7 Tips to Being More Productive in Your Online Business - What Do You Do To Keep Productive?

I don't know that to-do lists are a secret, but I definitely got a few new ideas from it. Thanks :-)

Good Post... You have made my whole world stop to think about what you just posted....

i recently was attending a webinar and it also mentioned the idea of a timer, i think its a great idea. you give yourself a certain amount of time do something and when the time is up, off to the next task. that timer is gonna help you focus and execute only the bare essentials.

One of the things that's made a big difference to me is to get the job that I want to do least out of the way as early as possible in the day. It came from a book called something like 'Eat That Frog'. I'm not sure how they managed to squeeze an entire book out of the concept as it's a long time since I read it, but the idea behind it was that if you had to eat a frog it would be the most difficult part of your day - everything that came after it would be a doddle, and everything that came before it would be little more than procrastination since your mind would be too pre-occupied by the forthcoming frog-eating fest to be fully effective. Substitute 'most dreaded task' for 'frog' and that's the book in a nutshell.

I suppose I ought to hop it now before my to-do list starts leaping around and croaking

Thanks ... cool tips..

I find this helpful, getting used to a new routne is a challenge but very productive when followed religiously.

Amazon.com: Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop...

Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time (Hardcover)

Thanks for this info..i really need it i waste a lot of time here and there...LOL

Hey Ben,

Thanks for providing the tips here. I personally use most of them and they have dramatically changed the way I work and increased my productivity many times over. In fact I combined Parkinson's principal with a few simple rules and created a tool of my own called Power Sessions. It is so easy and simple to implement and increases productivity extremely easy. I have blogged about it on my Blog.

Thank you for providing these tips and I hope others implement these into their daily lives too.

Maddi

Thanks. This post is a keeper. I think I have tried all those things but never at the same time and not in such a disciplined focused way. I might just print this out and refer to it for awhile. I hate being unproductive but I am easily distracted.

A tip that really skyrocketed my productivity was to STOP THINKING

Jason Fladlien teaches to only allow yourself 60 seconds to make a decision. Not allowing myself to stew over unimportant things has done more for my business than most anything else.

My goal this summer is to just work work work and not check check check the CB account until my site breeches 100 organic visitors a day.

1. "brainstorm" ALL goals and to-dos
2. Prioritize all goals and to-dos
3. Use teuxdeux.com to keep overall plans on track
4. Use a time boxing program to make sure I get all daily to-dos done

I really like combining #5 and #7 - I learned about those a few years ago and I've always liked how focused a person can be when using a stopwatch and not multitasking - when I don't focus on keeping myself focused, time wasting begins

Something that has really helped me out is becoming addicted to "completion". No matter the task (article writing, publishing, link building, etc.) nothing is more important that completing what I planned for that day in the time frame I set. It helped jump my productivity and also takes the focus off of the dreaded "how much did I make today" syndrome.

Just a couple of comments.

I tried to use the timer, but I found that I actually wasted a lot of the time looking over at the time to see how much time I had left. I also found it quite hard to work under that kind of pressure. I was thinking more about the time, then the task at hand, and I was more worried about the time then my task.

A tip that I have found helpful, is when prioritising your to-do-list, although it is important to knock off the important ones first, it can be a bit demotivating if your first item on the to-do-list is the biggest item of the day. I always like to start with some simple items that are easy to knock off, because it makes me feel like I am making a lot of progress, then I tackle the main item full of running.

I also find that if I am not in the mood for working, I take a break. After the break, I then come back and do something, that may not be the most important job in the world, but it is easy to do. By doing this, I feel like I am making progress, and I am in the mood for more work. If it doesnt fix my mood, at least I know I have actually done something, even though it may have been small.

Those are great tips on productivity. Thanks for sharing.

I keep myself reminded on how I spend time at the right time and at the right tasks on a regular basis. I use RescueTime to determine if I'm getting more productive and have also get my virtual team have this installed onto their desktops so that way, they keep themselves reminded as well.

Alternatively, before starting the day, I turn on my computer and head off to my mind mapping software to get my mind juice off the tasks I want to get done. Once I've finalized my mind map, I'll generate a flowchart and then upload it to our project management system. Afterward, I'll review it once more and then come up with the step by step instructions to be given to my staff. That's how I get ourselves helping each other.

Its sometimes the most simple things that make you more productive planning tomorrow today has helped me move my business forward, each and every day I make sure I get the priorities out othef way first before I start with anything else.

Great advice Ben.
Eliminating distractions is the one for me!
Thanks

thanks ben,

very informative

some interesting ideas

thanks. excellent tips

Thanks for the advice. To keep myself productive and yes I know we all have heard it, it is all about my reason WHY, I have my affirmations, pictures on a dream board up in my office and look at them to motivate me when I don't feel like doing business.

When I have to get ultra productive I run a kitchen timer. Or I use the one on my iPhone.

I set it to 30 min. ( I try to get this on the hour or half hour)

Then I go to work like normal. I always have objectives I want to get competed during the day. I also do have distractions.

With the timer in place I am reminded every 30 min to stay on track. If I stray it will only be until the next buzzer. That could be 30 min but usually it is never more than 15.

When in this mode I am able to meet any deadline and or complete all projects.

I hope this helps,

Kevin

Got to have a list - but I keep it to six 'must do' things (not including having a shower, getting dressed etc!). Damian Benko taught me that.

My biggest motivator is fear of going back to having no money.... I've got big signs up saying 'remember the anger' or 'remember the frustration' because of something which happened to do with having no money which made me really attack the business of internet marketing!

Great topic - thanks!

Really interesting tips. Self-explanatory and some are interesting like the stop watch. In some cases this will only make the individual more nervous and nothing will get done.

I think writing or doing tasks is similar to creating art... either you will do it or you won't. If a person does not feel inspired to do something at that given moment then it just won't happen. Although some people do need a gentle nudge.

Great tips Ben.

It can be difficult to keep all the plates spinning in the air when you are starting or running a business. But for many people, it's not just because there is too much to do - often they haven't found the right systems, habits or resources to help them make the most of the time available.

You have to question if procrastination is the culprit too! Do you find that there are always one or two projects that are on your 'to do' list but never quite get completed. If the task is important then you are being undermined by procrastination because:

• Leaving or ignoring a task could turn it into an urgent piece of work - with implications in quality and cost.
• Keeping things on your 'to do' list without managing to complete them can be stressful.

There are many reasons for procrastination - other tasks seem simpler, more comfortable or more enjoyable, you feel overwhelmed by the task or simply don't feel in the right frame of mind to complete it. There are a number of steps you can take to overcome procrastination:

• Put the task on your 'to do' list as high priority and do not attempt other tasks until that one is completed. Often, anxiety about completing the task is worse than actually tackling it!
• Encourage other people to chase you on it.
• Decide on a reward for completing the task.

It also helps to keep on top of things you need to have the time, space, resources and tools to do the job. Don't be afraid to try different systems - what works for one person may not work for another. Using new systems, or working in a different way, may initially seem daunting but you will soon see the benefits. Reviewing your time and project management regularly is essential - it will stop you from falling into bad habits and help you to stay on track.

Lilach