Have you ever heard “if you want something done, give it to a busy person”? It’s a theory that productivity begets more productivity. When we’re productive, it propels us to succeed more. When we’re productive, we feel blissful, euphoric, energized.  

But when productivity becomes a precious gem in rare abundance, it can leave us feeling as though we’ve worked all day without crossing a single thing off the list. We’ve all had those days, slogging along wondering why nothing clicks and why everything feels like a struggle.  

Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could tap into productivity every single day? 

Practicing the right daily habits can set you up for success each and every day. It is possible to achieve more by being intentional about habits that help boost focus, maximize productivity and allow you to end your workday feeling more accomplished and fulfilled than ever.

As easy as this sounds, adopting new habits can be tricky.  It’s all about consistency and awareness.  By not overwhelming yourself and choosing to focus on no more than five at a time, it will be easier to incorporate them into your routine.  Follow this roadmap so you’ll knock it out of the park everyday. 

Make Time for Self-Care

As an entrepreneur, you wear many different hats and a positive work-life balance can be difficult to accomplish.  But to flourish as an entrepreneur, you need to nourish your well-being.  It may sound cliché, but self-care is essential. Stress and overwork can lead to exhaustion, while making time for yourself can be the difference between reaching your goals and burnout.   Self-care can take many forms - time with friends and family, a spa day, bingeing Netflix - but making it a daily habit reinforces its productivity quotient.  One particularly beneficial form of self-care for focus and productivity is meditation. You’ve likely heard its benefits before, and maybe even tried it. Beyond relieving stress and anxiety,  it’s scientifically proven to enhance focus. Meditation changes our brain patterns to improve cognitive focus and teaches us to reorient our attention. What trips most of us up about meditation is consistency. Monkey mind can get the best of even the most practiced meditator and it can be frustrating, but the truth is it’s completely normal. The key is to stick with it and the good news is there really are no rules when it comes to meditating. Discover what works for you and start with 5 minutes a day. Find a space where you can sit upright (or lie down) quietly and simply focus on your breath. If you find this difficult, there are many great tools out there to help get you started.

Try This: 

When a thought drifts in during meditation, simply notice it. Observe the thought, stay present to any judgments that arise from it and gently guide your attention back to your point of focus.

Set Intentions

One of the benefits of being an entrepreneur is setting your own schedule.  But this freedom can easily be lost if you don’t take the time to set clear intentions for what you want to accomplish in a day. Journal it out, make a list, write it on sticky notes or add it to your calendar. Setting intentions not only outlines goals but it provides something on which you can regroup and refocus if you start to feel overwhelmed or unmotivated.  Mapping out your day is a powerful way to stay on task, #productivity, and tracking your progress is a good way to hold yourself accountable to reach your goals and stay on top of your game.

Try this:

Jot down your daily top 3 tasks/projects. Break those tasks down into smaller steps and schedule them into your calendar. Include the estimated time you’ll think it will take to complete them to help prioritize your day and determine if there are a few to-do’s that can easily be completed and checked off the list.   

Fuel Well

Getting your blood sugar levels stabilized is one of the most important steps towards not only improving your productivity but improving your overall health. Starting your day with a breakfast that sends your blood sugar on a roller coaster ride will affect how you feel and perform all day. Loading up on traditional carb-laden breakfast foods - think toast, muffins, pastries - is a recipe for a blood sugar disaster. What your body actually needs is a nutrient rich meal that highlights protein and fat. The protein provides a slow energy release and the fat is super satiating. You won’t need to reach for that mid-morning granola bar or hit of caffeine to keep your energy up ever again.

Fueling your body with the best nutrients will lead to a productivity powerhouse of a day. Plus, your mind will be off food which, let’s face it, has been a distraction for each and every one of us at some point!

And don’t forget to hydrate! Water is essential to every function of your body. It regulates body temperature, lubricates  joints and is vital to brain function. Most of us don’t drink enough water throughout the day which can lead to an inability to concentrate and false hunger. A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces - if you weigh 140 lbs you should aim to drink 70 ounces of water. Pure H2O is best if you can.

Try This:

Purchase a large water bottle (mason jars work too!)  that will hold at least half your daily water requirement intake. Only having to fill it twice will make you more likely to drink the adequate amount. Tired of plain water? Make your own “spa water” by adding cucumber slices, fresh mint, berries or slices of citrus fruit.

Take Breaks and Move It

Movement increases your energy and sharpens your focus. It triggers the endorphins that improve the prioritizing functions of the brain allowing you to block out distractions and enhance concentration. It boosts blood flow to the brain and improves focus and memory. Normalizing movement during the day will keep you resilient, happy and productive. Start to shift the way you work and incorporate regular movement into your daily routine.

If you work at a desk, it is likely that you are sitting for most of the day. Take quick stretch breaks - walk around your building or living room; pop in a headset and take your meeting on the move; do a series of stretches on your yoga mat; alternate your desk chair with an exercise ball to engage your core muscles; invest in an adjustable height or sit-to-stand desk. It’s not so much the kind of movement you do, but that you do it.  

Try this:

Set a timer for 60 minutes. Work on your task at hand for 60 minutes and when your timer goes off, get up and move for 5-10 minutes (studies have shown that an optimal break time is 17 minutes but even 5 minutes is enough to reset energy and focus).  

Prioritize Sleep

Getting good sleep (on average 7-9 hours a night) will get you the most bang for your productivity buck. It allows the brain to perform its critical job of flushing out accumulated proteins, a.k.a. “brain shampoo”, to keep it performing with top clarity during the day. As this function can only happen at night, depriving yourself of good sleep allows waste products to accumulate and can cause deterioration linked to poor neurological function, brain fog, memory loss or cognitive decline. Given how critical peak brain performance is to productivity, having enough good sleep is an essential daily habit.

Successful sleepers follow these rules:

• Go to bed when you’re tired

• Don’t eat too late into the evening

• Avoid alcohol close to bedtime

• Leave technology out of the bedroom

• Sleep in a very dark room

• Keep your room cool at night (between 64-67° F)

Try This:

If you have difficulty fitting more sleep into your schedule, start by going to bed five minutes earlier every night until you’ve gained an hour of sleep.  If your problem is quality of sleep and you have difficulty falling or staying asleep, make it a priority to figure out why. Talk to your doctor or work with a health coach.

By incorporating these healthy habits into your daily routine, you will begin to notice not only your productivity, but your health shift and improve. Having the tools that give you the ability to max out on accomplishment on the regular is an incredible resource to be able to tap into. 

Laura Collis is a nutrition and wellness coach for women who want to take control of their health and thrive in midlife.  She is the founder of Nutritious Wellness where the philosophy is “Health is a Daily Habit”.  The most achievable way to optimal wellness is having  your habits work for you, not against you.

Connect with Laura at:

Website: www.nutritiouswellness.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lauracollisofficial

Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutritiouswellness