Owning a business gives you a sense of freedom & empowerment. You can build things & watch them grow. Entrepreneurs make decisions for themselves, realize their creative visions, & develop lasting relationships with other entrepreneurs, customers, & vendors. โPractice makes a man perfectโ. In todayโs rigorous lifestyle, improvement is more sought after than perfection. In the first place, perfection can be attained by repeating the same tasks whilst for achieving improvement an individual needs to be adaptive and hard working. Embracing newer changes and implementing those changes in oneโs practice are important traits to possess. So the question is- How can an entrepreneur beat the odds and see their dream come true? Letโs take a look at the 8 highly value productivity tips that you can use to switch off for the greater good and increase your productivity and motivation for your business.
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Practicing mindfulness throughout the day allows you to make the best use of your time. Each morning it helps you prepare for the day ahead by helping you stay focused and energized. It also helps you to get some quiet time to reflect on successes and opportunities for growth. This can be reading, meditating or praying. Take these moments to be thankful for all we have and it can serve as fuel to move you forward.
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If one is not in control of their schedule and priorities, then others will determine what it should be and what they decide might not be very pleasant. So, whether it is your meeting calendar, daily or weekly goals, projects, or your weekend plans, if you are not taking charge of them then either you will have to accept what is being planned on your behalf or get frustrated. This doesn’t mean that you should have disregard for input, but you should take ownership and proactive action. Success comes to those who do not just plan well but execute with the same rigor.
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What often sets people apart is their level of creativity. Therefore, every morning do at least two things that help you think in a more creative, fresh way. This can be exercise and mediation with reading business-related books and articles. Readings help you find new concepts that inspire you and also help you think through ideas in new and different ways. Habits like these can help you with a little extra motivational boost.
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writing down ideas is key to business success. When you have an idea or dominant thought, write it down. This can be meetings, ideas, inspirations or phrases from others, and of course, the to-do lists. This way, you donโt forget it and you free up valuable mind space that can be used for productive work and also it’s remembered in a lot more detail. And make sure that every few days you take a look back at your notes and lists, and make new, updated lists. Wouldn’t you love crossing things off the list when accomplished or completed? It’s such a satisfying part of the process. Remember, your brain is not a storage space for thoughts and ideas, itโs a generator of thoughts and ideas. The more you โstoreโ in your brain, the less room there is for generating new ideas. โI think the number one thing that I take with me when Iโm traveling is the notebook โฆ I could never have built the Virgin Group into the size it is without those few bits of paper โฆ If you have a thought but donโt write it down, by the next morning it may be gone forever.โ โ Richard Branson
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Start with your most impactful task. By the time you get to the office, you’ve already trained for hours and fully charged with ideas of how you’re going to accomplish the goal before you get distracted by the whirlwind.Before each workday, make a list of the top three things that you need to accomplish that will make the biggest impact on moving your business forward. And stay focused on completing each task one at a time, and donโt allow other distractions or small tasks take over your day.
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In todayโs culture which idolizes the sovereign hero or heroine who โdoes it all,โ you are still only one person. It is simply not possible or even practical to attempt to do everything yourself. Some tasks are better suited for someone with different experience and training. Other times, you may be the best person for the job, but there is not enough time in the day, or you would have to run your wellness into the ground to accomplish it all.In these times, itโs better to outsource the task and prioritize keeping yourself well to focus on what you can do and where you are needed most. Take care of yourself first, and watch your business productivity soar โ after all, as an entrepreneur, you are your business.Remember that your role as an entrepreneur is to build the company, not to manage all the small details of it. So, specific attention should be given to delegating effectively. Find someone to do the easy tasks that donโt require an expert. On the opposite side, find someone for the tasks which do require expertise. Clarify all duties and responsibilities from the start. Open up clear communication channels. Let those you delegate to contribute so they become more valuable over time. When your delegation plan is in place, go back to your mindset and let your team do what they are supposed to do (but donโt micro-manage).
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Think online and automated! In todayโs entrepreneurial world and business climate, you have to become tech savvy to compete in regard to all aspects of productivity management, such as time, costs, data, sales & marketing, human resources โ any aspect of your business. There are numerous softwares and online applications that are available for free or for a free trial with paid upgrade. These allow you to keep all important documents, emails and data available for use 24/7 in real time. They allow you and your team incredible flexibility. Business can be conducted from anywhere at any time on laptops, smart phones, notebooks and tablets. Now that you are up-to-date technically, you should consider who is going to manage your automation? This brings up the topic of using Virtual Assistants (VA). The simple definition of a VA is someone who works for you โoff premisesโ. Different entrepreneurs have different reasons for hiring a VA. Some of them are:
- Their business is growing and they canโt keep up with the daily tasks.
- They become overwhelmed by scheduling meetings, calls or emails.
- They want to focus on only the work they want to do.
- They realize that someone else can do something better than they can.
- They find themselves ignoring core tasks.
- They have a conflict between their business needs and personal errands.
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Last but definitely the most important is to say ‘Thank You’ and the value of taking the time to celebrate the little things each day. A simple ‘thank you’ or having a ‘Happy Place’ Slack channel, these random outbursts of excitement not only make employees and teams feel good but also build a culture of gratitude.