Working on a particular project or challenge in a short time frame can really boost your productivity by focusing your attention on activities that will really make a difference to your goals. If you’ve been following the previous blogs you’ll see that now is the time to ramp up the energy for the final days of the challenge.

The Importance of the Final Push

The last week of any challenge is crucial; it’s your opportunity to solidify the gains you’ve made and complete the tasks you’ve set out to accomplish. This is the time to dig deep, muster all your energy, and apply everything you’ve learned. It’s about turning short-term efforts into long-term habits and achievements.

Finishing What You Started

Think back over the past few weeks. What tasks have made the most significant impact on your business? Which strategies have you not yet had a chance to try or fully implement? This week is your moment to wrap up those...

As a committed business owner, you want to be productive. In fact, you might even wake up in the morning with all kinds of enthusiasm for the projects you’re going to get done during the day.

Now fast forward a few hours, and suddenly you’re wondering where the day went, feeling like you never accomplished anything at all.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Most people feel this way at least sometimes. The trick is to realize that this isn’t something entirely outside of your control. Sure, things are going to happen, which derail you, but more often than not, you’re succumbing to self-sabotage. You’ve derailed yourself, through your own negative beliefs and self-talk.

You may feel that the only way to combat this issue is to spend time – and probably many dollars, on therapeutic processes that will free you of these limiting beliefs. That would indeed be helpful, but there are some shortcuts you can use to lift your mindset...

The end of the year always seems to come in a rush. So much to do - so little time. Co-ordinating  marketing campaigns, sales, deliveries, staffing and, of course, managing the Christmas break. The list of what needs to get done at this time of year can become overwhelming. Sometimes we are not even aware of how much time is taken up with the various projects we may have on the go at once.

That is where technology can come to the rescue. You just need to know what is available and which tools to use. 

Here are 6 time management tools that can help you improve productivity.

Toggl

With Toggl you can keep better track of the time you spend working on projects and tasks and is an excellent alternative to time-sheets. Effective time management starts with being clear on how much time you are actually spending on your projects and tasks, and then through careful analysis, working out how you can better manage them. 

Another option to look at is...

Given the current environment many of you may be working from home for a while yet.

When you're working from home you should always be looking for ways to increase your productivity. More work done in less time means more time to kick back, relax and have fun. Here are a few suggestions that can really make a difference:

1. Keep a daily routine

Some people who are new to working from home will scoff at the idea of anything resembling a daily schedule. The truth, though, is that it can really boost productivity and prevent work from spilling over into your spare time. By starting and stopping work at approximately the same times every day, you ensure you'll have plenty of time to recharge afterwards, which is ultimately great for productivity.

2. Always plan ahead

Something as simple as a daily to-do list can do wonders for your productivity. Sure, deciding on the spot what to do next has a certain charm, but it leaves you spending too much time on deciding, and too little on...

Lack of productivity is something many of us suffer with, especially at this time of year. The sun is out, the children are on holiday and there is so much you would rather be doing. Settling down to a regular work routine can be a challenge.

Here are a few tips designed to help anyone who is struggling with their productivity levels.

#1 – Stay focused. This is easier said than done, but one sure way to boost your productivity is by staying focused on one task at a time. Studies have shown that those of us who “multitask” actually get less done. Having your email program open along with several other windows on your computer is very distracting and will take away from your ability to focus on the task at hand.

Try to do one thing at a time. If you’re checking your email, stay focused on that until you finish. If you’re doing your accounts, give yourself a set amount of time to only work on that task before moving on to...

Whether from your dining table, a converted garage and everything in between, it’s important to set certain boundaries when you are running a business from home. One of the biggest time thieves – apart from the Internet, is the telephone. Not only does it steal precious time (usually at the most inopportune moment), it can also raise havoc on your busy schedule.

As home-based business entrepreneurs, we are very much aware how easily the phone can disrupt our day. Then again, the telephone is probably the most important of all office supplies we have. Learning to manage telephone interruptions is definitely a skill needing to be worked upon.

When you consider the fact that most calls coming into your home during office hours will in fact be business related, you need to figure out how you are going to handle them. Unless a client is in a panic because of a problem only you can resolve, most other calls can be returned during regularly scheduled phone...