7 Tricks Entrepreneurs Use To Boost Productivity
Most ambitious people ask themselves a very important question once or twice in their life. What is it that makes the most successful people successful? How can someone go from ambitious and motivated to being actually wealthy, successful, and happy?
Most ambitious people ask themselves a very important question once or twice in their life. What is it that makes the most successful people successful? How can someone go from ambitious and motivated to being actually wealthy, successful, and happy?
A lot of interviews conducted with the most widely-known entrepreneurs in the world target this exact question. Moreover, a lot of businessmen share their “secrets” via videos, books, blogs, or talks. And after years of gathering this information, soon a pattern emerged from the chaos. And while everyone’s different, and each of us has different ways of triggering our productivity, there are a few universal tips and tricks that are bound to work wonders in anyone’s life and can help you become your own boss.
1. Stop Multitasking
Multitasking is a myth. No one ever said it was a productive or motivating way of conducting business. The only people who are able to handle multitasking are women, and they even need to manage it when considering business. On a more serious note, multitasking can be very counterproductive, and can unnecessarily elongate tasks.
While seemingly you are doing more, you are actually spending less, unfocused time on each of the tasks before you. In contrast, when you actually focus on one project only, you will be able to complete it in a fraction of the time, and with much higher quality.
2. Airplane Mode
A lot of entrepreneurs have stated that they work best when on the go. This is because, on an airplane, there’s nowhere to hide. It’s you, a tight seat, and a small low-quality desk with all your electronics turned off. You literally have no other choice than escape into focused work, hoping that time passes faster when doing something. And as a result, you end up being way more productive than at home or in an office where there are tons of distractions around you, and behind your screens.
Wouldn’t it be amazing to keep this effect without having to suffer through the discomfort of a crowded plane? There is, and it’s easier than you might think. A lot of very successful people choose a time of the day when they “get on the plane”. They close the door, they turn off all electronics, they even tell their secretaries to keep their office undisturbed for that x amount of time, and they get in “airplane mode”. And this seemingly small trick does wonders.
3. Structured Relaxation
The most successful people don’t leave their structure in the office (unlike their work materials). To get the maximum out of family time, relaxation, or hobbies, they need to focus on those too. This doesn’t mean that you need to force relaxation or a family dinner. This means that when they get home, they leave everything else in the office, and they concentrate solely on their loved ones and the things they are doing. When they go on their evening run, when they meditate, when they talk to their spouses, they continuously and consciously make the decision of being present at all times.
You might think “this is easy”, or even “this doesn’t even relate to productivity”, but you’d be wrong on both accounts. For the most ambitious pioneers of our society, leaving their job (their passion project) in the office is incredibly hard. This is why those who don’t structure their free time find it hard to strive socially. Secondly, this very much translates to boosting productivity, as it helps regulate your work-life balance, and it helps boost your overall well-being, ensuring that each day you enter the office relaxed, rejuvenated, and ready to work.
4. Routine Routine Routine
This probably goes without saying, but you cannot be a successful business pioneer without a daily routine. This is because all work starts on the inside. You can’t be an outstanding entrepreneur without first becoming an outstanding human being. This means managing the health of the mind, the body, and the soul.
And of course, the first thing that people have to do is ace their morning routine. While your after-work routines also materialize in your office life, the most conspicuous is the routine that directly precedes your workday. And this is your morning routine. How you slept the night before, how relaxed you are, how energetic you are, and how inspired you are, are all written on your face when you step into your office. This is why putting together your perfectly structured routine is incredibly important.
5. Tidy Desk, Tidy Mind
Photo by Patrick Ward on Unsplash
This might be a mundane and seemingly unimportant thing, but every successful entrepreneur, when talking about their routine, or when asked about it in interviews, has stated that they tidy their desks every time they leave the office. It’s all about reflecting discipline through all of your actions. By always doing this task even when it’s hard and tiring, you’re teaching yourself discipline. Also, walking into your office in the morning is much better when your desk is empty and tidy, which also promotes a great and productive workday.
6. Pinpoint Your Most Productive Time Of The Day
This is something very important when considering your daily routine, and even when considering your scheduled “airplane mode” sessions. Everyone has a time of the day when they’re at their peak performance. Some are morning people, some are night owls, some like working after lunch, while others like that afternoon punch. Whichever you are, you should highlight that time of the day every single day, and utilize it to your advantage. That is the perfect time to buckle down and get everything done in focused sessions.
7. Don’t Work Overtime
Something that most people forget is that overtime is rarely productive. Most successful entrepreneurs rarely, or never even cross that line of overtime, which is hard, considering that their job is their passion. But one of the reasons for this is that they’ve structured their days in a way that they don’t even have to think about the threat of overtime. Secondly, they know that even if there’s more to do than anticipated, the structure of their day is much more beneficial in the long run. In a lot of ways, it’s like washing off your makeup. A lot of the time you think about it, but then you realize how much of an impact one lazy day has. Also, they’ve mastered workload management in a way that even the most crowded days don’t require overtime. For these reasons, most successful businessmen advise not to be tempted by overtime, even if it’s because you’re on a roll.
Overall, there are two key ingredients onto which you can build your pillars. One of them is a structured routine, while the other is an unbothered focus. These two ingredients can result in an almost instant change in your personal and work life as well. Utilize your strengths, and make your ambition and motivation a conscious weapon when going about your day, and you’ll go from “talented” and “ambitious” to “wealthy” and “successful”.