5 ways to be MORE Productive

When I was #ontheroadtofulltime, there were definitely times in my business where I felt like I ALL my worries would be resolved if only I worked from home. Now that I am full-time for my business, I LOVE working from home, but it comes with it’s own trials. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade it for the WORLD, but there are definitely areas of my business where I struggle because I work from home. One of those is productivity!!

It’s easier to be productive when you are in an environment that encourages it; it’s so much harder to be productive when you can be easily distracted … like your home!! It’s crazy to me that I have now been full-time for ONE YEAR (ah!), and in that time I have learned more about what works and what doesn’t in terms of my productivity. Today I am going to share 5 tips I learned for being productive when you work from home!!

1) A Routine – I find that when I throw out “routine”, nothing gets done!! I encourage you to treat your business for exactly what it is – a business!! I have established “office hours” and a dress code. Now, the dress code absolutely included yoga pants & leggings:) I didn’t say your dress code shouldn’t be COMFORTABLE!:) I found that when I rolled out of bed and started working before showering, brushing my hair or even putting on a bra, I would get lethargic & loose momentum. Now when I get up, I fix breakfast, shower and/or change clothes & prepare for the day. I allow myself the privilege of routine JUST LIKE a 9-5, it’s just my own routine!:)

2) Block Scheduling – Similar to a routine, it helps to prepare your mind for the things you need to establish during your day. I am the most productive when I block schedule my day and conquer those tasks accordingly. I am the least productive when I have 10+ tabs open in Safari and I’m trying to do a dozen things at once! As much as I LOVE multi-tasking, even multi-taskers have their limits!! For me, block scheduling looks like this:

8-9a Emails

9-11 Creative at Heart

11-12p Brides

12-1 Lunch/Break

1-3 Brides

3-4 Projects

4-5 Emails

This is a SIMPLE example of block scheduling, but I wanted to show you how HELPFUL it can be for your business (and your sanity!). This way, I can truly focus on the things I need to focus on during their “block”. I’m able to tackle more things AND tackle them WELL!! I encourage you to sit down and think about the things you need to do on a average workday. Categories them & create a block scheduling system for yourself, then try it for 2 weeks & see what you think!

3) Systems –  “Systems” could be an ENTIRE blog post!! I use several systems for my business: Honeybook, Trello, Google drive, and Planogr.am, to name a few!

Honeybook: Client Management Software – I am able to send contracts, invoices, questionnaires, timelines, etc.. I can manage all of my clients for DSE in a professional & timely manner!

Trello: List management system – Trello manages my every growing to-do list & allows me to update/edit on any device! I use it for both DSE & C@H and can’t image life without it!!!

Google Drive: The C@H Team and I use Google Drive for everything. It’s wonderful because we can all access it & update things as needed; I also love that I can see it on my phone!

Planogr.am – Instagram planning/scheduling – I talked more about Planogr.am in this post. Bottom line: it’s amazing!:)

4) Taking breaks – This one may seem silly, but taking breaks can actually increase your productivity!! You need to allow yourself time off in order to be your most productive self when you ARE working!! For me, this means I give myself a true “lunch break” where I can turn off “work mode” and watch TV, eat my meal, walk the dog, etc.. It also means that my work week looks a bit different than a traditional 9-5. For example, because I usually work Saturday’s, I give myself Monday’s off. Monday’s are my day to run errands, sleep in, do laundry… I treat Monday’s like a Saturday and it’s a really great way for me to be MORE product Tues-Fri since I won’t have those things on my mind!!

5) Switching things up – This is another big one for me!!! Some days, you just want to work from the couch. Some days, my pink office is the most inciting. And some days I need a coffee shop environment to put me in the mood. The beauty of working from home is that YOU are in control!! Don’t be afraid to switch things up every few days, or whenever you’re in the mood!! A new environment can do wonders on your productivity!!

BONUS TIP 6) This one may not apply to anyone else, so I don’t want to include it as my “5”!!! But wearing headphones EVEN when I’m the only one in my house, helps me to get SO MUCH more work done!!! I don’t know if it’s because I used to work with headphones in all the time in college?! Whatever it is, I am 3x more productive if I turn up the tunes, plug in my headphones & get to work!!! I’m currently wearing them as I write this post!! Try it for yourself & let me know what you think!!:)

Do these resonate with you? What helps you be productive when you work from home?! 

xo!! kat

Image via Shay Cochrane & the SC Stock Shop