Life Hacks! Our social feeds are full of efficiency ideas and ways to increase productivity while maintaining fiscal responsibility and balance. In this blog, our team members share the productivity hacks they use to ensure they show up as their best self to work everyday. Here are the small aspects of our daily routine that we incorporate to help us work more efficiently.
Shantelle P. Dedicke, CMP
President/Chief Creative Officer
- I dial it back to ramp up. When the demand for productivity is increased, I meditate in short increments (love the Headspace App) and practice a very simple yoga flow or take some weekend time to bake or develop new recipes. I am an extreme extrovert so the hustle of the world tends to set back my productivity and disrupt my focus. I'll notice big red flags like back pain, tension headaches, and weight gain. I try to manage productivity burnout as best I can, but the reality is that the management is a work in progress. When I need my A game, I deliberately switch to intuition over outside influence.
- Schedule everything. My schedule includes a set time for everything to include reading emails, grocery shopping, meetings, phone calls, everything. I develop a daily list from my schedule and begin with the items that I know are going to drag out, for whatever reason.
Janae Erickson, Art Director
- I take a few minutes in the morning to enjoy breakfast and coffee. I try to be away from the computer and my phone (although this is difficult) to enjoy a moment by myself before diving into my to-do list.
- I like to stay organized to be more productive. I take a few minutes with each project to make sure it's in the correct location so that I'll be able to easily find it again. I also clean out my downloads folder and desktop every day!
Hillaree Durso, Content Director
- Each night before I go to bed, I write down everything I need to do the next day and any ideas I have for client projects.
- Instead of trying to multitask, I give proper attention to each assignment I need to focus on. I’ve noticed that this has helped both my productivity and my efficiency.
Kelsey Doar, Marketing Manager
- I batch similar tasks together such as email, social media scheduling or client research. For example, if I’m feeling creative I make sure to use this time to write blog posts for multiple clients. I’ve found that working on similar tasks in one time frame helps me to stay focused and complete assignments that I’ve started, rather than constantly switching between projects.
- I work when no one else is working. Since I work in a different time zone than my coworkers and our clients, it’s easier for me, but I’ve noticed that working beyond the normal 9-5 hours has greatly increased my productivity because I’m not constantly distracted, answering calls or texts or checking my emails.
Jodie Warner, Research Coordinator
- For me, I listen to podcasts while working. It tunes out the world around me and lets me focus on the task at hand.
- Also, since I work at home mostly, I make sure to work in a quiet area where no one is constantly in or out and breaking my concentration.
Let us know your productivity hacks in the comments!
Thanks all...those were all great ideas! I'm certainly not the best at time management, so for the last couple of months before I leave my office at Youth Village, I've put everything that I need to do (projects, research, etc.) for the next day on a chair or on the floor...yes, on the floor! LOL I do the same thing at my home office. Unless something is a last minute emergency or request, that is it!! No emergencies have popped up yet, so this works for me.