10 Rituals That Morning People Use To Start Successful Days

The early bird catches the worm. Morning people have the advantage of a head start. However, they do not count their success on the chance of spotting a shooting star at dawn. Instead, they create a routine and stick to it. Here are 10 morning rituals that help morning people succeed.

1. They get up an hour early

It is easier for a morning person than for an evening soul to wake before the crack of dawn. Successful morning people don’t take this ability lightly. They consider it one of their many strengths to be nurtured. And we all know that promoting our strengths is the key to success. When you make waking up early a habit, you will have an extra hour a day, everyday, to do more and achieve more.

2. They do exercise

When morning people work out, they get their circulation going and clear their mind. Their body feels better and their thinking gets clearer. Would you agree that it would be a big push for a day of productivity? Then, pick up your running shoes or a yoga mat and start your blood going. You will be grateful for it later.

3. They go outside to breathe in fresh air

The freshness of the morning air is good for both the body and the mind. One of the first thing a highly achieving person often does in the morning is to step outside. The morning dew reminds her of a new day when she can again start afresh and strike for the best.

4. They list the priorities of the day

Everyday you have a lot of things to do. Finish up a project for the new client. Take your kids to school. Reply to the emails that have been piling up in your inbox. Pick up the dry-cleaning for your wife. And so on. Before digging into any of those many things, a morning person will take a few minutes to pick out a few priorities. Those are the things that you consider most urgent or matter the most.

5. They visualise their steps during the day

An effective way to get things done is to plan ahead. Morning people often map out the whole day way before they start it. What needs to be done? How many steps it involves? Everything can be planned roughly, say, in the shower.

6. They set goals

A day is not only about ticking off task after task. It is about achieving new things and reaching to a higher level. Successful people often take time to set goals in the morning. What do you want to achieve with this project? Where are you going with mentoring that colleague? Ask yourself questions relating to your goals so you stay focused on achievement.

7. They eat a healthy breakfast

Sometimes there is a temptation to just grab whatever is in the fridge for breakfast, or even to rush out without having it. But neither of these are a good idea. Morning people know better. They make a wholesome breakfast which they enjoy peacefully before whatever hectic day unfolds. Healthy food fuels your body properly and helps you maintain focus throughout the day.

8. They make a perfect cup of coffee, and just sit and think

Morning people have the luxury of time to brew a cup of coffee (or tea) perfectly. The drink not only wakes them up but also gives them the chance to sit down and reflect on life. That is the time for you to be thankful for your beautiful kid or your loving partner. Then there are the exciting projects you are taking on and the helpful colleagues you work with. By the cup of coffee, you reconnect with what is important in your life and the reasons why you get out of bed each morning.

9. They greet others with a smile

A happy morning soul often greats everyone including strangers. You open up yourself to others. What is more, an friendly good morning with a big smile is contagious. You are helping both you and others relax into a good day.

10. They clear their desk

They recycle yesterday’s newspaper. They tidy up their files and put things back where they belong. Morning people like to start fresh. It is important for their success to keep their place and their mind uncluttered.

Are you a morning person? What are your personal experiences? How far are you in building these habits? Share your thoughts with us.

Featured photo credit: Man watching sunrise on balcony/Ed Gregory via stokpic.com

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10 Reasons You Haven’t Started Your Business and Why They’re Just Excuses

Everyone dreams of being the proud owner of a successful multimillion-dollar business someday. Why you haven’t started your business today is not because you do not have an idea worth selling. You probably haven’t started your business due to one of the reasons I will outline in this post.

When you’re through with this post and you still think your reason for not starting your business is justified, then you’re just not cut-out to be a business owner.

1. Lack of Funds

Most successful companies you know of today started with as little as just their laptop and a desire to change the world. Mark Zuckerberg wasn’t the richest kid in Harvard when he started The Facebook. But he knew he was up to something big and he didn’t allow financial obstacles to stop him.

Your own is not to worry about the money. Just focus on bringing that idea out there. All you need is a perfect combination of the right marketing skills and the drive to create something that the world needs. Soon investors will fall over themselves to become stakeholders in your business.

2. You Do Not Have a Co-founder

At start, people may not believe in your idea. Convincing someone to leave their comfortable and stable 9-5 job to join you on your risky adventure to success might seem too big a chance to take. But with the right offer, and a good reason to do so, you can get your dream co-founder to become your business partner. This goes back to honing your marketing skills.

And if you’re unable to convince anyone to become your partner, just focus on bringing your idea out to the world. As you go on running your business, you might discover you do not actually need a co-founder in the first place.

3. The Market is Too Crowded

If you’re in a business that has no competition, it probably means you’re in a business that makes no profit. If AirBnB was afraid of entering into a competitive or already crowded market, it would not have been the multibillion dollar company it is today.

When your business idea serves an already crowded market, eliminate the common solution to the problem and create an alternative to that solution. That way, you carve your own niche. That was what AirBnB did with the hotel and travel industry and it became one of the biggest name in the industry today.

Lyft and Uber entered an extremely saturated market as well. They both changed the face of the industry by using the one method I mentioned above.

4. No one believes in your dream

You do not need everyone to believe in your dream. You only need yourself to do. And if you do, then pursue your dream with all your strength. Stop looking for validation from others. Stop caring whether they believe in you or not.

If Steve Jobs was concerned with the number of naysayers he talked about being the number one computer manufacturer in the world to, the Apple we all know today wouldn’t have existed.

5. You Do Not Know What to Name Your Company

Your business name is how your customers will differentiate you from your competitors, but you should not burden yourself with that either. If you find it hard to come up with a brilliant name for your company, you can list for the help of others.

Margot Bushnaq, CEO of BrandBucket.com says: “Most entrepreneurs struggle to find the perfect name, and often feel it’s hard to start working on the business without naming it. Thinking “lean” can help you get over that hurdle. The faster you decide on a name, the sooner you can invest your time in what matter most, your business. But keep in mind that Lean Branding is not about shortcuts or settling, it’s about being smart, streamlined, and speedy. And most of all, it’s about starting. So limit your decision makers, pinpoint your overall brand feel and start brainstorming. Once you have found a few name you like, make the final decision and move on to other tasks”

6. You Want to Start Big

Wanting to start big is one other reason you haven’t started your business. When you’re waiting till you have one million dollars in cash before you start your business, you may wait forever. No big business started big. Start with what you have and take that very first step.

Don’t be afraid to start small. Starting small is a sign that you’re courageous and that is a vital entrepreneurial asset. By taking that very first step today, you are activating your subconscious to prepare for success.

7. You’re Afraid Of Failing

The fear of failure is the biggest reason most people do not pursue their dreams. Such a mindset will keep you from trying new things.

The fear that you’re going to fail is only an excuse to keep yourself from becoming a successful entrepreneur. You need to learn to embrace failure if you’re going to ever start a successful company. Think of the big companies of today. Even as big and successful as they are, yet they fail at many things.

It’s only by failing that we learn to improve our ideas. So if you’re not starting your business because you’re afraid of failing, you might be missing on the very opportunity to improve yourself.

8. People Have Always Mocked Your Ideas

It’s good if people have mocked your ideas before. It helps you develop a thick skin needed to play the role of a successful entrepreneur. Forget about the do-no-goods that hide their weakness by playing on that of others.

When you have new ideas and your friends or colleagues are always mocking them without giving you any constructive feedback, you know it’s time to change your friends. Don’t hold back from launching that great idea into the world for others to benefit from it.

9. You Don’t Know What to Charge

The area of putting a price on what you’ve invented is where most entrepreneurs are constantly ill-equipped. There are several philosophies on how to price your products and inventions, but I’d advice to let that be the least of your concerns.

Start it first. Put it in the market and you will have the opportunity to adjust your price to the weather of the market. But if you keep tinkering on how to price your idea, you might end up not bringing it into light.

10. You’re Not Fully Prepared to Start Your Business

You know what Mark Zuckerberg usually says about preparation? “It’s done is better than it’s perfect”. While you’re waiting for your idea to be perfect, several others have launched the same idea and have made a lot of reiterations to it.

Stop waiting to have the perfect ideas before you start. By the time you’re waiting to perfect it, others will have started and overtaken you significantly.

Conclusion

If it’s your dream to own a successful business one day, then today is the day you should start it. Don’t wait for the big money to come. Don’t wait till it’s perfect. Just start.

What other reason is keeping you from starting your business? Share it with us in the comments below and let someone help you out.

Featured photo credit: Steven Depolo/Child Entrepreneur Lemonade Stand 50 Cents Each Qiqi Lourdie via flickr.com

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11 Ways To Stay Productive When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep

New parents, creative insomniacs, night owls with early bird schedules – we all suffer from a similar problem. We need more sleep, but we also need to be productive. As one who regularly drank 6-10 cups of coffee a day throughout his early twenties, I understand your pain. You don’t get enough sleep, but your desire for productivity is likely the main reason why you don’t get enough sleep. What a miserable paradox!

Let’s face it. Chugging more coffee, and God-forbid energy drinks, really doesn’t cut it. You and I both know caffeine does not equal productive energy. But what, if anything, is a better alternative? Here are eleven ways you can stay productive, even when you don’t get that much needed sleep.

1. Talk to people.

When you engage another person in conversation (even if it’s your cat!), you effectively turn the key in your brain’s ignition. You have to construct conversational pieces, listen to what the other is saying, respond, and typically use physical gestures throughout the conversation. All of these factors ramp up focus.

Now that you’re focused, shift the focal point to your to-do list. It’s much easier to shift focus from one task to another than it is to create focus. Set aside 30 minutes to 1 hour out of your day to chat up a storm with a friend or coworker, and the rest of your day will be spent far more efficiently.

2. Exercise under bright lights 3-4 hours before going to bed.

There’s two clusters of cells located behind your eyes called the suprachiasmatic nuclei, commonly known as the biological clock. These clusters are directly connected to your pupils, so when you view bright light, your biological clock gets a wake up call, which is why you feel so much better waking up with the sunrise rather than before it.

We all know that exercising gives us more energy, because it strengthens our body while releasing endorphins. When you exercise under bright lights, there’s an exponential or synergistic effect. You’re body actually gains and keeps more energy because it has a boost from both the bright light and from the exercise. All of this extra, natural energy allows you to stay better focused and at a higher pace, enabling you to be more productive.

On the plus side, if you do this 3-4 hours before going to bed, you’ll get more of what the psychologists call “slow-wave sleep,” which is the phase of sleep your body needs to heal or repair itself, that will also allow you to be more productive.

3. Drink a lot of cold water.

Substitute two cups of coffee a day with a cold, 16 oz glass of water, and you’ll feel just as energetic with a clearer mind. Doctors recommend doing this to start your day, because the extra water gives your body a kickstart. It fuels your cells, which fuel your organs, which fuel your entire body.

When you’re dehydrated, say from too much coffee, you becomes sluggish, causing you to be less productive. By replacing a bit of coffee with water (or Propel or G2) you’re enabling yourself to be more lively, which makes you more productive.

4. Surround yourself with the smell of coffee.

You do not actually need to drink more coffee. Studies show that simply smelling coffee stimulates the brain, making one happier. Studies also show that happy people are 10-12% more productive than those who are not happy. Smell coffee. Stay happy. Be productive.

5. Take a pen, and just start writing.

It’s easy to be working on something, or trying to start, and be stuck mentally. To get your thoughts and motivation flowing, move around a little bit. Don’t start doing pilates in the middle of the office, but pick up a tool you can physically write with, and write out whatever’s going through your head, or everything you need to do for the day.

Every time I “just can’t even,” I pick up the mini whiteboard at my desk, and write out the first thing that pops in my head. Then I steadily connect that to what I need to get done and how I need to do it. It’s an easy and quick way to keep yourself productive when you haven’t slept much.

6. Pick another subject.

When you’re tired, it’s especially easy to become burnt out or bored with a particular topic. If you can’t focus on one task, pick something else to work on. Maybe you have an assignment due by the end of the day, but you simply can’t focus on it at the moment. Find something else! Pick a few, simple tasks that you can check off quickly. You’ll feel much better about having done so, and that confidence will help you finish that boring assignment.

7. Choose the right kind of background music.

Studies upon studies show that the Mozart Effect is false, but that music does play a significant role in comprehension and productivity. If you need to focus on reading, writing, editing, or comprehending what’s in front of you, then slow (under 96bpm), simple instrumental music will help you stay more productive. For example, anything by Hammock or The Album Leaf or XX is golden for productive background music. Having a bit of consistent background noise stimulates the brain without distracting or overloading it. Thus, you can be more productive.

8. Break it down.

Your brain is programmed to respond positively to the completion of tasks and achievements. So break down projects and tasks into smaller achievements, like building a chart for the spreadsheet you need to make, or forming a rough draft of a plan, or choosing a title for your next piece of content.

By focusing on smaller tasks you’re able to feel better about the work you’re doing, and you’re actually able to do more because of the positive stimulus of checking off more tasks. Every little thing helps when you’re not getting enough sleep.

9. Hide your cell phone.

There’s a lot of things that happens to our bodies when they don’t get enough sleep. One is that they become more susceptible to impulses. We already check our cell phones 150 times a day, and 67% of us do so without even receiving a notification first.

One of the keys to productivity and time management at any stage is removing distractions. Particularly when you’re sleep-deprived, it’s important to remove impulsive distractions created by your phone. Your time is important, and you want to be productive. Keep your cell on silent, and maybe put it in a drawer. You’ll be more productive because you won’t be completely distracted by every impulse.

10. Stay standing.

You’re already tired from not sleeping well, which means your body will try to rest as soon as you get comfortable at your desk. Fighting this is pretty simple. Move around or just use a stand-up desk. If you’re moving, you’re not resting. This allows you to be more productive for longer.

11. Work on creative tasks first.

The last thing you want to do after not getting enough sleep is try to focus on some boring task. Even if it’s lower on your priorities scale, work on your creative assignments first. This helps people stay productive because creative assignments are often more enjoyable, which means people engage those assignments at a higher level, allowing them to complete those tasks more efficiently.

After finishing you’ll feel great about having completed something you enjoyed doing! This will make the dull work you have to do later not feel as bad, meaning you’ll be able to engage that work more productively as well.

Even though you desperately need sleep, you’ll still be productive as ever!

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Become A Student Entrepreneur in 6 Easy Steps

Have you ever wondered how the likes of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Matt Mullenweg, and other student entrepreneurs had the time to birth such successful business brainchildren between all the heavy demands of college work, beer pong, and keg stands? It is a marvel indeed, at least at first glance. Ever since the explosion of the internet and its plethora of resources, more students than ever are considering starting their own businesses, and for good reason too. Starting a business—online especially—has become a much more accessible enterprise.

Sadly, it can be extremely difficult to know where to start, especially when you’re maintaining high standards in your college work. That being said, if you arm yourself with the correct set of procedures, you’ll find that the R&D of your idea becomes a much simpler and less frustrating affair. Below are 6 easy-to-follow steps you need in order to begin on your road to entrepreneurship. Quickly summarised, these include:

1. Knowing your strengths and interests.
2. Having a unique idea.
3. Knowing thy enemy (competition).
4. Being a man/woman with a plan.
5. Surrounding yourself with the successful in your industry.
6. Knowing your paperwork.

If you can nail the points above, you’ll find yourself in Forbes magazine before you can say tax reform. Let’s take a close look.

Featured photo credit: #WBSA via wbsa.co.uk

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11 Differences Between Busy People And Productive People

I spent a day with the world’s number one ultraman Kilian Jornet back in 2010. He told me about the difference between his life in the mountains and the life he sees in the city.

Kilian spends most of his life in the mountains. He will run up and down Everest next year. He has already run up and down Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, Montblanc and Cervino (setting the record for the fastest ascent on each). He says that he knows his destination, but is often doubtful about the exact path – he is very aware of surroundings, of changes in the weather, of loose rocks. He is constantly adjusting his path.

He told me that a few times a year he arrives into the city of Barcelona in his campervan. He parks. He gets out. He sees people walking confidently up and down the street. Everyone is walking with such confidence. They look so sure in their intention. They are sure of their steps… but they have no idea where they are going.

This is one of the differences between busy people and productive people. Read on to find out what this difference is and to get to know 10 more differences.

1. Busy people want to look like they have a mission. Productive people have a mission for their lives.

Busy people hide their doubt about the destination of their lives by acting confident in their little steps.

Productive people allow others to see the doubt in their little steps because they are clear on the destination.

2. Busy people have many priorities. Productive people have few priorities

Nobody is ever too busy, if they care they will make time. Life is a question of priorities. If you have 3 priorities, you have priorities. If you have 25 priorities, you have a mess.

The pareto priniciple is that 80% of your desired results come from 20% of your activity. Henry Ford built a fortune not by building better cars, but by building a better system for making cars. Busy people try to make better cars, productive people develop better systems for making cars.

3. Busy people say yes quickly. Productive people say yes slowly

Warren Buffet’s definition of integrity is: “You say no to most things”.

If you don’t say “no” to most things, you are diving your life up into millions of little pieces spread out amongst other people’s priorities. Integrity is that your values are clear and that your time is going to serve those values.

4. Busy people focus on action. Productive people focus on clarity before action

To focus on the top 20% of activities, you must gain clarity about what those activities are for yourself. The greatest resource you will ever have to guide you to live a good life is your own personal experience – if well documented. Sadly, most people only document their life in facebook status updates. Keep a diary and take 5 minutes every day to reflect on the past day, on what worked, on what didn’t work; and some time on what inspires you.

5. Busy people keep all doors open. Productive people close doors

As a young person it is good to open options. It is good to want to travel, to learn languages, to climb mountains, to go to university, to work in tech, to live in another country. However, there comes a point in life where one must let go of most options and focus. If my goal this year is to learn spanish – I will speak spanish at the end of the year. If my goal this year is to speak spanish, earn 30% more, travel to 10 countries, get fit, find a girlfriend, go to all the concerts… I will not speak spanish at the end of this year.

6. Busy people talk about how busy they are. Productive people let their results do the talking

Stephen King says: “A writer is a producer of words. Produce words: you are a writer. Don’t produce words: you are not a writer”.

It is a clear binary thing. Talking about writing is not writing. Published authors don’t talk about their next book – they are focussed on producing it. I have grown to have less and less interest in what people tell me that they are going to do – I ask them what they have already done. Past performance is the only good indicator of future performance.

Feeling productive is not the same as being productive. This is important. I can feel productive while I’m playing minecraft. I can feel unproductive while I’m producing an excellent blog post that will help others take better actions.

7. Busy people talk about how little time they have. Productive people make time for what is important

Any time we spend on excuses is time not spent on creation. If you allow yourself to practice excuses, you will get better and better at excuses. Productive people don’t use time as an excuse. An action either supports their highest values and mission, or it does not. If it does not, they don’t do it – even if they have a whole day off.

There is an Irish saying: “It is better to do something than nothing”.

This is a lie! It is better to do nothing than to do an action that doesn’t connect with your highest values. Sit still.

8. Busy people multitask. Productive people focus

Productive people know about focus.

Do you know about the Pomodoro technique? It is brutal, but it is effective. Identify a task to be done (for instance, write this blog post). Set a timer to 20 minutes. Work on the task until the time sounds. Any distraction (I must check email, I must get some water, I must go to the bathroom) and you reset the timer to 20. How many pomodoros can you complete in a day?

9. Busy people respond quickly to emails. Productive people take their time

Email is a handy list of priorities. The problem: they are other people’s priorities, not yours. If you respond to every email, you are dividing up your life into a thousand tiny bits that serve other people’s priorities.

There are 3 choices when you first review your email inbox: Delete, Do, Defer. This is not a post on email management, here are a few on managing email overload from Gigaom, Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur.

10. Busy people want other people to be busy. Productive people want others to be effective

Busy managers measure hours of activity, productive managers measure output. Busy managers are frustrated by others looking relaxed, looking like they have time, looking like they are enjoying their work. Productive managers love seeing others enjoy their work, love creating an environment in which others can excel.

Busy people are frustrated. They want to be valued for their effort, not for their results.

There is a Hindu saying: “We have a right to our labour, not to the fruits of our labour”.

We have a right to enjoy being excellent at our work, not a right to enjoy the car, the house, the money that comes from doing good work. Productivity is about valuing the journey towards excellence, not any moment of activity.

11. Busy people talk about how they will change. Productive people are making those changes.

Kilian Jornet doesn’t spend much time talking about what he will do. He talks about what he has done, what he has learnt, what inspires him.

Spend less time talking about what you will do and dedicate that time to creating the first step. What can you do now that requires the approval of nobody else? What can you do with the resources, knowledge and support that you have now? Do that. It is amazing how the universe rewards the person who stops talking and begins.

We are born with incredible potential. At the age of 20, the best compliment that can be paid is that you have a lot of potential. At the age of 30, it is still ok. At 40, you have a lot of potential is becoming an insult. At 60, telling someone that they have a lot of potential is probably the cruelest insult that can be made about their life.

Don’t let your potential go to waste. Create something amazing. This is its own reward.

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15 Productivity Hacks For Procrastinators

Let me guess.

You should be doing something else rather than reading this article. But due to some unknown force of nature, you decided to procrastinate by reading an article about how to hack procrastination. You deserve a pat on the back.

Fortunately, procrastination is not a disease. It’s just a mindset that can be changed, however, here are some reminders you need to consider for these hacks to really work.

First, you need to acknowledge that procrastinating is an unhealthy habit. Not only you’re prioritizing unimportant things, basically, nothing gets done. Still unsure if you’re a procrastinator? Check this infographic guide.

Second, your commitment to change is very important. You should be physically, emotionally, and mentally determined to change this habit. If not, then you’ll just succumb to the tempting lure of doing other things rather than your tasks or chores.

Here are some tips to improve productivity and keep yourself from procrastinating at work:

1. Give (10+2)*5 a try

Let’s start with a classic but very effective hack called (10+2)*5 created by Merlin Mann, author of 43Folders.com. Don’t worry. This is not a complicated Mathematical formula you need to solve. The (10+2)*5 simply means 10 minutes work + 2 minutes break multiplied by 5, completing 1 hour. It is crucial to stick with the time limits and not skipping work and break schedules. The point of this is for you to create a jam-packed routine of work and break schedules. The result? You will eventually skip your break schedules.

2. Set a timetable for your tasks

Like any other habits, procrastinating is a tough wall to break. Replace this habit with another habit. When you’re assigned a task, set a timetable for each step. Let’s say you have a big research task. Here’s a sample timetable:

9:00 – 9:10 am – Set up all your tools, browser tabs, emails, coffee, etc..
9:10 – 10:00 am - Internet research
10:00 – 10:45 am – Look through existing files
10:45 – 11:00 am - Break time!
11:00 – 12:00 pm – Outline the research report

Deadlines are the best hack for getting things done. Setting a specific time to finish a task creates time pressure even if the deadline has passed.

3. Create a break agenda

List all the things you want to do on your break be it surfing the web, checking your emails, snack time, taking selfies, Facebook/Twitter—everything. Like the (10+2)*5 hack, squeeze these in between work time but the difference is you schedule these activities for ONLY 20 minutes. Eventually, you’ll take your break minutes wisely. You’re finishing tasks while sidetracking to doing the things you enjoy.

4. Use red and blue more often

Clean your desk and remove things that might distract you. According to a Science Daily study about which colors improve brain performance, red was found out to increase attention to details while blue sparks creativity. Surrounding your workplace with these colors not only benefits your brain, it’s also pleasing to the eye.

5. Assign a ‘Task Deputy’

It could be your colleague, your supervisor, or your significant other, anyone who has the unforgiving guts to reprimand you when you procrastinate. You could go the extra mile by paying up unfinished tasks or times you open your Facebook or watch a funny cat video on YouTube. Let’s see how five bucks every time you procrastinate will change you.

6. Become productively lazy

Instead of finding all sorts of ways to unproductively procrastinate, use your habit to look for shortcuts and new ways to finish your tasks. Staple multiple papers at a time or master the 3-second t-shirt folding technique. A strong drive combined with laziness sometimes bring out the productive and creative side you never knew you have!

7. Set-up mini tasks

If you’re given a big project, break it down into mini tasks. Create a checklist and start with the easy ones until you finish. Got an article to write? Just start with the title and the first sentence. Or perhaps you have a visual presentation to make? Spend 15 minutes on your outline, take five minutes coffee break, then finish the first two slides. Accomplishing something, no matter how tiny, still gives you that sense of fulfillment.

8. Consider a gadget-free desk

According to a study by Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, average users check on their phones 150 times per day and having your phone just an elbow away just creates sizzle to this habit. Removing mobile devices and gadgets allows you to focus on your work without the constant interruption from notifications, calls, and text messages. It eliminates the very distracting ambiance and the urge to unlock your phone just because.

9. Create an inspirational board or reminder

I found these mini desk chalkboards from Etsy you can use to write motivating quotes like the ones from Pinterest. Or you know what? Just simply write “Do it now!” and stare at it for 10 seconds every time you feel like dropping by on Reddit.

10. Ready your nibbles

You know that trip to the pantry? It’s just seconds away but it took you several minutes just to get your fruit snacks in the fridge. Before starting a task, prepare your nibbles on your desk to avoid zoning out and losing yourself on the way to the pantry.

Bonus productivity hacks you can do at home:

11. Do a 10-minute workout in the morning

Exercising is proven to increase productivity and stimulate release of endorphin or “Happy Hormones”. Take a jog outdoors and get warmed up for the day. Don’t feel like running outside? Hop on a treadmilli. It’s a great investment and there are a lot of ways you can use a treadmill like endurance running and metabolism training. On a budget? Here’s a 10 minute, no-equipment needed workout you can do at home.

12. Schedule your chores

Write down your chores in a weekly basis with matching day and time when you should be doing these. For the artsy folks, you can create fun chore charts like these or simply stick the list somewhere visibly annoying e.g. mirrors, doors, TV. The trick is listing as many chores as you can for the week and including unfinished chores the following week. Who likes seeing a long list of chores first thing in the morning?

13. Redecorate your room

Redecorating my room motivates me to maintain that ‘new’ look for some time until I get use to it and eventually stop. So I redecorate again and again, it became a monthly habit really. Here are some DIY ideas you can do to any room without spending much.

14. Take it outside!

Do yourself a favor and don’t ruin the comfy vibe of your home. If you need to work on a stressful project, do it in a library or coffee shop. You’ll never finish it anyway. Your cozy sofa and toasty bed will just lure you into napping yourself to doom.

15. Prepping the night

Before hitting the sack to oblivion, prepare everything you’ll need the next day. This will probably take you 15 minutes tops, saving you more time for coffee in the morning. Spin class at am? Pack up your gym clothes, shoes, socks, etc. or better, create a checklist so you don’t miss anything. You can also prep your food into containers and just grab one before leaving.

Featured photo credit: Viktor Hanacek via picjumbo via picjumbo.com

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16 Productivity Hacks For Leaders

Productivity is a skill you have to develop over time, especially for self-made leaders. When you are in charge of running a business, time is your most valued asset. And the one that slips through your fingers the most. By using the following 16 productivity hacks you will learn how to work more effective rather than efficient and create a less busy work routine for yourself.

1. Drop the 9-to-5 Schedule

It’s no longer news that the traditional 9-to-5 workday is not the optimal productivity time span. Depending on your personality type, habits, and lifestyle you might prefer to work from 6 a.m. till lunch or pop in after noon and be the last one to leave. Do the most challenging tasks during your most productive hours and schedule meetings and routine tasks for that time of the day when you start feeling low.

A quick reminder: Don’t be the first to come and the last to leave. In the long run, this practice will ruin productivity and your personal life as your brain will never have a chance to fully recharge. You can’t be a great leader if you can’t properly take care of yourself.

2. Know Your Priorities

Either you learn to prioritize like it’s nobody’s business, or you are doomed. The essential activities that will move your business forward should always be tackled first, even if they are the hardest to crack. Placing effectiveness over efficiency should be your daily mantra. You can never complete everything, yet you can finish the tasks that will move your vision and your company forward.

Here’s an excellent tip from a Pentagon general: “First I make a list of priorities: one, two, three, and so on. Then I cross out everything from three down.”

Multitasking is often deemed to be a good skill, except that it’s not. Numerous tests have proved: chronicle multitaskers in the long run perform worse on the tasks, compared to those handling one problem at a time. Rather than switching between tasks from minute to minute, dedicate a 20-minute chunk of time to a single task, and then switch to the next one. It’s called the Pomodoro technique and you’ll feel your productivity increase from day one.

3. Embrace Power Naps

Your brain needs to reboot after long hours of work. According to scientists, if you need a quick boost of alertness, nap for 10 to 20 minutes; for cognitive memory processing, a 60-minute nap would suit best and a 90-minute nap will involve a full cycle of sleep, which boosts creativity, and emotional and procedural memory. These days there are a lot of smart personal comfort technologies to help you sleep comfortably and even gently wake up you at the right time.

4. Hire the Best Talent

As Joshua Conran, senior partner at Deksia, puts it, “I’ve learned to hire people who are better at specific things than I am. I actively work to ensure I’m the dumbest person in the room. As I do this, I become less needed on a day-to-day basis to complete projects, and the company’s talent actually accomplishes more than I ever could.”

As a leader, make sure you spend time acquiring and keeping the best people in your company, rather than micro-managing and struggling to handle everything on your own.

5. Do Not Check Your Email First Thing in the Morning

Spare that time for more creative tasks, rather than being sucked into hours of back and forth replies. A lot of successful CEOs already reduce their time on handling emails to one to two days per week. You’ll be surprised to know that a lot of people in your company can actually handle their problems without you being involved.

6. Listen to Yourself

Choose those types of productivity tools that help you most. If you react better to constant reminders from your phone or desktop pop-ups — install some handy apps! If you like to write down things and physically tick them off, buy a big planner and a fancy pen. Don’t follow trends, self-reflect and use what suits you most.

7. Set “Airplane Days”

Did you ever notice that you could accomplish more goals while being totally disconnected from the world on a long flight? Well, you don’t need to fly anywhere; you can create the same environment at home or at your office. On “Airplane Days” block out the time on your shared calendar, switch off your phone and network connection, eliminate all other distractions, and focus on dealing with the top three high-priority tasks from your list.

8. Clean Up Your Facebook

No matter how hard you try, you still peak at your Facebook once in a while. To limit the time spent at the social network Roman Grigorjev suggests moving everyone from “friends” to “acquaintances.” This way you’ll see only two to five of the most important posts per day instead of hundreds of cat pictures and personal musing statuses.

9. Use the 2-Minute Rule

If it takes less than two minutes to finish the task do it right now. Yes, as simple as that, but believe me this small habit can drastically increase your productivity if you use it.

10. Don’t Waste Desk Time

Read and reply emails on the go, and save interesting articles you’ve found to Pocket app to catch up on them later. Your desk is the place where you should solely focus on work and nothing else.

11. Support Your Team

As a leader you should focus on encouraging others to cross things off of their lists just as you do. The more inspired and motivated your team is the more goals you can accomplish at once. If you can help others achieve their daily tasks and overachieve goals, you’ll be able to lead the whole company towards higher productivity.

12. Eat That Frog First

Not literally of course. Start your day with working on the activity you dread most (frog), yet the one that currently stands between you and the next giant step toward success!

13. Always Have the Decision Matrix at Hand

Going back to prioritizing, if you have a lot of urgent things at hand or a small crisis going around, use this simple, yet highly effective decision-making matrix.

Everything that is easy to do and will have a big impact should be labeled as a “do it now” priority. Smaller impact and easy-to-do items should be delegated. The big impact and hard-to-do items get put into the mix for prioritization against other initiatives.

14. Learn to Say No

You are often invited to multiple conferences, meetings, and speaking engagements. Learn to refuse the invitations; you will never have time to focus on what’s truly important while trying to chase some possible opportunities out there, even if they seem fun, useful, or interesting. Networking should be limited to a necessary amount. For instance, commit to attending two conferences per year, one to two meetups per month, and so on.

15. Schedule Appointments With Yourself

You have dozens of meetings on your calendar, but when was the last time you have specifically blocked a few hours to sit down in peace, gather your thoughts, and go through critical things you want to get done?

16. Try Voice Recognition Software

I presume you still type slower than you speak, so using Siri to type messages for you on your iPhone will save you a lot of time. Use Dragon Dictation to type all sort of memos, emails, and other papers for you or Evernote Premium that now has the same feature. This will save you at least one hour a day.

Featured photo credit: Nana B Agyei via flickr.com

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