Posted on Monday, April 12, 2021

Focus Time: The Key To Productivity

Are you working more than you have to? Get things done faster (and better!) by devoting an hour a day to deep work.

Do you ever wish there were more hours in the day? You’re not alone, but you’re wishing for the wrong thing! We don’t need to work more hours, we need to use our time more effectively. That’s why one of my favorite time management strategies is daily, dedicated Focus Time.

Focus Time is a block of time you devote to maximum productivity. During this time, you commit to an ultra-focused frame of mind, concentrating on getting tasks accomplished.

What you’re really doing during your focus time is giving your best effort to completing a single task as thoroughly as possible—with no distractions.

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Posted on Monday, March 22, 2021

The Dangers of a Flexible Schedule

Your flexibility could be costing you business.

Are you a salesperson with a flexible schedule? If so… do you mind running an errand for me?

In so many households, it’s the person in sales who gets to pick up deliveries, drop off dry cleaning, meet with the plumber, and run to Costco at lunch. They have a “flexible” schedule, and all these tasks fall to them—just because they don’t punch a time clock at work!

Sound familiar? You are probably wasting five to ten hours a week on tasks that do nothing to move your business forward. If your flexible schedule is working against you, try these three things:

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Posted on Monday, February 8, 2021

Just Say No to Notifications

We’re all trying to get more things done. But the technology that’s supposed to help us be more productive is actually getting in our way.

Has this happened to you? You’re trying to process paperwork, and suddenly your doorbell rings (in your house AND your phone), your watch dings and vibrates, and your dogs start barking.

You’re notified of a UPS package delivery by your email, your “smart home” app, your watch, AND your dogs!

Stop this madness!

There are SO MANY notifications that interrupt us all day long on our computers, phones, and smartwatches. These rings, dings, vibrations, and buzzes are impossible to ignore. It’s time to pick up your phone and put yourself back in charge! All you have to do:

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Posted on Monday, December 14, 2020

Drowning In To-Dos

Get Your To-Do List Done with the 10-10-30 Rule

How often do you get to work, dive right in to putting out fires, and come up for air around lunchtime only to realize you didn’t finish ANYTHING on your to-do list? Do you also have days where you don’t even know where to start?

One of the things my coaching clients struggle with most is sitting down at their desk in the morning and feeling like they have control over what to do first. An effective to-do list is just one piece of the puzzle; You also need to devote a little time every day to review and revise your to-do list and re-center your priorities. At Skillway, we created a simple method we call the 10-10-30 rule:

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Posted on Monday, November 16, 2020

Eliminate Distractions and Take Control of Your Time

I talk about distractions a lot! It’s because many people feel like they’re losing control of their time. If you’re working from home, you’re probably experiencing more distractions than ever! The number one way to regain control over your time is to get better at eliminating distractions.

One study from UC Irvine showed that we get interrupted every 11 minutes on average, and it takes an average of 25 minutes to get back on task. All those distractions can add up to hours every day! Studies have also shown that interruptions and distractions increase stress and mistakes.

If you want to be productive and effective, you need to stay focused (no multitasking!). Here are my tips for getting rid of common distractions that keep us from “deep work” and add stress to our day.

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Posted on Monday, October 26, 2020

Multitasking is Another Word for Half-Assing

Do you ever brag about all the things you can get done at once? Do you think “multitasking” is an impressive part of your skillset? I hate to be the one to break it to you, but “multitasking” is impossible.

Sure, we can all do a simple task like washing the dishes while listening to the radio. But have you cut yourself in the kitchen while trying to have a conversation? Tripped up the stairs while you tried to balance something in your hands? Lost track during a Zoom call because an email popped up on your phone? It’s because we’re all human, and the human brain just isn’t great at paying attention to two things at once.

Trying to multitask is counterproductive, impolite, and inefficient. Here’s why:

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Posted on Monday, August 17, 2020

Begin with the End in Mind (in Sales)

Creating good time management habits can feel exhausting. If it’s something you’ve struggled with for a while, you may find it hard to know where to start.

In Stephen Covey’s world-renowned book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, he suggests using a powerful tip: Begin with the end in mind. What does this mean for a relationship-based salesperson, though? And how can you apply that principle to transform the way you think about your calendar and your tasks?

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