Last Updated on May 3, 2020 by ellduclos

How to Stay Productive & Organized

Happy new year!!! Today I am back with a new guide for you and it’s one of my favorite topics! Organization and productivity! These go hand in hand (in my opinion) The more organized I am, the more motivated I become…which means I stay productive!!! Hopefully this will help you to get your act together this year because if you are anything like me then you are scatter brained and easily distracted! If that sounds like you, then these productivity and organization tips might help!

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Disclaimer: Affiliate links are used & I did team up with one of my blogging friends, Terra to share a special discount code for planner print outs that help bloggers create content schedules & plan out their days! I only recommend products I love and my opinions are never swayed!  Here is where you can read more about my disclosure policy.

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How to get more organized so you can become productive

The first step to becoming more productive is making sure you keep your space organized! The more organized your space is, the less cluttered your mind feels!

Step one: Declutter your space!

One thing that I am guilty of is clutter! I tend to wait until the last possible second to get rid of things I don’t need. This not only drives my boyfriend crazy but it kinda drives me crazy too!

So for the new year I am going to be decluttering things from my life (even relationships… not meaning my boyfriend! Just negative people who bring my mood down.)

Here is what I will be decluttering this year:

• Any item that I haven’t used in over a year 
• Clothes that don’t fit or that I haven’t worn in over 9 months
• Shoes that I never wear 
• Random trinkets that I think are decor, but really waste space 
• Makeup that has expired 
• Anything that has expired 

Getting rid of things you don’t use creates a clear and peace of mind. You will feel a lot less overwhelmed and more motivated in your own space!

Step 2: Use a planner!

About 2 years ago I started taking my planning seriously! I swear by my planner and use them for multiple purposes!

• Blogging 
• Meetings/clients/events 
• Budgeting 

My blogging friend recently created a printable planner for bloggers and it helps SO MUCH! I have been loving this blog slay book to organize my content and social media! Not to mention, to track important things like subscriptions I pay for, affiliate programs I am a part of, and even social media stats! 

This Ultimate Blog Slay Book includes pages for: Blog Info sheet, Social Stats Tracker, Google Analytics Tracker, Password Keeper, Subscription Record, Affiliate Tracker, Sales Funnel, Blog Sponsors, Mileage Tracker, Travel Planner, Financial Tracker, Business Contacts, Collab Planner, Post planner, Daily weekly monthly plan sheets, AND a 2019-2020 Calendar!

You can get this Blog Slay Book for just $5.99 using code: BGBLOGGERS at check out!!! That’s 40% off and a steal price! (ends Feb 3rd 2019!)

Once I focused on using my planners daily I was a lot more motivated and noticed myself staying productive throughout the day!

Step 3: Clean up after yourself everyday!

As silly as it sounds, I know that I am not the only one who has gone to bed with dirty dishes in the sink! Yes, I said it! GUILTY!

But, I find that cleaning up everyday not only saves you time, it also makes you feel a lot less stressed!

If you wait until the last minute to do simple cleaning tasks, those task will become harder when you finally decide to do them!

Things to start doing daily:

• Make the bed when you wake up
• Don’t go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink
• Fold and put away laundry as soon as it’s out of the dryer
• Wipe down counter tops
• Put away clean dishes
• Sweep

It may seem like a lot of work but it will be a lot MORE work if you keep putting these tasks off.

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Productivity tips

Now I want to mention some tips to help you stay productive and actually accomplish your daily, weekly, and monthly goals! It’s so easy to keep busy, BUT staying busy doesn’t always mean you are being productive!

Time blocking:

I find that I have better luck completing my task when I make sure I set aside uninterrupted time for said task.

I love to take out my planner and block out time where I can sit down and work on content. I will also block off time for client work, social media work, and house cleaning! 

When I block out specific time, I also want to make sure this is uninterrupted time… meaning no distractions! I need to make sure I can dedicate this time strictly to what it’s purpose is! 

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Lists/Prioritizing: 

I LOVE making lists but I won’t lie, sometimes I get carried away and forget to put the list into action after making it. A goal of mine is to use lists in a productive way this year!

I want to make a to-do list daily that is prioritized! This means I will have the most important tasks at the top and the not as important tasks at the bottom.

I try to make sure my list is filled with productive tasks too! In order to make sure I’m only doing productive tasks I will ask myself, is this task helping me reach my end goals? If the answer is no, then it’s not a priority.

For example, if I have a big project to finish that is due tomorrow, that’s going to be a priority over organizing my drawers. 

AND – if you ever catch yourself getting caught up binge watching Netflix when you are supposed to be doing some work, ask yourself… is this episode productive?? PROBABLY NOT. (But I know we do it anyway) 

Try to be more productive this year! 

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Set timers:

I love this tip! I started incorporating timers a little while back! What I’ll do is take my task list and set a timer for my first task. Once the timer is up, if I didn’t finish the task I put it to the bottom of the list! This continues until I get through my entire list. 

I find this helps me to make sure I am not focusing all my time on one task! Productive! 

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Routines

Having a solid daily routine can really help keep you motivated and productive! I especially love morning routines! 

Since I tend to HATE mornings (I’m just not an early riser) having a morning routine helps motivate me to want to wake up and get my day started!

I swear I look forward to my coffee everyday. Create a morning routine that inspires you to want to wake up and get your day started!

Some activities I recommend incorporating in your daily routines to help keep you productive:

• getting dressed / doing your hair / washing your face
• Open all your blinds in your house to let the light in
• Make your bed 
• Journaling – I have a 31 day journaling challenge for self discovery!
• Have your favorite morning drink 
• Take a look at your planner and schedule
• Make a daily task list 
• Meditate / words of affirmation
• Take a walk 
• Eat a good breakfast 

These are just a few daily habits that make a huge difference! 

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Get enough sleep:

As crazy as it seems, making sure you get enough sleep can have a positive effect on your productivity throughout the day! I notice when I don’t get enough sleep the night before I am so tired all day which makes me less motivated to want to get any work done!

Making sure you sleep is so important when it comes to staying productive! Try to aim for 7-8 hours! (I know it’s hard because usually I get 5-6! Working on better sleeping habits… I say as I’m writing this at 3am – tomorrow may not be productive. Jk!)

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Change of space:

For all my work from home peeps out there, this one is for you!!! If you work from home like I do then you know how draining and uninspiring it can be when you are home alone all day working!

I find that when I take my work elsewhere or even bring inspiration to my workspace, I feel more motivate to work which leads to me being more productive! 

Try taking your work to a new spot once or twice a week! You might find it refreshing! Like your local coffee shop or a cafe! 

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Learn self-discipline: 

The most important thing to remember when it comes to being productive is to make sure you have self-discipline! This is extremely hard (even for me) 

When I made the switch to becoming a full time blogger, I knew for a fact I wouldn’t have been able to make it happen if it weren’t for my self discipline. Let’s face it, it’s not easy to turn this into a paying gig that can support you financially (bills and all) it took a lot of dedication, hard work, and self discipline! There were many days when I felt like I wanted to call it quits, but I didn’t! 

I even talk about some of my struggles as a full time blogger here.

There were also many days when I would have much rather got lost in a new tv series, but I still didn’t! 

Be discipline enough to meet your deadlines! This keeps you productive. 

I found what help me a lot was changing the way I thought. Instead of saying “I can’t do this.” or “It’s not worth it.” I would say things like, “I can do this.” and “It’s going to be worth it.” 

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Related: 5 Steps to Actually Accomplishing Your Goals

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Eliminating distractions: 

If you want to be productive you need to eliminate your distractions! Anything that takes your attention away from your current task is a distraction! 

• Tv 
• Noise 
• Friends
• Family
• Electronics
• Social media   

It sounds ridiculous because how are you going to eliminate your family and kids? I know. I’m not saying ignore them but this brings me back to time blocking.

Set aside time when maybe your kids are napping, at school, in bed… this way you have less of a chance to become distracted AND you still get time with them when they come home or wake up! You won’t be missing out!

If you need silence to get more work done, then make sure to turn off the tv and eliminate loud noise. 

Social media is a HUGE distraction… I will find myself scrolling through twitter when I should be cleaning or writing more content. It’s not good. So put your phone in a separate room while you work!!

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Let go of excuses:

You can say “I can do it tomorrow.” …Until tomorrow comes and you have more work than ever before… then that tomorrow because a month from now and suddenly you miss your deadlines. You become so far behind in cleaning your house you are practically buried in your dirty laundry and dishes….. I know because that has been me! 

STOP MAKING EXCUSES AND DO IT NOW. 

That’s what being productive is all about. There is no Tomorrow, there is RIGHT NOW. Don’t wait.

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I hope you found these tips helpful!! I would love to hear any additional tips you might have in the comments! Do you do any of these tips already? Do you find that it helps?!

 

Until Next Time,

Ell