Work smarter, not harder! How? Like this!

Work smarter, not harder! How? In this blog post I'll give you a few tips and tricks.

Plan your day the night before

This five-minute habit is the key to massive productivity. At the end of the day, take a few minutes to write down the most important things you need to do tomorrow. Just look at your calendar, and write down what you want to have done by tomorrow.

This seems simple, but it will save you a lot of time in the morning. You already know what you're going to start with and you're not wasting those precious hours. Because in the morning you are fresh and your mind is also fresh. So choose this moment to tackle your most important tasks of the day.

Eliminate distractions

Studies show that most people don't work a full eight-hour day. In fact, many of us are only productive for two hours a day. Little huh ;). Two! That makes the other six hours filled with distractions such as social media, email and YouTube videos and you may also prefer to do the laundry in between when you work from home ;).

To stop your bad work habits, there are four ways to eliminate distractions right now:

1. Put your phone on airplane mode (unless you're expecting very important calls, or you can't really do without calling – go ahead).

2. Sign out of Slack, Messenger, Google Hangout (or whatever messaging service you use).

3. Close browser tabs you don't need (Bye Facebook, News Sites, and YouTube.)

4. Complete one task at a time and stop trying to multitask.

Take your daily rest

Find out what you need to feel healthy and energized and make this a daily ritual. You help your brain focus on doing your biggest tasks and you don't get overstrained easily. Think of a vegetable juice in the morning, a meditation session of fifteen minutes, etc. something that makes you feel good and gives you a sense of peace.

Look at the right statistics

Don't let vanity stats like Instagram followers or YouTube views distract you from what's actually moving your business forward. Prioritize the numbers that translate into business growth — aka revenue!

For example, you can focus on the number of customers you've booked this week, the size of your profit margins, or how much revenue you're bringing in. Once you've set the right goals, it's much easier to create an action plan.

Stick to your long-term vision

Don't panic if you don't have customers for a while. By maintaining a long-term vision, during the natural peaks and troughs of your company, you make smarter decisions.

Think of generating passive income, side jobs or small assignments, so that you are not 100% financially dependent on your company, until you can be. This way you can also experiment with new passions and goals without risking all your money in this.

Ignore the competition

Comparing yourself to others or trying to beat your competition is a self-sabotaging mindset. Why? Because you focus on yourself instead of serving your customers.

Your biggest advantage is your dedication and belief in your product or service. You work from your heart. No one can beat you in this.

There will always be people looking for your unique way of thinking, working, designing, product and there is more than enough demand. Focus on your own positioning and the customers will come naturally.

Do less to achieve more

It is a philosophy of doing less to achieve more. Instead of trying all things, pick a few and do them very, very well. This strategy will serve you for life, especially when it’s time to decide what services to offer. When you're feeling tired or distracted, look at your income streams and find out what's draining you — emotionally or financially — and eliminate it.

Simplification is almost always the answer if you want to reduce stress and increase results.

If you want to be responsible, keep your promises to others. If you want to be successful, keep your promises to yourself.

Love, Peggy