One thing I’ve found over the last couple of years is that working online often kills my productivity. Being that social media is a large part of my business and my blog, it’s not difficult to get sidetracked reading tweets, checking out the news stream on Facebook, or monitoring keywords I’m tracking in Hootsuite. Before I know it, hours are gone and I’ve nothing to show for them. Another problem I run into is that while my laptop may be superbly organized, my desk typically isn’t so keeping a written to-do list or scheduling appointments and tasks in a written planner is rather pointless. In an attempt to get things in order, I worked out a few things that help me do more business and waste less time!
Okay, so the fact that you work online means that you can’t realistically “unplug” but you CAN force yourself to limit how “plugged in” you are across the web at any given time. When I need to increase my productivity, I have to close TweetDeck, exit Hootsuite, and turn my cell phone on silent. If you’re needing to focus on a project for a client or finish up an article that needs to be posted, you’re going to have to cut out distractions. Unplug yourself from everything that isn’t relative to what you’re working on. Then all it takes is a little discipline to keep yourself from going back to it before your current job is complete.
Scheduling certain blocks of time helps me to not only be more productive but also to limit even the chance of getting distracted. When I know that there is time coming up for interacting throughout my social networks, I’m less likely to have it on my mind while carrying out the tasks in a time block that doesn’t allow for social engagement. If you feel that your network needs to be active throughout the day, set aside 30 minutes in the morning and use services like Sendible and Hootsuite to schedule your tweets and status updates during blocks when engaging in social media is going to negatively affect your schedule. That way, you don’t have to worry about being inactive or unproductive.
I’ve used Remember the Milk for a couple of years now. It integrates into Gmail (or Google Apps for your domain) as well as iGoogle and also has a nice web interface of its own. It allows you to set up separate lists that maintain tasks with or without due dates, recurring reminders, and even has a postpone feature. Never forget to follow up on a prospect lead. Keep your phone appointments. Have a record of everything you’ve completed on a specific project. Keep track of emails that need to be replied to, reports that need to be generated, accounts that need to be collected on, and invoices that need to be sent — and never worry about losing a notebook or having to get to your computer to access your calendar. Remember the Milk is accessible on the web from any PC! The best thing about this service is the wonderful feeling you get when you you mark a task complete. It’s a visual reflection of your accomplishment.
Try implementing these tips into your own daily routine and see how much of a positive impact they have on your ability to follow through on projects and execute tasks!