Do you start the day feeling determined to get through your spa or massage practice “to do” list but end it with only half of the items are checked off? If that sounds familiar, it’s time to make some changes to boost your productivity so you don’t have those lingering feelings of always being behind. In “10 Ways to Become the Most Productive Person Around,” Matt Mayberry, contributing writer for Entrepreneur, points out some specific things to do for more energy and relieve stress that will help your productivity:
Eat to win
What we eat affects focus, energy and well-being. “A junk food diet will lead to junk food performance,” Mayberry asserts. So don’t be tempted by a doughnut and latte to get you off to a good start. Set yourself up with foods that help you concentrate, make you feel good and give you the “get up and go” to be productive.
Jumpstart your day with a workout
Start your day with a workout to get you blood flowing and release endorphins that may be causing the morning blues. A good workout releases stress and increases energy to help you feel “super charged” to take on the day.
Drink up
Don’t automatically go for a cup of coffee for a quick “pick me up” if you are feeling tired or sluggish. Our bodies, which are made up of over 70% water, need proper hydration. When you are feeling sluggish, you may be dehydrated, so drink up.
Take a walk or eat lunch away from work
Taking a lunchtime stroll is a great way to rejuvenate. Also eating lunch outside of the work place or going for a midday walk helps to clear your mind of clutter and distractions from earlier in the day.
Here are some other ways to help make sure you accomplish what you set out to do each day:
Don’t get sidetracked
Don’t let small tasks get you off course from the larger projects you need to focus on. Unless something is an emergency – a real one and not a fire drill – stick to your ‘to do’ list and try to delegate small tasks to someone else on your team.
Set times to check email
Checking email can be a real time sink. Set aside times each day to check email – that goes for voice mail as well. Experts offer a range of suggestions on just how often you should you check email throughout the day. Four to five times seems to be about right. Figure out what works for you in terms of getting the things done you need to and stick with it.
Learn to say no
You can’t do it all and you shouldn’t. You probably get requests for things from your staff to do things that they should be able to handle on their own with a little guidance from you. Or maybe you’ve filled up your extracurricular time with too many volunteer tasks and responsibilities. Learn to say no to avoid spreading yourself too thin.
Set deadlines
Try to set deadlines to get tasks done, such as checking on retail product inventory or working on a new marketing email for a special massage therapy promotion for new clients. Sometimes by imposing a deadline, you get things done even faster.
And even with the best of intentions, something may throw a monkey wrench in your day. Don’t let it throw you off. Deal with it and you’ll get caught up soon enough with some of these tips.