As a digital solopreneur, one of your most valuable assets is your time. That’s why you should be looking at how to improve your productivity, including ways to get more done in less time. But if you’re not careful, you could be making mistakes that actually cost you valuable time.
Mistake 1: Multitasking
You may be under the assumption that multitasking allows you to get more done in less time. But the fact is, researchers have found the opposite to be true. Every time you take your focus off the task at hand, you lose productivity. That’s why the experts say it’s much better to focus on ONE task and get it done before moving onto the next task.
Mistake 2: Getting Sidetracked
It’s easy to think that you’ll just quickly check Facebook before you begin working for the day, or that you’ll look at a few YouTube videos, or quickly get on and get off any other social media platform. Next thing you know, hours have gone by, you’ve been totally sidetracked, and you’ve gotten next to nothing meaningful done.
Do not make this mistake. If you have a tendency to get sidetracked, then you’ll want to take steps to prevent it. For example, if checking Facebook is your downfall, then put your laptop into “airplane mode” so that you can’t mindlessly go online when you’re supposed to be attending to a business task. If you need to go online to do some research, then install an app that blocks social media or other tempting sites.
Mistake 3: Not Planning Properly
There are actually two mistakes you can make here:
- Failing to plan - If you don’t plan your days, then you’re going to find yourself going whichever way the wind blows – and that’s highly unproductive. So be sure you have a to-do list in front of you at the beginning of each day.
- Planning too much - If you try to squeeze something into every minute, you’re going to end up stressed out and overwhelmed. That too isn’t very productive.
Mistake 4: Not Making Use of Your Best Hours
Most people have about two or three hours of the day that are their prime hours - the time of the day when you’re the most focused, energetic and creative. The problem is most people fritter away this focused time by doing low value tasks like answering emails.
This time of the day is different for everyone. It’s up to you to determine your peak productivity hours, and then schedule your most important and/or most difficult tasks during this time.
Mistake 5: Starting with Easy Tasks
If you want to get more done in a day, then get your most difficult tasks done first. These tend to require the most concentration, and so you may be “shot” after you finish them. And that’s okay, if you’ve scheduled the rest of the day with some of your easier tasks.
If you do catch yourself making any of these mistakes, try your best to correct the mistake as soon as possible!
