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Productivity

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Entrepreneurs

Top 15 Entrepreneurship Resources to Boost Your Success

The 21st century has brought great new opportunities for entrepreneurs. The digital revolution has completely changed the way we live -- and the landscape for aspiring CEOs and innovators. However, the world is also moving faster than ever, and the competition is thick, so you have to gain every advantage you can get to turn your passion or idea into a sustainable business. Entrepreneurship requires an unvanquished spirit of curiosity, an openness to learning, a letting go of OldCo so you're free to create NewCo. – Michael E. Gerber This is where this guide comes in. We've outlined the 15 best resources on entrepreneurship to help you acquire the tools and knowledge you need to start your entrepreneurial journey (and keep it going). Whether you're looking to work remotely as a freelancer or want to turn your passion into a career, the resources below will help you get there. 1. Personality Traits that Successful Entrepreneurs Value More than all Others If you want to know what the absolute most important traits and skills are to develop as an entrepreneur, look no further. If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, this will tell you everything you need to know about what makes a successful entrepreneur tick. Read here: 5 Personality Traits that Successful Entrepreneurs Value More than all Others 2. How To Find Your Passion If you haven’t yet found your calling, it’s important to do that first before venturing off into any long-term business effort. That’s not just because you shouldn’t settle for anything less than doing what you love (after all, why become an entrepreneur if you’re doing that?), but also because you’ll never be able to maintain the energy and motivation to get passed tough challenges without this passion to drive you. Read here: How To Find Your Passion 3. Dangerous Misconceptions About Entrepreneurship That You Should Know About If you’re relatively new to entrepreneurship, there are some dangerous misconceptions that can hold you and your entrepreneurial efforts back which won’t be immediately obvious. Learn what those misconceptions are and how to keep from falling victim to them by reading this. Read here: Dangerous Misconceptions About Entrepreneurship That You Should Know About 4. How to Build a Brand in the Digital Age — An Entrepreneur’s Starter Guide With social media, building a strong brand is more important than ever before. But if you don’t know anything about what it takes to build a brand, don’t worry, this will help you figure out everything you need to get started. Read here: How to Build a Brand in the Digital Age — An Entrepreneur’s Starter Guide 5. Things You Need to Know If You Want to Be an Entrepreneur If you want to be an entrepreneur, there are a few things that you really need to know. I can’t stress these points enough– if you have dreams or plans of becoming (or are already) an entrepreneur, you need to read this sooner than later. Read here: 6 Things You Need to Know If You Want to Be an Entrepreneur 6. The 3 Questions No Entrepreneur Wants to Ask (but You Must) If you want to build a long and fruitful self-employed career, there are three critically important questions you must ask yourself. This is yet another thing you really can’t put off, as it affects your entire path through entrepreneurship in several critical ways. But, the good news is, if you can be ready for these things ahead of time, you’ll be far better prepared. Read here: The 3 Questions No Entrepreneur Wants to Ask (but You Must) 7. With Grace and Grit: A Guide to Sticking it Out for Entrepreneurs If you haven’t already figured it out yet, entrepreneurship is tough -- really tough. You need to have the right amount of toughness to get through the inevitable challenges you’ll face along the way. Building resilience is key. Read here: With Grace and Grit: A Guide to Sticking it Out for Entrepreneurs 8. Why Entrepreneurship Is an Effective Path to Happiness (and How to Get Started) Aspiring business leaders have more opportunities than ever, but the path to success is also very different from what it used to be. People who might not otherwise have considered themselves entrepreneurs are now deciding to take this path because starting a business gives them the opportunity to do what they love and live on their own terms. Read here: Why Entrepreneurship Is an Effective Path to Happiness (and How to Get Started) 9. Entrepreneurship and the Architecture of Success: Setting Smart Long-Term Goals Entrepreneurship is a long-term game. If you hope to find success in your chosen endeavor, you need to have a well-defined plan and the structure to make that plan a reality. Read here: Entrepreneurship and the Architecture of Success: Setting Smart Long-Term Goals 10. Hacks Highly Successful Entrepreneurs Use to Stay Laser-Focused Are you a seasoned entrepreneur looking for some extra tips for staying focused? Making your vision a reality is hard and requires a laser focus over a very long period of time. Fortunately, there are some simple hacks that can help you keep your eyes on the prize. Read here: 5 Hacks Highly Successful Entrepreneurs Use to Stay Laser-Focused 11. The Best Free AI On The MarketThis seems to be a more brazen suggestion as there is all sorts of controversy surrounding this new TOOL that has been released. However, technology is constantly improving and just as the phone became an essential part of life, so will AI. If you want to truly level up your game you need to learn how to do the unexpected before its expected of you.Read here: How to efficiently make prompts and utilize artificial intelligence12. Trello: The Perfect OrganizerStay organized and boost productivity with Trello! Manage projects, collaborate with your team, and track tasks effortlessly. With its easy-to-use interface and powerful integrations, Trello keeps everything in one place, helping you work smarter and faster. Try it today!Read here: The main site and number one recommendation for team organization Man working his way up 13. Canva: Make Advertisement EasyCreate stunning visuals effortlessly with Canva! Design professional graphics, social media posts, presentations, and more—no design skills required. With easy-to-use templates and powerful tools, Canva helps you bring your ideas to life. Start designing today!Read here: Make Advertising Easy And Effortless14. Google Analytics: It's the perfect observer of success, see where you struggle and where you thriveUnlock powerful insights with Google Analytics! Track website performance, measure traffic, and understand user behavior to optimize your online presence. Make data-driven decisions and grow your business with ease. Start using Google Analytics today to boost your success!Read here: Google Analytics Lets You Look Into Your Weak Points And Work On Them15. Hootsuite – Manage and schedule your social media posts across multiple platforms in one place.Simplify your social media management with Hootsuite! Schedule, track, and manage posts across multiple platforms all in one place. Save time, increase engagement, and streamline your strategy with powerful analytics. Try Hootsuite today and elevate your social presence!Read here: Schedule Your Posts And Manage Your Releases, Get To The Top And Stay There

Are You Failing? You Might Be Obsessing Over Details and Using the Wrong Approach
Productivity

Are You Failing? You Might Be Obsessing Over Details and Using the Wrong Approach

You know the phrase “good enough for government work,” right? It’s that all-too American idiom used to declare a task’s completion as adequate, though hardly exceptional.Ironically, according to FCW, the phrase has taken on a meaning in direct opposition to its original use. Declaring something “good enough for government work” came into common usage during World War II and was used to describe materiel – as in M4 Sherman tanks or B-24 Liberator bombers, for example – that needed to be meet exacting standards in order to be suitable for use in the all-important war effort. RELATED: What Is the Optimal Amount of Sleep?Back then, something that was not good enough for government work was not good enough, full stop. Today? Well, we’ve made the point well enough, let’s move on.Satisficing, Briefly Defined(Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash)According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word “satisfice” means: “to pursue the minimum satisfactory condition or outcome.” Satisficing is most often referred to in a professional context – think work, government, or academia – and is a strategy defined by people accepting a “satisfactory” (or good enough, as it were) solution instead of holding out for an ideal solution.The ideas underpinning satisficing is that while putting in a maximum amount of time and energy – not to mention financial and material resources in some cases – toward achieving an outcome would indeed reach the best possible outcome, it’s often simply not worth the effort. When an adequate outcome will suffice, it’s often best to accept it and move on.RELATED: TikTok Addiction Is Real – Here Are the SignsAnd, by the way, it’s a real word, and it has been since the 1950s. The term is a portmanteau of the words “satisfy” and “suffice” and, per Investopedia, it was coined by American Nobel Prize-winning scientist Herbert Simon in the year 1956. Simon specialized in economics and political science (his prize was won for his work in the field of the former) and focused much of his research and teaching on the rational approach to solving problems.And really, what could be more rational than accepting that when “good enough” is, well, good enough, there’s rarely a reason to linger over a problem? Not when there will be a million and two more solutions needed to future questions. If you want a single word that can help you better understand the meaning of satisfice, then consider “pedantry,” which, meaning an excessive concern with minor details, is arguably its polar opposite.Satisfice Your Way to Efficiency(Photo by Oliver Roos on Unsplash)Some decisions simply carry less weight than others. Let’s look at three examples of when satisficing is the right approach to decision making.In the first case, consider a “problem” we all face from time to time: what to order for dinner. The next time you find yourself paralyzed with indecision between two entrees that both sound good, just pick one immediately using any method you need – flip a coin, choose the meal with the name that’s alphabetically first, so whatever you need. When you are stuck between ultimately inconsequential choices, get unstuck quickly, knowing either choice will be satisfactory – or, in the more pessimistic view, at least not unsatisfactory.In our second case, let’s consider how satisficing can be used in a case where you are dealing with unknowns. Take the classic example of a fork in the road: if you come to the proverbial fork and you have no way of knowing which direction to choose – there is no research to be done, no one to consult, and no indication one direction may be the better choice – then you may choose at random. When there is no clear best choice, just making a choice and moving ahead is the best possible move.RELATED: Self-Efficacy: How to Never Stop Believing in YourselfFinally, consider a time when satisficing can be part of a much larger, decidedly more important problem. If a team tasked with saving their company three million dollars over the next quarter spends the first week debating which workflow platforms they are going to use to communicate, they are doing the opposite of satisficing. In this, the satisfice approach would be to immediately settle on any functional option, and then get to work on trimming expenses and looking for redundancies. Ultimately how the colleagues communicate is not what matters in this case, it’s that they communicate, and that they get to it quickly.When a person, group, or organization chooses to satisfice rather than to sweat the details, they allow their resources to remain best allocated and forWhen Satisficing May Not Be a Wise Approach(Photo by Pang Yuhao on Unsplash)There are plenty of times in life when it is a good idea to sweat those details. Satisficing can be a great strategy for maximizing efficiency and for breaking the logjam of indecision when the choices at hand have outcomes that will likely be of comparable merit, but it can be a poor approach indeed to other choices, both in life for the individual, in the corporate world, and beyond.First, let’s look at when a person should spend the time and effort to make an ideal choice rather than settle for a good enough choice. The most common yet weighty example might be the choices of school and/or employment. If you find yourself in the difficult but desirable position of having options open to you of which educational institution you will attend, you owe it to your entire future to spend as much time as you can in making the choice. So too does anyone with multiple options for employment need to think long and hard about the choices he or she will make before accepting an offer.In the professional world, on the flip side of that coin, a situation where decision makers should eschew satisficing as a strategy is in hiring. When a company takes on new talent, that needs to be done with as much care as possible; even when two (or more) prospects present as all but identically qualified, there is almost always some metric that can be used to make the best choice. And when the best person for the job is hired, not the merely good enough person, that employee can then be trusted to satisfice away when doing so is, say it with us, good enough.KEEP READING:How Much Money Do You Need to Be Happy? The Answer May Surprise You

Here's How Sleep Deprivation May Be Preventing You From Becoming Successful
Productivity

Here's How Sleep Deprivation May Be Preventing You From Becoming Successful

The occasional sleepless night is considered the norm for most people. According to a recent survey, 70% of adults in the U.S. have at least one restless night of sleep per month, with 11% struggling to get sufficient shut-eye every night.The common symptoms associated with intermittent sleepless nights are inconvenient and unpleasant – with grogginess and poor mood being two of the most commonly reported symptoms.RELATED: What Is the Optimal Amount of Sleep?But if left untreated, chronic sleep deprivation can have more serious consequences that can impact everything from work performance to memory and even make us more susceptible to illness in the long run.Here's a look at why sleep deprivation occurs, the worst effects of sleep deprivation and how to get better sleep.What Causes Sleep Deprivation?(Photo by Doğukan Şahin on Unsplash)Sleep deprivation occurs when a person does not get an adequate 7-9 hours of sleep per night for a prolonged period of time. Several factors can throw off our sleep patterns and cause us to lie awake at night, from stress at work to anxiety issues or pre-bedtime habits that contribute to poor sleep quality.Certain sleep disorders may also cause sleep deprivation. Some sleep disorders that can lead to sleep deprivation include:Insomnia - One of the most common sleep disorders, insomnia is defined as persistent trouble falling and staying asleep. Symptoms can include waking up in the middle of the night, waking up too early, worrying about being able to fall asleep and daytime fatigue.RELATED: TikTok Addiction Is Real – Here Are the SignsCircadian rhythm disorders - These sleep disorders occur when our environment does not match up with our body's circadian rhythm, which cues us to be awake when it's light out and sleep when it's dark. People who work night shifts or report to work when it's still dark out may suffer more commonly from this disorder.Obstructive sleep apnea - The most common breathing sleep disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, occurs when a person's breathing passageway becomes compromised during sleep due to a blockage. This disorder results in interrupted sleep, as a person with obstructive sleep disorder generally awakes many times per night when they are unable to breathe.Effects of Sleep Deprivation(Photo by Ben Blennerhassett on Unsplash)So many components of our body require that we get an adequate amount of sleep per night regularly. When we don't, our body fails to function mentally, physically and emotionally. Here are the worst effects of sleep deprivation. Memory issues: Think back to when you'd pull an all-nighter in high school or college before a big test. Chances are that you were able to pass your exam – but could you recall anything you'd learned during that period a week or even months later? To retain information learned during waking hours, the brain needs adequate sleep to process and remember it. Sleeping 7-9 hours each night has been proven to improve memory by 20-40 percent.Weight gain: Being chronically sleep deprived means you're more likely to lack the energy necessary to work out consistently – which is one way sleep deprivation contributes to unwanted weight gain. The other way sleep deprivation contributes to gaining weight has to do with the hormone levels of leptin and ghrelin that are impacted by lack of sleep.RELATED: Self-Efficacy: How to Never Stop Believing in YourselfDuring a meal, leptin signals to our brains that our body is satiated. Lack of adequate sleep causes the body to make less leptin and more ghrelin, which increases appetite. People who are sleep deprived may find they feel hungrier at night, which is due to the imbalance of these hormones.Low sex drive: sleep deprivation also impacts libido. When we don't get enough sleep, hormones like testosterone cannot be produced in the body. Testosterone production happens during our body's deepest sleep cycle, called REM sleep. If you're constantly waking up in the middle of the night or are a chronically light sleeper, this will decrease testosterone production in the body. While this hormone is typically associated with the male sex drive, a lack of testosterone in the female body will also lower libido.More errors and accidents: Sleep is essential to keep your body's central nervous system running efficiently. Sleep deprivation causes disruptions to the way the body typically processes information. This can result in small-scale issues like frequent mistakes at work. More seriously, lower reaction and processing time due to sleep deprivation can even be life or death. For example, people who get six hours of sleep or less per night are three times as likely to be in a car accident.Depression and negative mood shifts: Not getting enough rest can make a person more irritable and moody – but over time, sleep deprivation can lead to more severe depressive episodes. Depression and anxiety rates are significantly higher in those who do not get adequate sleep regularly.How to Avoid Sleep Deprivation(Photo by Sayo Garcia on Unsplash)The best way to avoid sleep deprivation is to get the recommended 7-9 hours per sleep each and every night. This is easier said than done for many who suffer from sleep issues. Here are a few tips to consider if you find yourself constantly tossing and turning at night.Stick to a schedule: Though it may be tempting to sleep in during the weekends, adhering to a sleep schedule where you go to bed at the same time each night and rise at the same time each morning helps get your body into a healthy sleep routine.Avoid screen time before bed: At least two hours before bed, do your best to limit screen time since the light that emulates from electronic devices can disrupt circadian rhythm.RELATED: Got a Short Attention Span? Turns Out Mind-Wandering Can Actually Make You More ProductivePartake in relaxing pre-bedtime activities: Take some time to meditate, listen to music or take a long bath or shower before bedtime to wind down.Avoid napping: Even if you had a sleepless night, pushing past the desire to nap will help you sleep through the night rather than resulting in another restless evening.Summary(Photo by Lux Graves on Unsplash)Not getting an adequate amount of sleep each night can have a significantly detrimental impact on our overall health and well-being over time. If getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night is consistently challenging, it's worthwhile to evaluate your bedtime routine and daily habits to see what might be contributing to your sleep deficiency.KEEP READING:How Much Money Do You Need to Be Happy? The Answer May Surprise You

Got a Short Attention Span? Turns Out Mind-Wandering Can Actually Make You More Productive
Productivity

Got a Short Attention Span? Turns Out Mind-Wandering Can Actually Make You More Productive

Every once in a while, a study comes along that upends years of traditional thinking. In our case, the thinking that may be shifted by recent findings is about the very thought process of the human mind itself. A new study titled “Consciousness and Cognition,” shared by Science Direct, is subtitled “Spontaneous mind-wandering tendencies linked to cognitive flexibility in young adults.” Or, in other words, a mind-wandering may indicate an increased chance for success in life. And that’s a paradigm shift that should catch your attention.A wandering mind is usually associated with a lack of focus, reduced productivity, and inferior results. And that’s perceived as true across the boards: we tend to think of someone whose thoughts often wander as less effective of a student, less effective of a worker, and less responsible of a parent or partner. RELATED: What Is the Optimal Amount of Sleep?On the other hand, people known for being able to stay on task – to buckle down and get the job done – as model pupils, as efficient workers, and as effective members of the household.When it comes to some tasks, an ability to maintain single-minded focus can indeed be a benefit – memorizing a series of names and dates, surgery, and working on an electrical panel all come to mind. But when it comes to life writ large, with all its many duties taken as a whole, the study has found that a tendency to mind wandering can actually indicate better potential overall success.Mind Wandering and Cognitive Flexibility: A Correlation(Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash)Per Science Direct, cognitive flexibility “refers to the ability to switch between thinking about two different concepts or to think about multiple concepts simultaneously.” Those with the greatest level of cognitive flexibility can switch from duty to duty with speed and efficiency and with minimal loss of the quality of their output for the interruptions and redirections.An example of good cognitive flexibility at work would be when you were writing an email only to suddenly receive a phone call from an important client calling to speak to you about a meeting for which you need to leave in a matter of minutes. If you could take the call, keep it going smoothly as you got on the road and drove swiftly but safely, and you’d completed the email just before the meeting began, you’d have demonstrated the skill admirably.RELATED: TikTok Addiction Is Real – Here Are the SignsIf, on the other hand, you’d grown flustered, missed a turn or two, lost focus on your client’s words, and forgotten about the email until evening, you’d be like most of us. The surprising thing is that people in the former group would often also be those whose thoughts often wander from one topic to the next. That very tendency of the mind to wander when it wants to can indicate an elasticity that helps with task switching when such is required.Now note here that we use the word correlation, not causation – the difference is critical. Causation would imply that people tend to be more effective at task switching because they have minds that wander, and that’s not the case. Rather, people who mind-wander may also demonstrate better cognitive flexibility.The High Cost of Multitasking(Photo by Elisa Ventur on Unsplash)“Multitasking” is one of the most popular buzzwords thrown about on resumes or during interviews with HR departments as part of the hiring process. But multitasking is actually one of the worst things a person can do if he or she actually wants to be productive. In fact, according to Psychology Today, multitasking may cost you a staggering 40% of your productivity, meaning you can get 40% more accomplished when you stay on task and complete each thing that needs doing one by one.Why is multitasking such a productivity thief? It’s because of what psychologists and other experts in the field of the human mind call switching costs, or sometimes task switching costs. Simply put, this “cost” is the amount of additional time that is added as you recalibrate while switching from one undertaking to another as well as the time that’s added to the execution of a given task based on lack of full focus.RELATED: Self-Efficacy: How to Never Stop Believing in YourselfExamples of when multitasking saps productivity include that extra time you spend searching for a word while on a conference call you’re conducting from your car, the way you miss half of the plot of a movie because you’re simultaneously scrolling on your phone, or how it takes an hour to finish an expense report because you keep checking your inbox.With multitasking established as a productivity problem, we also have to accept that it’s a fact of life. We all need to do it, and quite often at that, given the myriad duties and minimal free time modern life affords. When it comes to multitasking, those who display the highest level of cognitive flexibility tend to be the people who lose the least amount of productivity.Now, in your next meeting with a hiring director of a prospective employer, you probably shouldn’t highlight how often your thoughts wander, but if you mind-wander at times but also find yourself able to switch tasks effectively, do by all means promote the latter.When Mind Wandering May Be a Problem(Photo by Nik Shuliahin 💛💙 on Unsplash)A pleasant surprise, to be sure, that a wandering mind may indicate the cognitive flexibility that can make us more successful in school, in our jobs, our duties as parents or partners, and in all our other roles. But none of this is to say that mind wandering isn’t sometimes a problem.Mind-wandering may be the indication of some deeper emotional or psychological issue, such as depression, stress, or anxiety. It may be the indication of a disorder like AADD, or adult attention deficit disorder, the symptoms of which can include trouble multitasking, a tendency toward disorganization, and trouble prioritizing tasks, per the Mayo Clinic.And if your thoughts tend to wander even when you want to stay on task, mind wandering may be a source of frustration for you and may lead to much less productivity in work, school, and life in general. Fortunately, with practice and, as needed, professional support, you can learn to take better control of your attention to keep your thoughts more focused.KEEP READING:How Much Money Do You Need to Be Happy? The Answer May Surprise You

Don’t Work Hard, Work Smart With These Life Hacks
Productivity

Don’t Work Hard, Work Smart With These Life Hacks

Humans, animals, even nature herself: we’re all wired to seek out the most beneficial outcome for the least amount of output. That said, it’s only natural that most of us are on the lookout for life hacks to make our day to day a little easier. After all, most of us are balancing a lot of spinning plates.If you’re looking for ways to increase your efficiency and cut the stress from your daily routine, giving you more time to focus on meaningful goals, give the must-try tips and tricks below a whirl.What are Life Hacks?(Photo by Mimi Thian on Unsplash)Life hacks are techniques you can use to manage your time and energy more effectively. Put simply, they can help you get stuff done. If you’re prone to procrastination, life hacks can save time and get you back on track. Whether you’re managing a household, clocking in at an office, or living your best life on the weekends, there are plenty of useful life hacks to help you find the perfect solution to everyday problems. Life Hacks for Your Home Chores(Photo by lucas mendes on Unsplash)Looking for a way to get your household chores done faster? Try these on for size.Let your blender clean itselfYou don’t have to disassemble your blender every time you want it clean. Simply rinse it once and refill it with warm water and a drop of soup. It’s basically self-cleaning. Then dump and rinse until all the soap residue is gone. Microwave cleaning hackPut a bowl of water in your microwave and heat it until it boils. The moisture will condensate on the walls of the microwave, allowing you to easily wipe away grime. You can put a lemon in it to get a little extra cleaning power from the citric acid, plus it gives your microwave a lemony scent.Shower steam instead of ironingIf you don’t have or don’t feel like ironing, you can hang your button downs and fancy dresses in the bathroom while you shower. The steam should get out any wrinkles and you’ll be ready to go!Iron with a potIf the shower steam doesn’t do the trick, fill an empty pot with water and bring it to a boil. Then rub the bottom of the pot on your ironing. It’ll act just like the hot metal of an actual iron.Dust with dryer sheetsEver have an abundance of used dryer sheets after laundry day? RELATED: How to (Actually) Finish A Creative ProjectThere’s no need to toss them right away. You can use them just like you would a microfiber cloth or paper towel to dust surfaces. Clean your shoes in your—dishwasher?If you’ve tried to wash your shoes in the washing machine, you’ve probably heard a lot of banging. Luckily, you can clean and sanitize your shoes in the dishwasher and they’ll stay in place. Just make sure you do it when there aren’t any dishes in there. Make baskets your best friendWhen it’s time to tidy up for guests, having an abundance of empty baskets around can really cut down on cleaning time. Simply toss all the random stuff lying around into baskets. If you have a few throw blankets, you can use them to top your baskets to cover up the junk. Use baking soda for everythingBaking soda and vinegar make a seriously versatile cleaning combination. This is because when you mix they two, you get a bubbly, effervescent carbon dioxide reaction that can help dissolve gunk and grime. Try it for countertops, bathrooms, and even cleaning your drain.Life Hacks for the Office That Will Have You Clocking Out Early(Photo by NordWood Themes on Unsplash)If you want to be as slick as Peter Gibbons in Office Space, these hacks are for you. Organize wires with binder clipsYou don’t need to buy some fancy wire organizers. Your office just might have a supply closet full of handy binder clips that are perfect for bunching or separating wires as needed.Use a spice rack set to organize bits and bobsSpice jars aren’t just for the kitchen. You can fill them with safety pins, paper clips, pushpins, erasers—or whatever else you need to keep handy at your desk. Place them in a spinning rack for any even more convenient setup. Nail polish keysKeeping keys separate can be a chore, but you don’t need a tiny piece of plastic for every key. Just paint the head of each key with a different color of nail polish and you’ll have no trouble telling them apart.Use a spring to organize mailHaving an inbox and outbox on your desk takes up a lot of space. RELATED: Open-Mindedness: 5 Practical Steps To Open Your MindInstead, just use a spring. Balance papers, letters, birthday cards, and more in between each spring without using up prime desktop real estate.Cassette tape phone standIf you still have a cassette tape case lying around, you can repurpose that little piece of plastic as a smartphone holder. Not only does it keep your phone sturdy, it has some retro appeal.Reduce eye strain with screen controlsYou don’t need blue light glasses when you can adjust the screen brightness of your laptop or monitor internally. If you really want to save your peepers, try f.lux—an app that reduces blue light based on the time of day. Use a reminder for calendar eventsDo you miss meetings even if you have them saved to Google Calendar? Checker Plus for Google Calendar changed my life in this arena. It plays a loud, screen-dominating notification 30 minutes prior to an upcoming event, and you can set it to remind you at 5, 10, or 15 minute intervals thereafter. Weird Life Hacks (Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash)You may not need these ones every day, but they’re still pretty amazing life hacks for times when you need something a little different. Use a dustpan to fill a bucketIs your sink too small to fit a bucket? Use a dustpan to divert the water over the lip of the sink and into your chosen vessel. Water your plants with stringNext time you go on vacation, you can rest easy knowing your house plants are well cared for. Just place a bucket of water in a central location and arrange your plants around it. Use string to consistently connect each plant to the water source. They’ll get a slow drip and never run out!Use a metal skewer for corn on the cobIf you’re trying to get the corn kernels off the cob, all you need to do is take a metal skewer and stick it through a row. Remove, eat, and repeat. Put pancake mix in a ketchup bottleRather than pouring it over the side of the bowl and getting funny shaped pancakes, the ketchup bottle hack means your batter pours from a perfectly centered point about the pan. RELATED: 7 Habits of Successful People You Need to KnowThat means symmetrical, round pancakes with zero effort.Use a can opener on plastic packagingCan’t get your latest gadget out from it’s plastic prison? Use a can opener to cut blister packaging and free your new toy. Use thick rubber bands to open jarsIf you’re having trouble opening a jar, place a thick rubber band around the lid. The extra friction will help you get a solid grib on the jar and—viola! You’ve opened your can.Bounce your batteries (if they bounce, they’re dead)Have a bunch of ambiguous batteries and you’re not sure if any of them work? Try bouncing them on the floor. If they jump, they’re empty. If they drop like a weight, they’ve still got some life left in them. Make Your Hacks Work For You(Photo by Csaba Balazs on Unsplash)While there’s nothing wrong with hard work, life hacks are all about making tools work for you. Give these essential hacks a try and see how smooth your day can be. If you need more inspiration, check out these hard work quotes to get you going. KEEP READING:Train Your Brain to Shed Distracting Habits and Concentrate Better

How to Create a SMART Goals Template
Productivity

How to Create a SMART Goals Template

To accomplish anything in life effectively and efficiently—without dragging your feet and wondering how on earth you got so off track—setting goals based on your capacity and capability is necessary. At its most basic level, setting effective goals is about keeping certain targets in mind and considering what steps will need to be completed to achieve them. While there’s no doubt that goal setting motivates people to achieve what they want, setting SMART Goals gives you a much better shot at making them a reality—while addressing many common challenges. SMART Goals are set up to provide helpful structure and guidance every step of the way. By design, they identify what you want to accomplish and keep you on track and motivated.Goal Setting: What Are SMART Goals?Exactly what does “SMART” stand for? Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. In 1981, the consultant and former director of corporate planning for the Washington Water Power Company, George T. Doran, published a paper titled “There’s a SMART Way to Write Management’s Goals and Objectives.” In it, he introduced SMART goal setting as a tool intended to generate helpful criteria, all geared at improving one’s chances of successfully accomplishing a goal. SpecificGoals that are vague (i.e., I will get better grades) tend to flop. By contrast, detailed, clearly defined goals have a far greater chance of success. You might relate to the five “Ws” when specifying your goals. When writing smart goals down, think about answering the following questions:What do I need to do? Who will be involved in helping reach this goal?Where will I reach this goal?When will I reach this goal by?Why do I want to achieve this goal?MeasurableIt may seem excessive to some, but to achieve success you need to have a means to measure progress. It’s key because it makes your goal more tangible. What metrics will you use to determine whether you’re on track to fulfill your goal? For instance, just like you would if you were trying to achieve certain business objectives, if you’re working on personal development and want to quit smoking, you might count days. If you’re attempting to lose weight, you might count pounds. Bottom line: the “M” section of the SMART acronym means you should be able to tell when you reach your goal. AchievableThis tenet is focused on what you can do to make your goal attainable—even if it requires developing new skills and/or changing certain attitudes in your personal life. Ultimately, this is about how important the goal really is to you and how seriously you intend to take it. Your goal should motivate you rather than discourage you. In other words, it should require some effort but still be feasible. Be sure to take into account the time you can devote to it, the tools, skills or abilities you have (versus those you need), and your budget (if applicable).RealisticIt should go without saying that any goal you set should be realistic. For instance, if your goal is to run five miles a day when you’ve never run before, you may need to stop and consider the need for more gradual milestones. See to it that your goal is realistically achievable within your given timeframe and with the resources available to you.TimelyGoals without a realistic timeline and reasonable deadlines in place tend not to succeed. Coming up with a target date for when you hope to have achieved your goal is crucial. Ask yourself what can realistically be accomplished within your given time period and adjust if needed. If it’s a longer term project, be sure to set a few milestones (or mini deadlines) which address the completion of specific tasks along the way. Creating a timeline also instills a sense of urgency, which motivates you to action.SMART Goal examplesPerhaps the most straightforward way of introducing a few smart goal examples is to have a look at a goal that has not been conceived using the SMART goals worksheet. “I will finish this project,” is a great example. The project might be a work project, a novel you’re writing, or a remodel of your house. Whatever the project, the goal is too vague. With the current wording, the goals probably aren’t going to be attainable. The statement lacks specific details, timelines, motivations, and a reality check.The following are examples of SMART goals. They cut across different facets of life. While some are daily and weekly habits, some are longer term processes. No matter what goal you choose to pursue, you’ll need to break it down into actionable steps that let you check in with yourself regularly along the way to see how you’re progressing.Walk 30 minutes a day, 5 days a weekThis goal is specific, measurable, and checks all the other SMART boxes—as long as the will is there. You might further break down a goal like this one into 15 minutes each morning and evening if it makes your goal more achievable. Learn one new thing every weekThis goal may appear to lack specificity, but with the proper plotting out of what types of new things you want to learn—and which ones you can realistically learn in the space of a week, this is potentially very doable. You might read a book, listen to a podcast, or learn a new word.Clear all outstanding debt in 1 yearNaturally, this goal will be more or less realistic depending on the amount of debt you have. If your goal is to be debt-free in a year (or maybe even 6 months), you can achieve this by setting milestones and by considering ways of becoming debt-free quickly. With real commitment, you can get it done. Overcome social media addictionThere are countless reasons to curb one's addiction to social media: increased productivity, more free time, a better posture. Let us count the ways. Beating your social media addiction can be achieved in a matter of days, weeks, or months depending on how much it means to you and whether you can define clear metrics for success.Improve public speaking skillsIf you’re dead set on improving a skill, you need to dedicate specific time slots to it on a regular basis and, in the case of public speaking, you’ll probably want to include thorough preparation, regular rehearsals, and a few practice-runs (or better yet, actual events/presentations) within your timeline as a way of measuring your progress. Track your progress with a SMART Goals template It takes more than a positive attitude and realistic timing to get what you want. To ensure that your goals are indeed SMART and vastly increase your chances of success, consider using these free printable SMART goals worksheets. If you want to work on more than one goal at the same time, simply make several copies. Smart Goals template examples for adultsTitle: SMART GOALS PLANNING SHEETHorizontal boxes: SPECIFIC - Who, what, where, why?MEASURABLE - How many/much?ACHIEVABLE - Do I have the time and resources for this?REALISTIC - What is the expected result?TIMELY - When? What are my deadline(s)?Title: SMART GOALS ACTION PLANNINGACTION STEP - What needs to be done?DEADLINE - When does this step need to be done?RESOURCES - What resources are needed for this step?CHALLENGES - What are possible challenges and how will I address them?SUPPORT - Who in my life can provide support if needed, and how?RESULT- Did I complete this step? Why or why not? Were new steps identified?Smart Goals template examples for kidsSMART Goals aren’t just for adults! Introducing kids to the idea of goal setting can help them develop this crucial life skill early on, and can be especially valuable as they learn to tackle bigger responsibilities.Title: SMART GOALS FOR SMART KIDSBoxes/circles/bubbles: MY NAME:MY SMART GOAL (WHAT, WHO):WHY THIS GOAL IS IMPORTANT TO ME:WHY I KNOW I CAN DO IT:HOW I PLAN TO ACHIEVE MY GOAL:HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE:HOW I WILL KNOW I HAVE ACHIEVED MY GOAL:How to create your own SMART Goal templateThis article includes several editable SMART Goals templates (above) that you can print out and use to work through the details of any goal you choose to pursue. Using the provided templates as a rough guide, you can also create your own custom SMART Goal template using the layout and the language you desire by following these broad-stroke steps:Summarize your goalBecause goals are often quite unclear, the more you break it down, the better. You might start by free-writing what your goal consists of and what you hope to achieve. Afterwards, when creating your template, structure the same information in the form of answers to pertinent questions which address the What, Who, Why, etc., of your goal. You may just learn something new about yourself in the process!Set a numeric value for your goalAllotting one section of your template to measure your progress is key. Identifying a measurable metric for your SMART goal is a lot easier if your goal has a clear numerical value attached to it—like dollars, or days. This may be the most difficult step of all as it’s so very clear cut, but arguably it’s the most effective motivation of all.Set a timelineSince we’ve already established that time is both king and queen in the realm of goals, allot a section of your template to tracking your deadline and any time-oriented milestones that mark your progress along the way.Identify challengesBecause we must always be prepared for challenges—be they foreseen or unforeseen—be sure to allot a section of your template to exploring possible obstacles along the way and how you plan to deal with them. Benefits of setting SMART GoalsSetting SMART Goals can legitimately change your life for the better. Still not convinced? Consider the following very tangible benefits of consciously subjecting your goals to the rigorous yet highly effective SMART framework for success.They force you to think about what you want from lifeSetting SMART goals forces you to sit down and give real thought to what you want to achieve and whether you’re willing to do what it takes to get there. While this may feel indulgent, this process of reflection is essential to manifesting the life you want. Setting goals you don’t really care about or that you don’t feel personally invested in—simply because you think you should—is a waste of time. But when you make yourself write it all down and think through it, it’s hard not to make adjustments so that your goals are better aligned with what’s important to you.They improve your chances of successBefore you create a plan of action, you need to know where you want to be. The main reason most people don’t reach their goals is because they haven’t actually parsed out what they really want or where they want to end up. SMART Goals force this crucial reckoning early on, so you’re set up for success.They make you a more effective human beingYou can set all the goals you want, but if your goal setting process is muddy and ineffective, your success rate won’t be high. Just by virtue of setting SMART goals, you are creating a detail-oriented action plan, which is bound to help you become a lot more efficient and effective. They save precious timeYes, it may take some time to define and outline your goals, but in the long run, you’ll be saving a ton of time, so it’s very worth it! Once your goals are clearly defined, you can more easily eliminate activities that don’t promote (or even work against) your goals while focusing on those that get you closer to achieving them. Ultimately, you’ll find you have more time to spend on the things that actually serve to advance your goals!As you move toward achieving your goals, you’re almost sure to encounter obstacles. It can help to write smart goals down and identify any support you believe you may need to get past them. This is a good way of preventing obstacles from blocking your progress, as well as circumventing obstacles more effectively with future goals. Once you hit your deadline, mark down whether you achieved your goal or not. Reflect on the specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely process and the results alike. If applicable, make a note of where you went off track and treat it as a valuable learning experience. And always be sure to celebrate your victories, no matter how ‘small!’ Need some extra inspiration or motivation? Check out our list of 100 motivational quotes to take yourself to the next level. You got this!Feeling hungry for knowledge today? Check out our article on Mark Twain quotes.

How to Use the Pomodoro Technique to Boost Your Productivity
Productivity

How to Use the Pomodoro Technique to Boost Your Productivity

Where does the time go? This is a familiar question for many of us. In fact, research shows that up to 80% of people report that they occasionally put off tasks, feel unorganized, and don’t get their to-do lists done. Moreover, between 20% and 50% of people do so consistently, and to such an extent that their time management woes become a real challenge in their lives. There are a million strategies people use to boost productivity, from making a to-do list to eliminating distractions to giving themselves a longer break period, helping them stay focused on one thing at a time. People find different levels of success with various methods. But one highly effective strategy, a popular time management method called the Pomodoro Technique, uses all of the tricks, and works startlingly well for many that try it. We’ll get into the nitty gritty below, but one reason the Pomodoro method is so appealing is that it is so simple. It is a productivity system that essentially combines some of the best productivity tips and hacks into one easy-to-implement process.Learn more about how the Pomodoro Technique works in this comprehensive and practical guide. We’ll explore exactly what it is, why it works, and how to use it to achieve your goals.Pomodoro TechniqueAs a technique, the Pomodoro time management system can help you:Become more productive with the time you have,Improve your focus on individual tasksHelp you prioritize your effortsIncrease your awareness of how you’re spending your time. (Getty)Additionally, the Pomodoro Technique gives you a framework for organizing your day while stopping procrastination and other forms of self-sabotage in their tracks.What is the Pomodoro Technique?The beauty of the Pomodoro Technique is that it provides a straightforward method that is a breeze to understand, and is accessible, adaptable, and truly easy to use. All you do is make a to-do list and divide the items into manageable chunks of work that will take 25 minutes to complete. Once those important tasks have been identified, you set “pomodoro timers,” that count down for each of your designated tasks. Using a timer (and this can a manual timer that you wind, a simple timer app on your phone, or, if you really feel like keeping things literal, you can use a Tomato-shaped kitchen timer, since “pomodoro” is an Italian word that means “tomato”). The point is, by making sure you add tasks that can fit into those 25 minute periods, this method keeps you on schedule as you work your way down your list. Keep in mind, after the timer rings and each 25-minute increment is completed, make sure to take a well-deserved five minute break. A short break can be quite refreshing!Stay focused This process was created by Italian college student Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. Cirillo wanted to become more productive with his time, so he tried using a timer to give himself set periods of time to do his work. The timer he grabbed was shaped like a tomato, or pomodoro in Italian, which is how the process got its name. In Pomodoro Technique speak, each unit of work is called a pomodoro.Cirillo soon discovered that the ticking clock—and the mandated short breaks—helped him become far more focused and efficient. After fine-tuning the technique, Cirillo shared it with the world, ultimately creating a company and brand around the process. Today, millions use it daily to overcome procrastination, keep on task, and get more done. Extensive research also backs up its efficacy. Incorporating making your do-list into your morning routine can help you to start off your day right. In fact, the National Institutes of Health promotes the Pomodoro Technique as an “effective time management tool.” Whether you work in an office, working remotely, or just want to tackle some home projects, this approach can offer big rewards.How to do the Pomodoro TechniqueEssentially, the process amounts to following these steps:Create a to-do list of items to accomplish in one day, prioritized from most important to leastBreak down (or pair) items into units of work that will take around 25 minutes to complete—each of these is one “pomodoro”Use a timer to work on each pomodoro in intervals of 25 minutesAlternate each pomodoro session with a 5 minute breakAfter every four pomodoros, take a longer break (extended periods of 15-30 minutes)While the method is very simple, there are several key rules you need to adhere to for it to be successful. Limit distractionsFirstly, distractions must be avoided during each work session. So, no checking email, Facebook, or Twitter. Turning off your phone's notifications can help. In fact, silence your phone. Choose a quiet, distraction-free space to work in. No, texting your friend or getting up to get a snack. Aim to go to the bathroom before setting the timer. (Sara Monika / Getty)Basically, to the best of your ability, ignore the world outside of the task at hand—or your pomodoro. If something does come up that you can’t ignore. You can simply tend to it and then restart a new pomodoro.No cheatingSecondly, work on your assigned project until the timer dings. If you finish before it goes off, you can either dig deeper into the task, work on something related, or reflect on it until the 25 minutes are up. In the beginning, as you’re figuring out how long tasks really take, you may have to do a bit of trial and error to figure out how much you can get done in each unit of work. That’s fine, adjust as needed. The key is just to keep plugging away at your to-do list.Don’t forget to take breaks!Thirdly, take a five-minute break to refresh between pomodoros. Activities for these breaks can be whatever works for you. But, ideally, the break is not related to the task you just completed—and if possible, not on screens. So, you might get something to eat, do some stretches, make a quick phone call, fold laundry, or go on a walk. The key is to take a breather from the intense focus on your pomodoro before shifting your attention to the next one.Other practical detailsAfter each work interval, jot down what you accomplished. That way you can track your process. You can also use this information to make any needed adjustments, such as how to best divide your projects into 25 minute chunks and what kind of breaks are the most restorative. How many pomodoros are there in a day?Note that for a person working an eight-hour day, you’ll have time for 16 pomodoros. However, you may want to aim for just 12 to 14 to allow time for interruptions, last minute items, distractions, and practical items like lunch or using the bathroom. If you end up doing more pomodoros, that’s great. But adding buffer time into your day allows you to intentionally account for all the little things that might otherwise derail your productivity. Additionally, depending on the type of work you’re doing, specific tasks you want to complete, and your personal needs, you can also consider adjusting the length of your pomodoros to avoid mental fatigue. Many people find the 25 minute blocks to be just right. But others may need more time, say if doing projects that require sustained thinking or effort, such as writing. (Oleksii Didok / Getty)These people might opt to work in 50 minute units, alternated with frequent breaks of 10 minutes each. Other people may find that their minds start to wander (particularly with some types of tasks) by 20, 15, or even 10 minutes. If you’re in this camp, that’s fine, simply try shorter pomodoros, with the goal of maintaining full attention during each one. Then, simply take your break, before diving back into the next pomodoro.What makes the Pomodoro Technique so effective?This time management system works because it organizes your time while curbing distractions. But what really makes it effective is that it helps you overcome emotional obstacles at the same time as practical ones.We think about procrastination as a means people use to avoid their work, but research tells us that this avoidance isn’t really about laziness, lack of willpower, or lack of time. Instead, the hidden force behind putting things off is often fear-based. These fears may be rooted in doubt of one’s self-worth or ability. Or simply spring from getting overwhelmed. Distractions and avoidance are then used as coping mechanisms.For example, if deep down you worry that you won’t do a good job on whatever project you need to do or that you’ll fail at something, then you might avoid getting started. Instead, you “waste time” by other things, such as watching Netflix, going on a run, or cleaning the kitchen. You might tell yourself that you’re gearing up to tackle your project. But then keep putting it off because deep down taking it on feels scary. Self-doubt can quickly creep in, as can guilt for putting off your work. You might also just feel confused about how or where to begin.The Pomodoro timer is your friendThe Pomodoro Technique provides a potent antidote to all these worries and obstacles, by quickly reducing the enormity of a project down into more manageable 25 minute (or whatever time period works for you) segments. Research shows that getting started is often the biggest impediment to accomplishment—and can become an immense source of stress. This method works because it directs you to just begin, focusing on each small piece without getting bogged down by figuring out the whole puzzle.Plus, the laser focus required for each pomodoro encourages you to zap every distraction that pops up, including negative self-talk. So you won’t get mired in any self-doubt that could derail your productivity. In fact, if counterproductive feelings keep coming up, you could decide to designate a pomodoro to examine them, freeing you to focus on your to-do list items during your other work sessions.How the Pomodoro Technique boosts productivityThis evidence-based time management strategy boosts productivity because the process gets you to evaluate what you need to do, prioritize tasks, and break them down into achievable segments. It also gives you a sense of accomplishment throughout the day. Even if your larger project is far from being done, each 25 minute chunk of work completed becomes a mini success. Each break becomes a reward. (songsak chalardpongpun / Getty)The system also provides a flow and routine to your day that allows you to focus on the work one step at a time without having to get embroiled in thinking (or worrying) about what to do next. With this system you know what you’re supposed to do, if you’re making progress, or what your priorities are. If you ever get side-tracked or feel unsure, the answers are all right there in your to-do list. And if you ever decide your needs aren’t aligned with the list, you can simply adjust it. But the framework for each day is always right there on the list.Another key way the Pomodoro Technique improves efficiency is by using the timer. The ticking down of the clock can be motivating for a variety of reasons, depending on your personality and what you need to accomplish.Creating a sense of urgencyIt can spur you on out of competitiveness, as the set amount of time can feel like a game where you try to get as much done as you can in each session. Yes, it may feel like pressure, but it also may feel exciting and encourage you to let go of any concerns and just forge ahead simply because your allotted time is happening now. This is often what people talk about when they describe working well “under pressure” or “under the gun.” Essentially, each pomodoro creates a deadline to meet, so it gives you a sense of urgency that you might not otherwise have to get your work done.Additionally, this method can provide comfort when dealing with an unpleasant task. You know the task will end as you’ll only need to keep at it until the timer goes off. You may even work harder to get the said project done simply to be finished by the time the timer goes off. This system also offers built-in rewards, which many people find motivating. The rewards are two-fold: there's noting what you accomplished in each work unit as well as the breaks in between them. These periodic refreshers inspire you to ignore distractions because you know that you can indulge in whatever urge you have—say to text a friend, have a cookie, or post on Instagram—once your break time arrives. Plus, the chance to reflect on what you got done and cross off those accomplished tasks from the to-do list can be highly satisfying. In fact, many people create a whole new “done” list as a way of celebrating and reinforcing their productivity.The Pomodoro Technique and ADHDThis technique isn’t specifically for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but it works well for them. Studies show that approximately 10% of the population have ADHD. This condition impacts executive function, typically making, organization, focusing, and time management more challenging. Of course, being prone to procrastinate, get distracted, or become disorganized does not necessarily mean you have ADHD, but some people with these issues do have neurodiverse brains. Plus, the hectic, stressful, distraction-filled world we live in, makes these skills increasingly difficult for many people. And research shows that the average person picks up their phone once every 5.5 minutes. Just imagine what you could get done with 25 distraction-free minutes. So, regardless of whether or not you are diagnosed with this condition, this productivity method can be a big help. (Getty)In fact, research shows that strategies like the Pomodoro Technique are effective for a wide variety of people, including those that need a little extra support for their executive function skills.The best mobile Pomodoro Technique appsThe Pomodoro Technique can be customized to rely on either low or high tech supports. So, you can use non-digital supports (as in a kitchen timer and paper and pencil) or digital aids like the timer on your phone or apps that facilitate the method.The benefit of going low tech is that it isolates you from the tempting distractions of your phone. Also, it is just so simple. However, some people find that using electronic versions of this method are very helpful. You’ll need to consider how well you can use an app while also not letting it impede your focus on each pomodoro. If you want to try out a Pomodoro Technique app, here are two to consider.Paymo PomodoroPaymo Pomodoro is a project management app that offers time tracking, billing, project and team management, and other features to help keep individuals and teams organized and productive. It also has a pomodoro timer and to-do list features that allow you to integrate the pomodoro principle into your workflow.PomoDoneWith PomoDone you can link your projects to the app to help you track your productivity. The app is essentially where you’ll create to-do lists, monitor your progress, and time your pomodoro sessions.The takeawayIt’s all too easy to get bogged down with our ever-growing to-do lists. And it’s very common to feel like we’re never making any headway, despite our best efforts. Don’t give up! Try the Pomodoro Technique. It just might be the secret to boosting your productivity. Best of all, you’ve really got nothing to lose. There is no cost and no equipment to gather (aside from a timer). All you need to do is simply begin. So, make a prioritized to-do list, chunk your tasks into 25 minute pieces, choose a distraction-free work area, and then set your timer. The key really is as simple as getting started.(PeopleImages / Getty)Soon enough, you’ll have the satisfaction of hearing that timer ding. Before you know it, you’ll likely have made some serious progress. And if you still have a ways to go—or things go sideways, don’t worry. You’re doing great! Simply create more pomodoros to tackle later in the day, week, or year. And start again. That’s the beauty of the Pomodoro Technique. It’s like scaffolding for your dreams. The work won’t magically disappear, it just gives you a practical structure to get you started—and get the work done.

Writer's Block: 7 Tips to Help You Overcome Writing Blocks
Productivity

Writer's Block: 7 Tips to Help You Overcome Writing Blocks

Stephan King wasn't controlled by writer's block. At the height of his career, the bestselling author would sit at his desk every day, and wouldn’t leave until he’d written 2,000 words. King is one of the most successful and prolific living writers, having written 62 novels, five non-fiction books, and over 200 short stories. The dedication to his writing schedule and his endless creativity are awe-inspiring.As the saying goes, writers write. But as all professional writers know, it’s not always that straightforward. Whether you’re a pro or more of an amateur looking to take on a writing project in your spare time, encountering writer’s block is hugely frustrating. What separates those who struggle to get their ideas on the page from those like King, who knows how to write a book and produce volumes of content?In this article, we’ll explore where writer’s block stems from, and also provide 7 tips to overcome writer’s block and free your creative flow. Consistent writing makes a difference. So if you’re looking to write a novel, start a blog, or enhance your personal journal practice, look no further.What is writer’s block?Synapses are firing. You’re inspired. You’ve got an idea for a novel and you can’t wait to get going. All you need to do is translate the vision you have into words on a page. The time comes, you sit down, open a new document, and a blank page stares back at you. Then… Nothing. The words won’t come, your mind clams up, and that blank page suddenly seems to ridicule you. I’ll never become a writer, you think. Writers struggle with this all the time.Writer’s block is incredibly common, for amateurs and famous writers alike. The Royal Literary fund defines writer’s block as “a temporary or lasting failure to put words on paper. It can hit every writer, if only for a few minutes or a day or two, but it becomes a real problem when the writer is not reaching targets and when they feel incapable of completing a piece of work.”There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to combat writer’s block. Blocked writers might struggle to begin a passion project, such as a novel they’ve always wanted to write. It might be more about self doubt than you might think at first glace. Other writers might see it as the struggle to conclude a paper due the next day at college. Or, it might simply be getting stuck on one paragraph, or one sentence, or struggling to find just the right word that’ll make all the difference.Writer’s block is a vicious cycle. The more you struggle, the easier it can be to beat yourself up for not being capable of writing. That then adds pressure on the process, making it harder to start writing. Without breaking the loop of self-criticism, writer’s block can become a serious problem. However, as author Neil Gaiman explains: "I don't really believe in writer's block, but I absolutely believe in getting stuck. The difference is one is imposed on you by the gods, and one is your own damn fault. If you turn around and go, 'I am blocked,' this is just something writers say because we're really clever. It sounds like it has nothing to do with you: 'I would love to write today, but I am blocked. The gods have done it to me.’ And it's not true. Cellists don't have cellist block. Gardeners don't have gardener's block. TV hosts do not have TV host block. But writers have claimed all the blocks, and we think it's a real thing."In other words, it’s important not to give your power away to writer’s block as some mythical enemy, a curse that affected writers only. I’ve found this to be the case in my own experience, and it can lead to giving up, or accepting the block as fate. Instead, it pays to explore precisely what it is that caused you to stop writing and producing creative work in the first place. Only then can you begin to dig deep and find workable solutions.What causes writer’s block?The causes of writer’s block are fairly well understood. The good news is, the clearer you can define the problem, the easier it is to find a solution. Frank Smith, an acclaimed Canadian psycholinguist, identified three main causes of writer’s block in his 1982 book, Writing and the Writer — physical, procedural, and psychological:PhysicalI was never really one to pull an all-nighter in my student days, instead preferring to go to bed early, rest, and wake up early the next day to get going. But many writers do push themselves to write, even when exhausted, hungry, or feeling unwell. (Pollyana Ventura / Getty)If your body isn’t functioning as well as it could be, it’ll be harder to focus on writing or produce the best ideas, which requires a lot of focus and brainpower.ProceduralThis comes down to the writing process. Perhaps you’re stuck knowing what direction to take your lead character in, maybe you’re struggling to think of ideas on how to start an article, or you have too many ideas, and you’re overwhelmed. All writers require structure to counterbalance the often chaotic outpouring of ideas.PsychologicalThese causes are unique to each individual, but tend to come down to certain beliefs, fears, or self-critical thoughts. Smith notes that the biggest challenge for writers is separating the creative part of the mind from the judgemental part of the mind, a task made harder for writers because writing does have to be judged (or edited) at some point.Our main focus in this article will be psychological blocks. How to overcome writer’s block: Common hurdlesSome of the most common mental hurdles that contribute to writer’s block include:Fear of failureWriting is a pursuit of the soul. It’s mildly terrifying to share your writing with the world, especially if the story or the message is meaningful to you. The best writing comes from a place of freedom, as if the words write themselves. Yet, with pressure on your shoulders, it hinders this process. The fear of failure can be at the forefront, stopping the creative flow and preventing you from staying focused and creating new ideas.ComparisonWriters tend to be introverted types, at least to some degree. It’s an incredibly solitary act, with many hours spent alone, just you and the keyboard or pen and paper. At the same time, social comparison can surface. You might read a bestselling author, and feel a million miles from their standard. Or you might compare yourself to people who produce a high volume of content. Unprocessed emotionsElizabeth Gilbert is another high-profile writer who doesn’t believe in writer's block. She acknowledges that usually, the “blockage” is caused by an emotional issue. Gilbert has found that her number one cause of blockages is boredom. “Now, boredom is not nearly as glamorous and tragic a condition as ‘writer's block’ but boredom is usually what it is. Here's how I get out of it: I remind myself that a great deal of the creative process is about sitting through your boredom.”The self-criticImagine having someone standing over your shoulder, watching you type, criticizing your ability, or telling you you’re not good enough. You’d probably tell them to go away (likely in a less polite way). If your self-critic is active when trying to write, it’s essentially the same, and won’t be a surprise that the words are hard to find.PerfectionismThis is an extension of the self-critic, a way of viewing your ability, or originality, or ideas through the lens of perfectionism. As Anne Lamont, the famous writing teacher and author of Bird by Bird, warns: “Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft.”7 tips for overcoming writer’s blockHopefully, you’re feeling more optimistic about overcoming writer’s block by having a greater understanding of its causes. The next step is to explore solutions. Below are seven tips that’ll get your creative juices flowing, and provide reassurance for the times when you get stuck.1. Schedule writing timeIf you want to take writing seriously, you have to view writing as both an art and a discipline. You can’t write a novel on wishful thinking or trying to find time here and there. You need a regular schedule, one that you can stick to most of the time. The time you set aside for writing has to be defended; it’s sacred.I’d recommend setting aside at least an hour each day to write. When you write depends on your natural creative rhythm — for example, I write best in the early hours of the day, with a second wind after lunchtime. But towards the evenings, my creativity sinks. Others get creative bursts late at night.Put the time in your calendar for writing, and make sure to show up. Don’t worry about how much or how little you write. The point is being consistent with your practice, through the highs and the lows of the process.2. Make writing a ritualOnce you’ve scheduled time, the next step is to add a ritual or routine to get you into the zone. As Stephen King says, “I have a routine because I think that writing is self-hypnosis. And you fall into a kind of a trance if you do the same passes over and over.” My writing routine consists of waking up, showering, meditating, making a fresh coffee, and then sitting down to write in my paper journal. I then write on my computer after dusting off the cobwebs.(Getty)Do whatever works for you. You might put on a specific music playlist, light incense, spin around on the spot five times before sitting at your desk. Specifics don’t matter, just make sure you set the environment to prime you to write. The build-up to sitting down to the page makes all the difference. 3. Get rid of distractionsOf course, it’ll be almost impossible to get into flow if you’re distracted by people talking to you, receiving notifications on your phone, or scrolling social media. When you write, you want to create as intimate a space as you can between you and the page. So switch off your phone if you can, and create an environment with minimal distractions. Rumour has it that when Victor Hugo was procrastinating on a writing deadline, he instructed his valet to hide his clothes and return them at the end of his writing session. Naked with nothing but his pen and paper, Hugo removed all temptations to get the job done. This is admittedly a bit extreme, but it’s a fun anecdote to show the value of hiding distractions.4. Be patient with the incubation processI write roughly 2,000 words per day. It’s taken me a while to be consistent with my output. When I wasn’t working as a professional writer, I’d occasionally consult my journal, staring at the page, unable to express what was alive in my mind. It took practice to become consistent, and that meant sitting down to write when I didn’t feel like it.When I started working as a full-time Staff Writer I had to write two or three articles per day, no questions. It was a teaching experience, reminding me of the need for discipline. But I was taught something else that remains true to this day: patience.If I tell myself I have to write freely and try to force words on the page, nothing happens. At least, it’s a struggle. But when I relax and trust the words will flow, I get struck by the “muse” and then the words pour out of me. It’s only through experience that I’ve learned to be patient with the incubation process, knowing that the words will come, eventually.5. Be self-compassionateSometimes, the words don’t arrive, even after the incubation period. That’s when I get frustrated or angry towards myself for not writing, which interrupts the natural ebb and flow of creativity, and I end up not writing at all. You’re human, not a robot. At any given moment you might have worries on your mind, you might feel tired, you might be struggling to remain focused — it’s all okay.Love yourself through blockages! Understand the paradox that forcing yourself to write by reprimanding yourself is more likely to stifle your creativity. The more you extend compassion to your writing process, the more likely you are to move through it. If you require some form of external motivation, think about setting yourself up for a reward after hitting your daily writing goals. It could be something as simple as a cup of tea or a muffin from a nearby shop. Incorporate whatever motivates you and becomes a positive part of your routine. 6. Ease the inner perfectionistPart of that process is working with the self-critic, and the inner perfectionist. One of my favorite writing mottos is “write drunk, edit sober.” While some writers take this a little too literally, it’s a useful metaphor that shows the importance of separating the creative part and the judgemental part, as Frank Smith noted.Easing the perfectionist comes in many forms. It means doing your best to ignore any snap judgments that arise as you’re attempting to put words to the page. It means finding a healthy balance when editing your work, and not getting stuck in trying to make the final product perfect.7. Adopt a growth mindsetOne way of looking at perfectionism is through the lens of the growth mindset. The pioneering work by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck shows the importance of the growth mindset in many areas of life, including learning new skills, self-development, and relationships. Whilst the fixed mindset may focus on the end result, and accomplishments, the growth mindset always looks to learn and improve.(Luis Alvarez / Getty)Applied to the process of writing, this has a transformative effect. Rather than judging writing harshly, be inspired to always refine and improve your craft. The “art” of writing takes a lifetime to master, and then there’s still more to learn. By focusing on the process, rather than the outcome, you’re much more likely to produce work that feels true to you.Thoughts on improving your writing processWriting can be the source of joy, meaning, and fulfillment. You can write without the intention to share with the world. But if you want to take the next step, thanks to the internet, there are growing opportunities to share your message, from blog posts to self-published eBooks. Content creation is a growing trend, and people will always be hungry for stories that describe fantastical adventures, deep thoughts, the internal conflict of characters, among many other creative choices. Writer’s block can be viewed as the enemy of the process. But in reality, it’s a chance to learn more about yourself. What gets in the way of your writing is likely a microcosm of patterns that affect your day-to-day life, from perfectionism to impatience. Anything you can manage to put down on the page (or your own personal blogging site) constitutes acceptance of the fact that you have both limitations and a great deal of potential. Life is an opportunity to learn, and the process of overcoming writer’s block is no exception. And, you never know — once you go through the process and the words start to flow, maybe you’ll end up writing about writer's block, and pass on your own tips to help others.HURDLES MAKE YOU STRONGERReady to get over the hump?

How Timeboxing Can Boost Your Productivity
Productivity

How Timeboxing Can Boost Your Productivity

Maximizing your work time — or any time you’re spending on tasks that feel like work — can give you more room in your day for the fun stuff. Productivity hacks, like the timeboxing time management technique, can help you get the job done with the incentive of a ticking clock, which can keep you from whiling your time away via procrastination. If you’re ready to learn more about timeboxing and how it can make your work life, and your home life, run smoother and more efficiently, read on. With this guide, you’ll be ready to timebox your way through life like a pro. What is timeboxing?First, let’s break down timeboxing. When there’s a particular task to be done, some people just hunker down and work until they finish. Others might distract themselves with minor chores or busy work before settling into the task at hand. Still others might work a little on one task, answer emails, work a little more, until somehow it’s 5pm and nothing ever got fully finished.With timeboxing, you take a task and you give yourself a finite deadline of how long you’ll spend on that task, laying out what measurable results you need to have completed by the end of that time. For instance, you might say you need to write three pages of a report in 30 minutes starting at 9am. This box of time is measurable, and there’s a deliverable that needs to be met within a set time frame. The experts say...Experts say that timeboxes should be no longer than 45 minutes for a given task, so that you don’t set yourself up for failure, lose focus, or spend hours at your desk under the gun without a break. If you need more time for a given task, the advice is to break up the task into a few measurable parts and then schedule time boxes accordingly. This works whether your task will last a few hours or even a few weeks. Soft timeboxes and hard timeboxesThere are two types of timeboxes: soft timeboxes and hard timeboxes.A soft timebox is where you have a quasi strict limit, but can wrap up the task or the discussion, going over a few minutes if needed, before you ultimately switch tasks. On the other hand, a hard timebox is when the timer goes off and you drop everything sort of situation. With hard timeboxes, you move on immediately to the next task (or a break). Don’t forget the old maxim, work expands to fill the time you give it, so an allocated time is always best. As you start experimenting with timeboxing you’ll be able to determine which tasks and situations work better with soft and hard time constraints. (Getty)Another way to think about timeboxing is via the Pomodoro Technique, which is credited to entrepreneur Francesco Cirillo. Named after Cirillo’s tomato-shaped timer, The Pomodoro Technique works by breaking down all of your tasks into 25 minute time blocks. These short spurts of time keep you focused, while (hopefully) staving off feeling burnt out or getting distracted. This technique is a great way to get started with timeboxing to see how you can adapt it into your schedule.Benefits of timeboxing as a time management techniqueFrom a productivity standpoint, there are a number of reasons why timeboxing is an efficient and effective time management technique. From making project management run more smoothly to giving team members more accountability, timeboxing can be a gamechanger in the workplace. Here are a few of the key benefits: Timeboxing delivers results for important tasks Timeboxing increases productivity, hands down. When each timebox clearly states what measurable progress you need to make during a set amount of time, you come away with clear, consistent results. You also have a record of your progress on work related tasks and of your strategic goals for meetings since your calendar not only states what you need to do but when you completed each component. Timeboxing helps curb perfectionism Timeboxing works well for people who have a hard time with over-doing certains tasks, or who tend to take too long getting everything just right. If you have perfectionist tendencies, try timeboxing so that you have a hard deadline for just being done with a given task. When the time is up, the task is complete. Timeboxing helps you focusWhen there’s no time limit or measurable goal, people usually spend more time on a given task than they should. Timeboxing helps you avoid distractions and stay focused, making work take less time than it would have without the constraints. It can also increase motivation knowing that once you get a task done, you have a break to enjoy afterward. Timeboxing adds predictability to your scheduleTalk about time management: When you know what time work, meetings and brainstorm sessions start and end, you can plan your life more efficiently. With your calendar set up in predictable boxes, you can schedule meetings and appointments without worrying about running over and create a more solid schedule that doesn’t leave you rushing, stressing or second-guessing. Timeboxing holds people accountableWe’ve all been there. You’re in a meeting and someone hijacks the conversation, taking everyone down a completely irrelevant path. Not anymore. You can use timeboxing in meetings to set an agenda for discussion. You might borrow a technique called “sprint planning” in these situations. Sprint planning is where, at the start of the meeting (or work session) you define what can be delivered in the sprint, and how that work will be achieved. With a little structure, those that start to meander or hijack the conversation can be politely but firmly led back to a predetermined path. Since the clock is ticking, team members can hold each other accountable and blame the time for getting everyone back on point. Downsides of timeboxingThere are a few drawbacks to using the timebox technique, especially for people who are just starting out. If you’re considering implementing timeboxing, think about how you might avoid the following pitfalls:Timeboxing could lead to rushed workWhile timeboxing does help curb perfectionist tendencies, it can also lead to poor quality work if you’re scheduling too few minutes for projects that require more time and attention. In many cases, lost productivity is better than low quality deliverables. Timeboxing can be frustrating during project managementHaving a timer go off when you’re working, or when you’re mid-sentence in a meeting, can be super jarring at first, both for you and for your team members. Having a clear plan on whether you’re going to start with soft timeboxing or hard timeboxing can help ease people into this time management technique but expect some growing pains. Timeboxing could make you or team members feel burnt outMany people thrive under a time crunch and feel almost exhilarated by completing tasks under a certain amount of pressure. Many other people need a more fluid process and can feel rushed or overwhelmed by constant deadlines and result-driven scheduling. The timeboxing technique isn’t for everyone, and that’s more than okay. Examples of timeboxing in and out of workTimeboxing can be used both in the office and at home, for important tasks and nonessential tasks alike. Use this time management technique when you want to stay on track and feel the sense of accomplishment that comes from completion. Here are just two examples of how you can use timeboxing:Timeboxing during meetings One of people’s biggest gripes about work is how meetings can drag on—and how sometimes you’re not even sure why there’s a meeting happening in the first place. When meeting agendas are timeboxed, not only do you only have a set amount of time for each topic, but the topics chosen need to be worth everyone’s time. (No more free-for-all discussions, unless, of course, there’s a timebox on it.) During the meeting you set a timer and when time is up, you move on to the next topic. Timeboxing when cleaningAt home, you can timebox for straightening up your house. Pick a room and set a time for five or ten minutes. Whatever you can do in that time, you get done. This can also be a helpful technique for encouraging kids and teenagers to help clean up as well. (Patrick Fraser / Getty)Instead of a timer, you can even put on a song or a short playlist and everyone can clean up together to the sound of music. Getting started With timeboxingTimeboxing is a skill and it may take, well, time to really get into the groove of things. As you determine which tasks work best for timeboxing there may be some trial and error (and anger at the clock). It’s normal. Give yourself a few days or weeks to get the hang of this productivity hack.If you’re implementing timeboxing with your team members, allow everyone a chance to voice their concerns (and feelings of anticipation) as you switch gears into new scheduling territory. Once you’re ready to get started, here’s a step-by-step for making timboxing part of your life:Determine which to do list tasks can be timeboxedBefore you schedule out those time boxes on your calendar, start by analyzing your to-do list of tasks to see which ones would work well for timeboxing. Then, gauge how long each of those tasks will take and how often these items should appear within your week and week-to-week. Overestimate how long tasks will takeUnderestimating how long a task will take can set you up for failure from the get-go. Get into timeboxing slowly by overestimating the time it should take you to complete tasks—you can always finish early, after all. By setting more time than you think you need, you’ll set yourself up for success. And if you end up procrastinating or stalling, then you’ll know you can cut the time down. Make your timer visualHaving a timer you can see is key for timeboxing success. You can use a tablet app, a traditional kitchen timer or an hourglass—a wall clock isn’t enough. You don’t just need to see the time, you need to see the time ticking downward. Some apps use fun graphics, instead of numbers, that can help you visualize how much time is remaining, which can be less stressful and more motivating. Make sure that when you’re using timeboxing with other people that everyone can see the timer. That way all team members can keep one another accountable. Schedule timeboxes strategicallyYou know when you do your best work and when you need an extra kick in the proverbial pants for motivation. If you’re typically super productive in the morning, you might want to schedule longer timeboxes for deep work. If you tend to get less motivated in the afternoon, this could be a perfect time for short bursts of work in smaller timeboxes where you can answer emails and do the more mindless busy work with frequent short breaks in between. Add personal timeboxes for reactive tasks each dayOf course, unexpected tasks are going to crop up each day that you didn’t account for. Be sure to box time for answering emails and taking care of any random tasks that come up. Being proactive about these reactive to-dos will ensure that your days stay on track. Schedule in breaksTo avoid getting totally burnt out, it’s important to schedule break time in between each timebox. These breaks allow your brain to recharge and relax so you can take on the next task feeling energized. (Martin Dimitrov / Getty)Aside from a necessary lunch break, you might schedule in a mid-morning power walk or an afternoon coffee run as something you can look forward to as a reward for your results-driven work. Be consistentWhen you set aside time dedicated for a certain topic or task, it’s important to stick to it. At first, time boxing will cause pushback from a team member here and there when you enforce a time limit on them. But once everyone starts getting used to the process, teams can adapt quickly and will soon really appreciate having that strict deadline. Other productivity hacks that are similar to timeboxingIf timeboxing isn’t quite right for you, there are other ways to maximize your calendar to make your schedule run more efficiently. These productivity hacks aren’t quite as rigid and they can give you some of the same benefits when you’re tackling important tasks: Time blockingThis hack is a more flexible form of timeboxing. With time blocking, you set a dedicated time for a given task, but you don’t necessarily focus on completing that task within the block. You might devote an hour to brainstorming or writing, but you may not commit to producing results in each block of time. Task batchingBy grouping smaller tasks into a timeblock or timebox, you can knock out emails, schedule posts to social media accounts, make personal calls, or even run errands around town. Having a catch-all for similar tasks ensures you don’t waste time—for example, if you’re already out and about to drop off your dry cleaning, you may as well hit the post office and grab your groceries instead of making each of these individual tasks their own trip. Productivity for the win!While there is clearly more to life than being productive, maximizing your work time does usually lead to more downtime. So while timeboxing’s benefits for how to focus may lean toward producing results, any productivity hack is really designed to help you work smarter, not harder, so you can make more time for the things that really matter—your creative outlets, your social life, or family. (kate_sept2004 / Getty)When you implement a tool like timeboxing in your life you can essentially get more of your life back.

Working Remotely: Being Productive While Working From Home
Productivity

Working Remotely: Being Productive While Working From Home

At this point, it’s been well over a year since the pandemic hit, which led to office closures and social restrictions. It has led to a reassessment of the future of work, and the future of office space. According to statistics, 20 percent of employed Americans occasionally worked from home before the pandemic. That number rose to 71 percent towards the end of 2020, with 54 percent of people expressing a desire for permanent remote work.Remote jobs have always existed of course, but this trend towards working from home has been in the making for years; the pandemic simply accelerated the trend. Workers have realized they can be more productive from home - or a coffee shop - while achieving a better work-life balance. There’s no doubt the shortcomings of the traditional 9-5 office set-up have been exposed. In fact, studies have shown that in a typical eight-hour day, workers around the world, from the financial services sector to the legal industry and beyond, are only productive for less than three hours in a typical office environment.Working from home is far from a utopia, though, and it isn’t for everyone. If you’re at a crossroads in deciding whether to make a permanent plunge into remote work or some form of hybrid model - or you’d like to learn productivity hacks to make better use of your time - this guide is for you. We’ll begin by exploring the pros and cons of remote work, before moving on to eight tips for productive remote working.Remote workers, and the cons of working from homeI’m a bad-news-first kinda guy, so let’s start with the cons of remote working. (izusek / Getty)Anyone who has experienced Zoom fatigue, or an inability to switch off and compartmentalise the workday with relaxation time, will know there are drawbacks. Research into remote work has found a number of common challenges that have come to light since the pandemic.According to Twingate, 45 percent of workers end up attending more meetings than when working in an office, with 40 percent reporting mental exhaustion. The context of the pandemic and the added stress could be a contributing factor. Zoom fatigue alone is a real issue that has been amplified by the increase of working from home. Research by Stanford University has found four key reasons why:Excessive close-up eye contact is intenseIn-person meetings allow the focus and attention to follow whoevers speaking. However, with platforms like Zoom, people are always “looked-at” even when not speaking, and the enhanced eye contact can be draining.Seeing yourself is tiringIt’s unnatural to constantly see a reflection of yourself in real-time. “In the real world, if somebody was following you around with a mirror constantly – so that while you were talking to people, making decisions, giving feedback, getting feedback – you were seeing yourself in a mirror, that would just be crazy,” Professor Jeremy Bailenson explained. (jeffbergen / Getty)Studies have found that when seeing a reflection of themselves, whether as a remote worker on a screen or in real life, people tend to become more critical.Movement is limitedVideo calls require people to stay in the same place for a long period of time, limiting mobility in an unnatural way. Cognitive load is much higherDetecting nonverbal cues is natural in person, but over video, we have to work harder to decipher body language and other subtle forms of communication.Other difficulties for remote employees Aside from the different dynamics with virtual meetings, there are other cons to remote working, the most common being:IsolationWe’re social animals, and mixing with other people in the “tribe” is important for a number of reasons. Working away from an office can create a feeling of isolation for many people.DisconnectionAs well as feeling isolated, it can be harder to feel connected to the rest of the team when communication is mostly through Gmail, Slack, or Zoom.OverworkingWithout clear designated boundaries that an office provides, there’s a risk of overworking. That can be fuelled by the desire to make sure you’re not seen as slacking, too, of falling into the trap of always being accessible, or “just checking one more email.”Pros of working from homeRegardless of the setbacks, many people are looking to extend their time working from home following the pandemic. That’s because remote work comes with many benefits, which often outweigh the cons listed above. The standout pros of working from home are:No commuteIn 2019, the average one-way commute time for American workers was just under 30 minutes. That’s an hour per day, five per week, and 20 hours each month of sitting in traffic or twiddling thumbs on public transport.(Alistair Berg / Getty)The time saved in the commute can be used for a longer morning routine, extra sleep, finishing the day early, or making more time for hobbies.Focused work timeWithout being chained to a desk, there’s an opportunity for more flexibility in your schedule. Considering the study from above, it makes more sense to fit in four or five hours of quality work in a day, while making most of your breaks, rather than sit in an office and be productive for less time.More flexibilityMany remote work opportunities allow for flexibility. If you have errands you need to run in the day, you can work around them, or even switch a day-off in the week for working one day over the weekend.Enhanced productivityI’m someone who always found open-plan offices distracting, especially when I worked as a staff writer, and had to regularly access flow state. People walking by, having banter, making coffee, or asking questions, all add to distraction. For many, myself included, working from home enhances productivity.Independence and freedomAbove all else, working remotely adds a sense of freedom that you don’t get when having to work from an office every day. In turn, there’s a stronger sense of trust that the work that has to be done will be done, rather than attempts to fill the day by looking busy.Decide what’s best for youWhether you’re one of the many job seekers trying to decide if remote work is for you, or if in-person work is more your style, the overall balance that applies to your circumstances will always be unique. All the productivity hacks in the world won’t be effective if your set-up is sub-par, or if you’re someone who craves the buzz and social aspect of working in an office.(Morsa Images / Getty)Fortunately, many businesses are offering hybrid solutions to working from home, meaning there’s an opportunity to get the best of both worlds. Perhaps you’d prefer to be in the office for two or three days per week, to touch base with colleagues, have face-to-face time, or just to work from a space away from where you live.8 tips for productivity when you work remotelyWhether you decide to work remotely full-time, a few days per week, or mixed with a few days at a coworking space if you’re a freelancer, the key to getting the most is productivity. With more focus on the results of your labor, rather than hours on the clock, the more optimized your workflow is, the better. With that in mind, let’s look at what makes the foundation of productive work from home with these 8 tips:1. Set clear boundaries between work-time and rest-timeOne of the benefits listed above, independence and freedom, is one of the reasons many people turn to remote work. The harsh reality is that, without discipline or clear structure, remote work can feel less freeing than working in an office. When working from home, it’s essential to create clear boundaries between when you’re working, and when you’re not, to avoid burnout or the inability to switch off. That begins by setting clear working hours — and sticking to them. (Tetra Images / Getty)Do your best to finish when you say you’ll finish, and avoid the small behaviors that lead to a sense of always working, such as fitting in extra tasks outside those hours or checking emails late at night. This is much easier achieved if you have a space that is separate from where you live — the elusive home office. With apartment prices off the scale, though, it’s not always likely. But whatever space you work in, find ways to separate the area. Even if all that involves is setting up a temporary laptop desk, or putting away your computer and work equipment at the end of the day.2. Have a beginning and end-of-day routine/shutdown routineOn the topic of ending the day, to help create structure, make sure you bookend work with routines or rituals that allow you to compartmentalize. This is especially important if your workspace is near where you relax. I personally break up the day into four segments:Morning routine: this is sacred time before I log onto my laptop and check emails or start work activity. I wake up, shower, meditate, drink coffee, and journal every day before I begin work. This ensures I start the day with the right tone and don’t instantly jump into work mode.Pre-work routine: this is essentially a way of focusing my mind on the day’s task. I’ll look at my calendar, note my to-do list, and get “in the zone.” Usually, I’ll make sure I go outside before beginning for some fresh air.Post work routine: I find this step the most important when I’m super busy. It’s a form of commitment to putting a full stop to the day, even when I know I could write a few more words, respond to a few more people. I’ll sum up the day, tie up loose ends, and quickly reflect on what’s to come tomorrow.Evening routine: this mirrors my morning routine, in a way. An hour or two before I’m in bed, I’ll switch off my phone and avoid a screen to slow down.Rituals are symbolic and set the tone for either entering the frame of mind for work or winding down for the day. Play around with what works for you. The cleaner and clearer these transitions, the better.3. Learn how to guard your timeJust as attention can spill over, causing you to overwork or fit in extra tasks, the opposite can be true. With a little leeway, suddenly you might be tempted to make a call, respond to a few WhatsApp messages, or find people reaching out to you during work hours in ways they wouldn’t if you were in an office.Part of being productive when remote working is guarding your work time just as you would if you were in an office. No one would walk into your office and start asking questions, the same principle applies if working from home. Set aside time not to be disturbed, and don’t be afraid to set boundaries or communicate clearly that this is the case.4. Have a remote work commuteOne of the benefits of remote work is the reduced commute. But for many people, the lack of commute is a double-edged sword. Whilst the time is freed up, the commute does offer a clear transition between work-time and non-work-time. A hack I find useful to combat this is to create your very own remote work commute. This can be something you do each day that mimics a commute and involves movement — go for a brief walk around the block or go shopping at the same time each morning, before arriving at your desk.5. Have a work outfitIn psychology, there’s a phenomenon known as enclothed cognition. What you wear can have a direct impact on your mindset and performance. Applying this wisdom to remote work, it pays to have a work outfit. As tempting as it might be to stay in jogging bottoms or to work from bed, this helps foster the right mindset for productivity. Having a work outfit means you still go through the same process of getting ready and motivated for the workday, even if you’re based at home. Plus, it means you’re ready for the day, whether making a trip to a local cafe or scheduling a last-minute Zoom call with a colleague.6. Learn time management skillsThis depends largely on your workflow. Many remote work opportunities are more flexible in the office, which means you’ll have to learn how to become your own boss in terms of scheduling your time. In-office work is fairly straightforward — show up when you’re due to start, leave at the end of the day. But remote working requires a more precise structure.By far the most useful trick I’ve learned is time blocking. My Google Calendar looks like a game of Tetris — multiple colors all neatly fitting together. I’ve been working remotely for four years now, and I’ve noticed there’s a paradox at play: the more structure I have, the more freedom I have. When I look at a blank calendar, my to-do list is overwhelming. But when I see how I’ll designate time to tasks throughout the week, it feels manageable.Time blocking is the process of estimating how much time you need and creating that time in your calendar, and a crucial part of time management. Consider all the tasks you have, and group them together. If you're a creative professional, you’ll want to box out at least two or three hours at a time to ensure you can enter flow. Set specific times to read your email or work correspondence. If you have meetings, try to set them so they aren’t right in the middle of a productive spell.7. Minimise distractionsYou might not be disrupted by a colleague asking you for the wifi password or for a round of happy birthday for the third time in one day, but remote work has its own level of distraction. It’s vital your workspace is as clean and clear as it can be. Make sure the space is tidy, get rid of as much clutter as you can, and be aware of the “to-dos” that might be part of your environment, such as unwashed dishes or loads of washing.(Alistair Berg / Getty)Above all else, be conscious of how you use your phone. Being away from the office, it can be tempting to replace real-life connections with social media or responding to friends. After all, you don’t have a boss looking over your shoulder! But the benefit of working from home is, if you enter a state of deep work, you’ll have more time for the things you enjoy.8. Don’t forget to look after your mental healthGoalcast always has self-development in mind. The last point is an important one and often overlooked: your psychology plays a big part in how much you enjoy remote work. It also pays to explore your beliefs about remote work. You might feel you have to work extra hard to “prove” you’re pulling your weight if some colleagues are in the office. Or you might convince yourself you have to be available 24/7 to compensate for not being physically present.Aside from understanding how beliefs can affect the quality of your work-life balance, maintaining mental health is important to overall functioning and productivity. There are unique challenges with remote work that can impact your overall mood and stress levels, so keep in mind these additional pointers:Take regular breaks: without the usual hustle and bustle of an office, it’s easy to fall into forgetting to take a break. Studies have found even “micro-breaks” of just 15 minutes can reduce stress and make work more enjoyable. Stand up and stretch every hour. And be conscious of your screen time.Get fresh air: without the usual commute, there’s a risk of cabin fever, especially if you wake, sleep, eat and work in the same four walls. Factor in time in nature; a walk in the local park, or even a stroll around the block, to have brief connections with nature.Don’t be afraid to speak up: being slightly disconnected from the office, it can be difficult to bring up challenging conversations. But it’s best to be clear and communicate if you’re struggling with your workload, or even need a little extra time to decompress.In conclusionRemote work brings with it its own challenges and rewards. It’s not necessarily for everyone, but for many, it’s a bridge to greater freedom and a rewarding sense of work-life balance. (Oscar Wong / Getty)With the above guidance, hopefully you’ll have clear idea of what will work best for you — and how to focus and how to make the most of your time.