In keeping with our October theme of Falling (back) into Good Habits, today we’re going to explore three productivity hacks that wildly successful people put into place to ensure they are optimizing their days and maximizing their talents.

In transparency, I will attest I am currently implementing only 1.5 of these productivity hacks on a consistent basis. So I suppose by that measure, even the most wildly successful of us still has room to grow. (Cue eye roll and facetious chuckle here. I know I just did.) 

Let’s explore further and see what resonates with you today.

1. Oy! The Distractions – Chunk your emails, texts, and voicemails together and reply to them, at once, at a set time(s)!

  • This hack ties deeply to the idea that single-tasking and distraction avoidance can yield big productivity dividends. When we’re constantly stopping to read and reply, we can’t make any significant progress on our major initiatives.
  • Set specific time slots, two or three times a day, to respond in chunks to all incoming communication.
  • Make these 2-3 chunks of time realistic so you’re not extending beyond the time you’ve allotted and protect this time on your calendar.

2. A Little Investment Saves A Lot –  What do you do over and over throughout the workweek that you can automate and delegate?

  • We’ve talked about delegation many times before. This is a bit of a different take as I’m asking you to put in a little more effort in the thought process here to save time later. 
  • Is there something that will take you a couple of hours to work on now so that it will save you time over a consistent basis, long term?
  • Is there an investment in technology that you need to make to help automate one of your processes? Is it time to think about making that investment now to save later?

3. Stop Being A Venture Capitalist (unless of course you are literally a venture capitalist) – Narrow the ventures you’re involved in!

  • Working simultaneously on too many endeavors causes all endeavors to slow down, stand still, wait on you, and sometimes regress. 
  • Focus on saying yes to what matters most and no to what matters less.
  • Not everyone or everything needs you.

I’m hanging in pretty strong with #3 and 1/2 of #1. I’ve got some work to do for sure on #2 and always #1. 

Where are you NOW?
Where do you want to be NEXT?
Which of the 3 hacks will you tackle first?