will come up and ruin your perfect plan.
Instead, leave some room for the unexpected in your schedule:
either daily (I recommend leaving 20% of your day unplanned, which means an hour and a half if you work eight hours a day)
or at least have a buffer period once a week (ex. Friday morning/afternoon)
This way, it'll be easier to stay on top of your to-do list!
I hope these tips will help you avoid these mistakes, so you can be more productive, better organized, work less (and better), and be more relaxed!
And if you need help building an efficient organization system that allows you to scale your business efficiently and serenely, without having to sacrifice your well-being, your family, and your life, book a free discovery call with me! 😃
I wish you a productive and zenly organized week,
Sarah
