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7 habits to improve your productivity (and life)

7 habits to improve your productivity (and life)

by | Life and Success, Planning-Organization-Productivity

I’d like to say that I live a productive life; why that’s important to me because time is our most valuable resource. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again today. What can you do in your day-to-day to feel as if you’re living a productive and satisfying life? Let’s chat about seven habits to improve your productivity and life.

Habit One: Track Your Time to improve your productivity

Why is this important? Tracking your time allows you the ability to look back and know where your time is spent. You must be wondering, what’s the advantage of tracking your time?

Let me tell you, keeping tabs on where your precious time is going allows you to see your patterns.

When you are the most focused or distracted.

Even better, when you know where your time is going, you can answer the question, what did I do today?

You’ll know if the items you’re spending your time on are moving you forward in your life or distracting you from feeling as if you're living a satisfying life.

Habit Two: Create Systems to improve your productivity

The point here is that creating systems helps you eliminate the number of decisions you have to make, stop procrastination, and possibly even an overwhelming amount of sticky notes with random thoughts and tasks.

I can almost hear you thinking, create systems. What does that even mean? Systems are finding easier ways to do things.

For example, create a system around meal planning. By far, this is one of my favorite systems that I’ve created. Recipes new and old are gathered in Notion. When I’m on Pinterest and discover a recipe I want to try, it goes into Notion under my Recipes. The name begins with **New**, allowing me to quickly find new recipes I want to try.

Once I make the dinner, I ask everyone to rate the recipe on a scale of 1 to 5. If the recipe average score is three or higher, it will be assigned to a week in my meal planning.

As I said, this is one of my favorite systems because, at the end of the day, the last decision I want to make is what’s for dinner.

Oh, and I should mention that meal planning is done mostly on Sundays.

Let me walk you through one more system. Everything has its place, whether that be a physical item or information.

I’m not as bad as I used to be, but I love my label maker. Label the home for the physical items around your house. Let me elaborate; it’s not enough to label the home. After all, the item must be put away for the system to work properly.

Besides physical items, having a system for information is also important. I’m a big pen and paper person. Doubtedly, information will gather up in my bullet journal. Not everything needs to be kept; however, what does goes into Notion for safekeeping. Once it has been put into Notion, it will be noted in my Bullet Journal with a / on the page number. The page number will be crossed out with an X if it's not needed.

Habit Three: Create Lists for a Productive Life

Accordingly, the next area to improve your productivity is with lists. Not only writing the lists but knowing where you put the list. In truth, you’re not very productive if you spend too much time looking for your lists.

Lists include not only your to-do list, but also you’re not-to-do list. Let me guess, you know what I’m talking about, the not-to-do list of things to delegate. Or perhaps a list of reasons why you’re not eating sugary treats. Yes, this is a true not-to-do list. What type of not-to-do list will you create?

While this one will require your family to get on board, it will improve your productivity. Without a doubt, using Google Keep (my husband doesn’t have an iPhone) for a family shopping list.

Stick with me here; you’re out running errands, and pop into the grocery store to get a few things you know you need to pick up for dinner. Your running grocery list is hanging on the side of the fridge; no one is home to tell you what’s on the list. So you stand in the aisle racking your brain, trying to remember, do we still need ketchup? C’mon, I can’t be the only one.

That’s why having your shopping list in Google Keep or something similar helps to improve your productivity and cut down on buying things you may not actually need. Does it take a bit of training for your family, yup and it’s worth the effort!

Habit Four: Map Out Your Work to Improve Your Productivity

Your time is valuable; we’ve already covered that. Therefore, not having a map of the work that needs to be done will cause you to be unproductive, procrastinate, and possibly miss deadlines.

When you map out your work in advance, you’ll know when you need to do something and when you need to ask others for items they are responsible for.

To put it another way, create a project plan for your big and little projects. David Allen’s book Getting Things Done states that anything with more than one task is considered a project.

If you struggle with chucking your work down, start with the big items and break them down from there.

Michele from Miss Task 7 habits to improve your productivity (and life)

Habit Five: Improve Your Productivity with Daily Goals

What are your top three, or create good, better, best goals if you’d like to look at it from that standpoint?

Let me explain; it would be a good day if you did ______. What is one goal? If you achieve that today you’d be happy. This one should be totally achievable.

Next, what would be a better goal? It would be a better day if you did ____ and ____. What are two goals that, if you achieve, you’d be excited?

Finally, what would be the best goal? It would be the best day if you did ____, ____ and ____. What are three goals that, if you achieved them, would be the BEST day?

Here’s an example, let’s say you’re working on drinking more water. Because water is good for your brain and your productivity, a good goal, drink 1 quart of water in the first hour you're awake.

A better goal may be to have 3 quarts of water drank by 3 pm.

The best goal would be to have 4 quarts of water drank by 6 pm.

Habit Six: Batch Like Items to Improve Your Productivity

In reality, I’m sure this is not a new one. When you batch like an item, it improves your productivity because you’re not bouncing from one thing to another thing.

You’re keeping your brain focused on one thing. When batching, using focus music with headphones keeps you from getting distracted by all the noises going on around you.

What tasks could you batch to improve your productivity?

These include setting a timer for social media engagement, batching and scheduling your social media post, and creating your pillar content.

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Habit Seven: Schedule a Hard Stop for a Productive Life

Set boundaries around your time to improve your productivity. Schedule hard stops, that regardless of what you’re doing, you must stop at this time.

This is one that I personally struggle with; not going to lie to you. If I’m on a roll, it can be difficult for me to stop in the middle of it. If this is the case, I look at what I can adjust to keep going.

Or, if it’s the end of the day, is what I’m working on more important than my daily exercise? Because I know myself, I tend to have wiggle room at the end of my day. For example, I schedule one hour to get ready; however, I know that if I absolutely need to, I could take a shower and get ready in twenty minutes. At the moment, I’ll get to choose what’s more important.

While I could go on with a few more ideas to improve your productivity, I’ll end it here.

If you like this be sure to watch here Time Wasters | Be Mindful Of Your Time

Or

read it here…. Time Wasters | Be Mindful Of Your Time

  1. Track Your Time
  2. Create Systems
  3. Create Lists
  4. Map Out Your Work
  5. Set Daily Goals
  6. Batch Like Tasks
  7. Schedule a Hard Stop
How do you prepare for a new amazing digital product launch?

How do you prepare for a new amazing digital product launch?

by | Planning-Organization-Productivity

Let me ask do you find yourself scrambling to get all the action items and next steps done when it comes to a digital product launch? Well, you need to cancel your membership to the last-minute club, stop running around like a headless chicken and create a plan to allow for your smooth next digital product launch. Heck, maybe you’re a new online entrepreneur who has no clue and is wondering how you prepare for and launch a digital product. Make sure to grab the free digital product launch checklist!

Launching is a key part of your business as a blogger and online entrepreneur. If you’re ready to reduce the stress of your next launch, it’s time to create a launch plan.

Grab your favorite pen and notebook, and let’s prepare to launch a digital product.

Yup, a checklist will make your digital product launch easy.

It’s funny; anytime I start creating a plan, I begin the process by stating out loud, “Let this be easy.” Here’s the interesting thing: I can’t explain why, but the plan comes together quickly and easily when I do this.

One other quick tip, do this during your power hours. You know the hours in the day when you have the most creative juices and clear thinking.

A good digital product launch always keeps your dream client in mind.

Here’s the big secret, a good digital product launch must solve a problem for your dream client. In addition, it must address a problem for which they are actively looking for a solution.

Let me guess; you’ve heard it a million times. But have you actually really sat down to figure it out? Here’s my true confession, this is one that I kinda didn’t do when I started my online business.

The thought of narrowing down my focus was hard for me. One of my top five strengths in the strength finder is Includer. It feels very off to me to exclude people from anything. Hey, I still struggle with this.

In order to have a smooth and successful digital product launch, you need to understand the problem that your digital product is solving. If you do not feel and understand your client's pain, they will not know that you have the solution they have been praying for.

Get crystal clear on the solution your ideal client is praying for.

A new digital product launch requires a goal.

Undeniably when you launch a digital product, you must have a goal that you’re working to achieve. Set one big overall goal, such as the number of new enrollments or a revenue number. What do you want to achieve with your launch? In addition, set good, better, and best goals.

It’s okay to launch a product more than once.

Often time online entrepreneurs will launch a product once, and if it doesn’t go well, they will abandon the product and start something new. Be that as it may, I want to encourage you to try, try, and try again.

For one thing, it may be that you didn’t have your sales page copy clear about how your new product offer solves the problem for your dream client.

Being that, tweak one thing and try again. For those in the back, tweak only one thing at a time.

Future Product Launch

When thinking about it, consider what will happen after the launch.

A lot of stress and work goes into a repeated launch model in your business. You must consider how often you’d like to launch your digital product.

If you’re launching a new membership, will you always have your membership open to enroll?

Or will you have an open and close cart for your membership enrollment at specific times during the year?

With the launch of a new membership product, you may want to leave this open and let this be the thing you’re promoting on social media.

Additionally, set a target number of members; once you hit that number, your membership will go from always open to a waiting list for new enrollment periods.

Same with a new course, will this be evergreen after the launch, or will the doors be closed for a set amount of time?

How to prepare for a Digital Product Launch for Bloggers Launching A New Digital Product

Set the budget for your new digital product launch

Now, this is important launches are a numbers game. When you launch a new product, it’s necessary to have a warm audience. This warm audience will be from your email list and possibly social media.

If you want to bump up your warm audience, you will likely invest in ads before or during your pre-launch stage.

What is your total monthly budget for ads?

Will you need to hire a contractor to run ads for you?

What platforms will you run ads on? Where does your ideal client go to look for solutions? Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook?

How do you prepare to launch a digital product?

With a Launch Checklist.
The digital product launch checklist begins with all the big milestones that need to take place to create a smooth and stress-free launch.

Start with the end in mind and your goal. Will they be joining a course, membership, or 1:1 Service?

Think of all the big milestones that they will need to go past before they get to the end goal of your launch. Think of all the things they need to happen.

After the launch, will it be cart closed and a waitlist? With it be an evergreen course?

How to prepare for a Digital Product Launch for Bloggers Launching A New Digital Product

Create a detailed plan

This is where you decide the who, what, how, and when. If you’re anything like so many of my project management clients, they want the list of all the items that must be done.

Here you go, download the digital product launch checklist.

Simple Digital Product Checklist

Scrambling at the end is zero fun. Here is a simple digital product launch checklist to help you avoid that.

Grab It Now!
Free Digital Product Launch Checklist for Bloggers Launching A New Digital Product
5 Key Questions to Ask Yourself at Mid-Year

5 Key Questions to Ask Yourself at Mid-Year

by | Goals, Planning-Organization-Productivity

Holy moly, Friend! Can you believe it is time for a mid-year review? It’s crazy. I think I mentioned to you last week during our discussion on third-quarter planning how quickly time has flown by, and it is all good. I’m not exactly sure when you’ll read this, for me in a few days, it will be the halfway point of the year. As you cross the midpoint of the year, this is the perfect time to pause and reflect on the year thus far. What are the things you've accomplished, and what are the things you're hoping you can achieve for the rest of this year? Here are five key questions to ask yourself at Mid-Year to gauge if you are on track to reach your goals. Be sure to get your hands on the free Mid-Year Review download!

Make time for a mid-year review.

Now, this is important; please schedule time for a mid-year review. If you are not honoring your desire to go after your goals, who will?
Well, of course, besides a private coach, they always hold space for belief in your goal achievement. Just sayin’ I know my coach has the belief in me as I’m tackling my mind drama. You know, when you level up, a whole other door of limiting beliefs seems to open up for you.
A mid-year review will not magically happen if you’re not mindfully setting aside time. Why not pull out your calendar right now and block off a whole day for time to reflect and plan for the months ahead. That’s why the best way to do this is by scheduling time in your calendar.
It says this is important when you create space by blocking time on your calendar for a mid-year review.

Why a mid-review is important to you

I know what you’re thinking; why is it important to do a midyear review? Because it's essential that you know where you're going and to reflect on where you’ve been.
Mid-year is a great time to pause, look back and celebrate all the accomplishments that you've gotten done so far this year.

As well as to take a look forward for the rest of the year of the things that you'd like to still achieve.

Yay! Let's celebrate your wins!

A mid-year review is a perfect time to celebrate! Be Your Own Best Cheerleader! Toot your own horn, Friend! Read this post for more on Be Your Own Cheerleader!  

Do you track all your wins?

Just saying, if you're not keeping track of your wins, you should be! Not everyone is disciplined to go after their goals. When you honor your desire for success, it's important to celebrate!

You can keep track in a success jar or write it down in a journal. I have mine in Notion in my daily journaling so that I can really pick one thing every day that I'm celebrating and grateful for.

If you need a bit of guidance on tracking your success, I’ve got you. Here is a previous post on Success Journaling to keep track of your success: 

Mid-Year Review Question One

Tell me in the comment below, what are the big and small wins you are celebrating? Now, this is important; each success deserves a little happy dance; spend a little time thanking yourself for accomplishing those!

The first question to ask yourself mid-year is:

What am I celebrating in my life and as an entrepreneur?

Michele Duwe from Miss Task YouTube On Mid-Year Review Questions

Mid-Year Review Reflection

Now that you've cleaned up all the confetti, let’s reflect. Hmm, I’m curious. Is this you? Do you run into trouble reflecting on your life and small business? Are you an entrepreneur who keeps going and doesn't take time to step back and reflect?

Not reflecting is where entrepreneurs run into trouble; they keep going and going without stepping back to reflect. Now is the time to reflect on your small business and the personal goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year.

How do those goals feel at mid-year?

Are you still aligned with your goals and where you’d like to go as an online entrepreneur?

As your online business grows and transforms, the goals that you’ve set at the beginning of the year may no longer feel in alignment. That’s okay. Here’s the big secret: you must be willing to let go of what is no longer aligned with your business and personal goals.

It’s important to reflect and do a mid-year reset to build up the steam for the remaining year in your online business.

Mid-Year Review Question Two

What big goals did you set at the beginning of the year? Are they still there? Are you still working at 'em?

Taking time to reflect is a critical piece to goal setting and goal accomplishment. You must spend time evaluating what you have done and if you’re on track to achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself at the beginning of 2022 or whatever year you’re reading this. (;

The second question to ask yourself at mid-year is:

Am I still on course to achieve the goals I set for myself in my life and as an entrepreneur? Why or why not?

Mid-Year Review Question Three

Numbers tell a story about what is working and not working in your online business.

The third question is more of a set of questions to ask yourself mid-year and will give you a realistic look at the first six months of your small business.

Here are questions to ask yourself mid-year as an audit of your numbers in your online small business.

Finances

  • What do your finances look like for the first six months?
    • Gross Revenue
    • Costs
  • How much have you paid yourself?
  • Are you on track to hit your yearly revenue goals?
  • How can you shift your offering to hit your financial goals if not?
  • How is your spending?
    • Are you on a budget?
    • Do you have any areas where you’re overspending?
  • What is your profit for the year?

Marketing

What are your marketing efforts saying to you? Begin with your website; where is your traffic coming from? Page visits? What are the blog topics or keywords that generate the most traffic?

Why do you want to know this? These would be great topics for your content calendar!

Next, check your email marketing, has your email list grown? How were the open rates? Click through rate with your call to action? Are you getting engagement from your email list?

Social Media

Finally, review your social media numbers. What is the engagement rate? Do you know what content had the best engagement? How about what content has the worst engagement? Use this information for your content calendar.

Mid-Year Review Question Four

What is your vision? You need to start with the end in mind. What is the vision for your life as an online entrepreneur? Do you know how you want your life to look three years from now?

The fourth question during your mid-year review for your online business:

Where am I going, and why?
Where do I want to be 90 days from now?
Where do I want to be by the end of this year?

Mid-Year Review Question Five

Another key piece of your mid-year review is getting honest with your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. What thoughts keep you from achieving your vision for your life and as an online entrepreneur?

The fifth question to ask yourself at mid-year is:

Where are my thoughts getting in the way of my vision for my future?

Not sure? No problem, ask it this way instead.

If I did know where my thoughts were getting in the way of my vision for the future, what would they be?

Our thoughts and feelings create our actions and results. It’s important to be mindful of what your thoughts are regarding the success of your online business.

Mid-Year Goals

To conclude your mid-review of your online business, set new goals or create a new plan on how to achieve the goals you’ve already set! If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you get there? Mid-year goal setting allows you to plan for the rest of the year!

Here are a few previous posts on goal setting for additional resources.

ttps://misstask.com/goals-daily-doing/
https://misstask.com/visually-tracking-your-2021-goals/
https://misstask.com/achieving-2021-goals/
https://misstask.com/mind-mapping-to-plan-your-goals/
https://misstask.com/mid-year-review
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Little Side Note

C.S. Lewis Quote Phone Screensaver

✁ Just a Snippet

Here is a snippet of the essential mid-year review questions for online entrepreneurs.

Schedule time in your calendar for the mid-year review

  • What am I celebrating in my life and as an entrepreneur?
  • It’s important to reflect and do a mid-year reset to build up the steam for the remaining year in your online business.
  • Conduct a mid-year audit of your financial numbers in your online small business. Are you on track to hit your revenue goals?
  • Review your marketing efforts, and check the numbers for your website, email marketing, and social media.
  • Where am I going, and why?
  • Where do I want to be 90 days from now?
  • Where do I want to be by the end of this year?
  • Where are my thoughts getting in the way of my vision for my future?
  • Reevaluate your current goals. If needed, set new goals and a plan to achieve them.
  • Mid-year goal setting allows you to plan for the rest of the year!

Michele from Miss Task here! I'm an Operations Manager with a heart to help take the headache and chaos out of running an online business from your home with your family in tow.