Productivity Hacks will help you make more from less this 2016. Here at BusinessOpportunity.com we want to help you make this the most productive year possible. To that end, here are 50 of the Top Productivity Hacks from around the web. Each has a link so you can read more about it. The productivity hacks cover attitude adjustment, time management, streamlining your life and effective use of technology. Use one or two, or a dozen. They can help you reach your entrepreneurial goals in the next 12 months.
5 Productivity Hacks that Will Save You Time
Everyone could use more time, but we all get the same amount. The trick is to make the best use of the 1,440 minutes you are given to use each and every 24 hours.
Wake Up Earlier. Even 15 minutes a day, five days a week means you have an additional hour and a quarter each week. That’s an extra 4,250 minutes over the course of 50 working weeks this year. Sleep in for those two weeks of vacation.
Don’t Be Late. People will respect your time when you consistently respect theirs. Bring along a book or work to do in case the other person is late.
Use the Two-Minute Rule. David Allen’s Getting Things Done says if a task takes two minutes or less, do it now.
Use the Word No. No guilt, no regret. Just a friendly no to meetings or requests that don’t help you accomplish your goals.
Limit Facebook Time. That goes for Twitter, Instagram and other time sucks. Plan social media time, maybe 15 minutes twice a day.
6 Productivity Hacks for Dealing with Email
It’s essential to business and personal communication. But it takes over! Too many people have thousands of unread emails in their inboxes. Studies show that it can take up to 28% of the work-day of the average employee. You’re not average, but wow! That’s too much time.
What to do? Check out these hacks for taming the email tiger.
Set a Time to Deal with Email. Sounds simple, but this one approach can streamline your email life.
Use Canned Responses. Instead of typing the same thing over and over, just set up canned responses in Gmail so you can quickly send them out.
Unsubscribe. Everyone signs up for way too much. Then can’t remember why. Set up an hour to ruthlessly purge your subscribe to list. Less to read.
Use Keyboard Shortcuts. This tiny hack is worth the few minutes it takes to familiarize yourself with what does what. For example, in Gmail Ctrl + Enter will send your message. Ctrl + . moves you to the next window.
Search, Don’t Use Folders. Searching is faster and more efficient. Setting up a folder system takes time and you still can’t find stuff.
Write Short Subject Lines. These take less time to write and they also stand a better chance of getting opened by recipients.
6 Productivity Hacks to Help You Plan (Your Day, Your Week, Your Life)
People who write down their goals are nine time more likely to accomplish them than people who don’t. Invest your time in planning and scheduling to achieve what you want in life.
Plan Your Day. Write down what you want to get done. Be specific and realistically estimate your time. Limit yourself to three to five important tasks each day. It will keep you focused.
Prioritize. Number your tasks in order of importance. At the end of the day, you will have accomplished the most necessary. Good feeling.
Give Each Day a Theme. For example, Monday is blogging day, Tuesday is webinar day, Wednesday is person-to-person sales day. Be creative. What do you need to concentrate on to move your business forward?
Write Down Follow-Through Tasks. If you don’t follow-up with your contacts, it’s all for nought. Write down what you need to do: email, phone call, find a file. Then schedule it into your planner.
Do a Sunday Plan for the Week. Set up goals for the coming week. Align them with your yearly and life goals.
Track Goal Progress. Gotta know where you’re going in order to track progress.
6 Productivity Hacks for Focus
If you can’t stay focused, all the time-saving hacks in the world won’t help you reach your goals. Here is a roundup of effective ways to concentrate.`
Use FocusBooster. Based on the 80/20 principle, this handy timer app gives you 25 minutes to focus on the job, then a 5 minute rest. Works great!
Avoid Distractions. Yeah, sure, easy to say. But try this: put just one thing in front of you, one task at a time. Multi-tasking is so last decade. Turn off your phone, clear off your desktop.
Go for a Walk. Even 15 minutes outdoors can give your brain the R&R it needs to tackle a project.
Break Down Your Time. Instead of saying you’ll spend all day on a project, break it into chunks: one hour for research, 30 minutes for interviewing the expert, an hour and a half to write the first section, etc.
Meditate. It’s not just for Yoginis. Regular meditation can increase your ability to focus exponentially.
Set a deadline. Our brains work with more determination and focus when we give them a set deadline. Fear works!
8 Productivity Hacks to Take Care of Your Body
No body, no business. That’s why we have eight to suggest. How well you treat your body determines your energy levels and brain power.
Go to the Doctor. Start off the year with a physical. Don’t keep putting it off. Treat your body with respect. Find problems early and deal with them.
Eat Clean. What you eat affects hour productivity and your overall health. Avoid junk food, eat more vegetables and fruits and high quality protein.
30 Minutes of Exercise Daily. Think you don’t have half an hour to move your body. HA. Do it five minutes at a time. Five minutes on the stairs. Five minutes walking to your next appointment. You can do it!
Strength Train. You need muscles for more than lifting your child. You need them to keep you energetic and able to withstand the stress of business ownership. Get on a regular routine, start small, don’t give up.
Stay Flexible. Do Yoga, Tai Chi or other types of stretching regularly. Keep your body flexible to handle stress and help you power through your day.
Don’t Sit Too Much. Sitting has a negative impact on your health and longevity. You want to stick around to enjoy your success. Get up and move around every hour during the day.
Do Martial Arts. Choose any type of martial arts that requires focus and consistency. It will train your body and your mind for the rigors of the marketplace.
Take Supplements. Consider taking supplements, at least a good daily vitamin, to keep your body on an even keep and to maximize focus and energy. Research before you buy and keep a wary eye on snake oil. Check with a nutritionist if you have questions.
10 Productivity Hacks to Avoid Procrastination
Everyone hates to do something. When you procrastinate, you use up valuable brain space to worry and stress. Like that successful business says, Just Do It. Here are a few hacks to make it easier.
FocusWriter. Do you start checking Facebook as soon as your sit down to write a report or your next blog post. This app creates a distraction-free interface, no menus or clutter. Just sit down and write.
StayFocused. This handy app for Chrome blocks out the internet for a period that you decide. No more Facebook, no more YouTube. You can do it!
Freedom. Stop being distracted by your computer. This covers all devices (Mac, Windows, iPad, iPhone). You can create an unlimited list of website and apps that distract you or block the entire internet for times when you need to do not disturb.
FocusLock. Is it your phone you can’t stay away from? This effective app will keep you off your Android by blocking all notifications for a set period.
Chunk It Down. Take your big goal and break it down into bite-size pieces. Some may take just a few minutes, other 15 or 30 minutes. Your brain will be happier to tackle them, and less likely to procrastinate.
Use a To Do List. Use a To Do list constructively. Checking items off feels so great.
Use Stickk.com. Make a contract with yourself. If you don’t get a project done on time, you have to pay $X to a group you hate. Great counter-motivation.
Use Posture. Stick out your chest, put your chin up and hands on your hips. You’re Superman or Wonder Woman. You can power through the task at hand!
Write Down Your Problems. When you put down on paper what is bothering you, it relieves stress in your mind that is stopping you from taking action. Journaling daily is an excellent way to stay productive.
Change Your Surroundings. Move to Starbucks for the day. A chance of scenery can work wonders. Your brain thinks it’s a new project so quits procrastinating on it.
Make Yourself Comfortable. Studies show that offices that are too warm reduce productivity. The same goes for a wiggly chair, a computer that is too low or bad lighting. Make yourself comfortable and you’ll be less likely to procrastinate.
7 Productivity Hacks for Dealing with People
You can’t avoid them, but other people can seriously disrupt your productivity. Here are a few ways to stay friends but still get more done.
Reduce or eliminate meetings. Meetings are necessary sometimes. But keep them short. If you have them twice a week, have one face-to-face and one via Skype. Or eliminate it completely. Experiment, keep reducing the number and length.
Use Voice Mail. Let all of your phone calls go directly to voice mail. Treat them like email. Set aside two periods in the day to listen to all your calls and return them.
Remember Names. This reduces guilt and makes the other person feel really good. It helps you make the most of your networking time.
Make Others Feel Good. Maya Angelou is usually credited with this. If you treat others kindly and with respect, you don’t have to go back to fix the effects of your rudeness. One of the all-time best productivity hacks.
Smile. Forget difficult-to-master and elaborate introduction rituals and power plays. Just smile at the other person. They will like you right off the bat. You will feel good too.
Avoid Arguments. Getting into an argument and trying to win it are among the most unproductive ways you can spend your valuable time. Simply avoid them.
I Need Your Help. Don’t waste time hem’ing and haw’ing when you want to ask a favor of someone else. Simply state it up front. The fact is, people love to do things for others. It gives them a chance to feel goodhearted and to show off their expertise.
2 Productivity Hacks to Stay Organized
If you can’t find what you need, you are wasting time. There are apps and systems too numerous to mention that will help you stay on top of your data and your devices. Here is one app and one habit, both essential for staying on top of your workload.
Evernote. This handy app is free! And it works. You can clip information, organize it and share it. Everything is synced among all your devices.
Delegate. Trying to do it all wastes time. And you can’t do everything well. Get help. Even startup entrepreneurs can hire a VA for an hour or two a week.
That’s it. Add in a hack here, a hack there. Each one will add to your productivity this year, helping you accomplish more. Kill it in 2016!
