“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” Stephen King

A day can slip by fast without you getting much done. A week can pass where you realize you weren’t all that productive. Sometimes even a month goes by where you look back and ask, “How come I didn’t get more done?”

Stop kicking yourself and start getting productive using these seven tips…

Organize ahead of time

One of the best times to get organized is the night before. That way, each morning you can just jump right into your work without wasting any time figuring out what you need to do and how you need to do it.

Example: Let’s suppose you’re going to write an article for your blog post. You can do your research the night before. Then you can get right to work first thing in the morning.

Develop a routine

Basically, this involves doing something that puts you in the mood to work. It’s like a psychological trick that tells your mind, “Hey, it’s time to focus and get busy.”

Obviously, you need to develop your own routine. But if you work in the morning, it may involve making coffee, eating breakfast, getting dressed, combing your hair, and then logging into your computer.

Use tools and systems

There are little things you need to do on a regular basis in your business.

Example: You need to fill out tax paperwork. Or maybe you sell physical goods, meaning you need to pack boxes and ship them.

Think about this: If you can find ways to save time on all your regular tasks, you’ll be more productive.

Example: You can use software to fill out tax paperwork. You can develop an “assembly line” system and use fulfillment software to pack and ship boxes in as little time as possible.

Find out how others complete similar tasks

If you’ve never done a particular task before, then don’t guess about the most efficient way to do it. Instead, ask your knowledgeable friends and colleagues how they do the same task in an efficient way as possible.

Focus on the big picture and let someone else take care of the details

In other words, outsource all or part of your business, especially the “low value” tasks (like article writing). You can find just about any kind of freelancer you need to by visiting outsourcing sites like Upwork.com, Guru.com or Freelancer.com.

Create monthly, weekly and daily to do lists

Part of getting organized is to create “to do” lists. Your monthly list should be based on your overall business plan. Your weekly lists should be based on your monthly lists. And naturally, your daily to-do list is just your weekly list broken into bite-size chunks that you can complete in a short amount of time.

Not only does a to-do list keep you focused, it also makes you feel productive once you start crossing things off. And you’ll find yourself gaining a lot of momentum as you roll through your daily list!

Carve out a workspace

You won’t really feel like you’re working until you can carve out a place in your home that’s JUST for your business.

Example: You can turn a spare bedroom into your office. If you don’t have a lot of room, just turning one corner of a room into your workspace will help boost your productivity.

Bonus Tip: Avoid Freak shows

Dr Paul Dobransky refers to “toxic” people as “freak shows”. These are people who are negative, cause strife or just bring bad energy into your life. Flee from these sorts of people as they KILL productivity!

Summary

The above eight tips will have you getting more done in less time. That means you’ll be making more money in less time too.

And THAT, is a wonderful thing indeed!