Summary: Using these productivity tips, you can find the right balance of productivity, both personally and professionally.
So, let’s chat what we call the ~ultimate productivity dichotomy~ over here 👇
One day, you’re on a ROLL. Every item on your to-do list is checked off, you’re in a flow state, and you’re rockin’ it.
But then, the next day? Not so much. You’ve been staring at your screen for hours and hours, you’re making pretty much zeeeeero progress 😒, and you can’t stop picking up your phone to scroll Instagram.
AKA, your productivity levels have dipped.
Who can relate?! 🥴🤟
We definitely can… or at least, we used to! See, we finally realized the secret to really, really good productivity levels. In fact, you can almost always find the right balance of productivity if you turn it into a science.
Promise‼️
See, we’re alllllll about working smarter, not harder. After years in the corporate world we understand the mindset of working for the sake of working, but we think it’s super unnecessary. Really, productivity is just about getting things done in the most efficient ways by creating and maintaining focus.
It’s a delicate dance, ya know? 👯♀️
In this blog post, you’ll find 🔽
- The current state of productivity (and unproductivity!) in the US
- 4 steps to turbocharge your productivity
- Step #1: Define your “why?”
- Step #2: Conduct a productivity audit
- Step #3: Identify + avoid your distractions
- Step 4: Never stop improving
Productivity and focus are important to each other! And, if productivity is a car, focus is the engine. Vroom, vroom, yeah?
Let’s explain.
The current state of productivity (and unproductivity!) in the US
There are some seriously insane facts and stats about productivity that floored us when we found them:
- $450-550 billion dollars were lost in 2017 because of disengaged employees -Gallup
- “Once an employee is distracted, it takes them an average of 23 minutes to refocus.” –Apollo Technical
- “According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, employees are interrupted approximately every three minutes and five seconds.” -Apollo Technical
- “Research conducted by Voucher Cloud determined that the average office worker is only productive for two hours and 23 minutes each day.” -Apollo Technical
Well, it makes sense, huh⁉️ No wonder we can’t get anything done! 😅
Here’s the thing: society loves to tell us that true success requires long, back-breaking work hours. First one in, last one out kinda thing, yeah?!
But society is w r o n g. In fact, these statistics prove this to us! These unsustainable ideas of productivity are mega-outdated, and they don’t even work.
We can tell ya what does, though 🤩🤩
4 Steps to Turbocharge Your Productivity
Over here at The Kitti Sisters, we’ve really gotten productivity down to a science: defining your “why?”, avoiding certain distractions, conducting a productivity audit, and focusing on improvement.
Ready to dive in?
Step #1: Define your “why?”
It’s simple, really — it’s incredibly difficult to stay productive if you don’t know why you’re trying to stay productive. Honestly, it’s kind of deeper than that! If you don’t know your why, it literally makes it hard to get out of bed in the morning.
Once we really found OUR why — financial freedom, less stress, passion for our jobs — everything started to come easier.
So, we want you to take a moment and think, REALLY think, about why you’re doing what you’re doing. Here are a few questions to dig into:
- Why are you going to work?
- Why do you have that specific job?
- What are your goals?
- What is your purpose?
- What lights you up about your job?
- How can you do more of what lights you up?
See, if you understand that you’re trying to achieve a specific goal or light up a specific passion, you’ll understand that another day of work is one more step towards that goal. If you don’t know your why, you’ll watch the clock tick throughout the day, waiting for it to be over, struggling to find any motivation.
Which one’s better, huh?!
Step #2: Conduct a productivity audit
Self-audits have been a huge help to us in our business, in a ton of ways — and productivity audits have REALLY been a huge help. So, try it out! Here’s what you need to do: spend a day (or, heck, a week), and pay very close attention to what you’re actually doing at work.
See what times of day you’re most productive. See what times of day you’re most likely to pick up your phone. See what times of day you’re most likely to feel super apathetic about your job, OR super excited! Write it all down. Recognize it.
Then, ask yourself these questions 👇
- What does being productive mean to you?
- What were you doing while you were more productive? Where were you sitting? What time was it?
- What did your setting look like in your most productive times? How about your least productive?
- Do you feel more productive in the morning, afternoon, or in the evening?
- When was a time you were not productive? What led to this?
Step #3: Identify + avoid your distractions
It’s really, really simple when you stop to think about it: some things are just super distracting, right? Your job? To avoid those distractions. See, distractions don’t only hurt your productivity… they delay the heck out of your projects, too.
And we want to move the needle, right?!
So, using your productivity audit and your “why?” start making a list of the things that distract you, no matter how abstract or random they might feel! See, some days your distractions may be that phone in the palm of your hand… but some days, your distractions may be the way your dogs bark when the mailman comes.
It doesn’t matter what they are, necessarily — just keep track‼️
Next up? Make a proactive plan to avoid these distractions OR work around them. For us, 3 PM is kind of a distraction in itself… which is why we’ll usually make time for a boba tea break right around mid-afternoon. Just make it work for you!
Maybe your proactive plan includes some things like this:
- Turning off notifications
- Setting availability hours, or considering only checking your email during certain windows
- Finding ways to instill confidence in yourself (such as more education)
- Putting out an office sign that says Do Not Disturb
- Getting out of the office at least once every day
Step 4: Never stop improving
So far, you have:
- Defined your why
- Conducted a productivity audit
- Found ways to avoid distractions
So now, as time goes by, play around with this! Try new things, continue auditing your hours, and get creative. It matters SO much more than you think!
As you grow in your productivity, continue to take notes and see if you can improve your focus more and more — and make it a game! You’ve GOT this. 💪
And, if you’re ready to work a heck of a lot less and make a heck of a lot more, give us a ring — we’d love to help you reach your goals with apartment syndication. 🤪
GET ME ON THE KITTI FREEDOM CLUB
………..
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