How Overworking Negatively Impacts Your Life and Productivity

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Have you ever wondered how overworking negatively impacts your life and productivity? Working hard is not an option for most Americans. It’s necessary if you want to put food on the table and accelerate your career. However, there is such a thing as working too hard.

We’re all guilty of it. Maybe a deadline is coming up fast or you just need to put in extra hours for the week. Every once and a while can easily turn into ever week and each weekend. Before you know it, a culture of overworking yourself has been established and can likely lead to repeated bouts of burnout. 

Overworking is a problem for both employees, employers, and entrepreneurs. Working too hard routinely over a long period of time can lead to serious illness or even death. Researchers have found that overworking routinely makes you become significantly less productive. If employees are overwhelmed by their workload they will be less efficient at work. If you’re self-employed like me, you may feel tempted to work all the time.

How Overworking Negatively Impacts Your Life

Overworking leaves you with almost no time to think about what is going on in the rest of your life. Working too hard regularly can negatively affect your health, relationships, happiness, and overall quality of life.

When you are working longer hours regularly, then there is a good chance that you are not eating healthy which can lead to poor health. Some employees are so focused on their work until it becomes too much for them that they cannot cope with the stress anymore. As a result, work becomes joyless and a negative addiction.

Overworked employees are also probably not getting much exercise and taking enough breaks which can cause long-term mental and physical health problems.

Working too hard over an extended period of time could eventually lead to all manner of health problems such as depression, high levels of stress, high blood pressure, infertility, migraine, diabetes, allergies, heavy drinking, and impaired memory.

Overworking Impairs Your Sleep

Long working hours in the office or at home impairs your sleep. It can make you feel overwhelmed and result in extremely high levels of stress. Working longer hours regularly leads to tiredness, stress and depression – all of which can negatively impact your sleep.

You are more likely to become sick due to sleep deprivation caused by overworking. Lack of sleep over an extended period of time can cause many health risks such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes and impaired memory.

Overworking Often Leads to Mental and Physical Health Problems

Those who work longer hours all the time have a much higher risk of developing heart-related problems than those who do not work overtime. If you do not get enough time to recover between work sessions, your productivity will only continue to decline.

When you do not allow enough time for your mind and body, you are at increased risk of developing various mental and physical health problems.

Often, symptoms of mental and physical health problems caused by overworking are anxiety, anger/bad mood, depression, poor sleep, tension/migraine headaches, fatigue, lack of concentration, frustration and feeling stuck.

Those who work too hard have a much higher risk of heart-related problems than those who do not work too hard. There have been many cases of death as the consequences of working too hard. So do not let your work dominate your life.

Impacts of Overworking on Your Personal Life

Overworking means sacrificing your personal time to spend in the office, which means you are spending less time with your partner, children, family and friends. Your relationships with your family and friends need time to flourish. Most people I know say family is a priority to them. However, how they spend their time doesn’t demonstrate this. 

Sure, we all have to work, but when you’re overworking it means you may not get evenings or weekends off to spend time with loves ones. This also goes for having the ability to slow down and take a vacation with family.

Overall, working long hours means you will be getting less quality time to spend with people who matter to you.

How Overworking Negatively Impacts Your Productivity

Working long hours per week for a short time can be beneficial for your business, but if you or your employees continue to work too hard, i.e., work 50-70 hours per week for months after months, then productivity will only continue to decrease.

Overworking is bad for your business, as it negatively affects your productivity. Many studies have found a correlation between overworking and less productivity. It leads to decreased productivity.

Numerous studies show that our productivity is higher when we are working 40 hours a week than when we are working 50 to 60 hours or more during a week.

Therefore, it is important to reduce your working hours in the workweek to enhance your productivity and the overall quality of work.

How to Stop Overworking…Seriously

So we now that we know how overworking negatively impacts your life and productivity, it’s time to talk about how you can stop this addictive habit.

Increase Your Income and Lower Your Expenses

Overworking often means less sleep and more mistakes but people’s main motivation for working extra hours is more money. We all need money to cover certain expenses and save. To avoid overworking and all the negative effects that come with it, purpose to increase your income over time. You can do this either through raises and promotions or by getting a higher paying job. 

I know this sounds easier said than done, and it may take longer to increase your income. but it’s important to work at it. You may even be able to find something you can do on the side to earn more money with fewer hours. 

I also recommend factoring in your budget and seeing how you can lower expenses. If you could increase your monthly income by $500 per month and decrease your expenses by $500, that’s $1,000 that you can add back to your pocket every month. This can eliminate the desire to overwork yourself.

Get Clear on Your Goals

I feel like a broken record sometimes when I keep saying this, but it’s a crucial step. As someone who said yes to everything for many years, I can attest to the fact that it can drain your time, energy, and ability to be productive long-term. There have been many times where I’ve taken on extra projects just out of the habit of saying yes all the time. It turned out the projects were not something I was interested in or felt good at and I dreaded the work. 

To avoid making this same mistake, get clear on your goals and know where your expertise lies. If you know what type of work you prefer doing, stick with what you enjoy and are knowledgeable in. With a clear focus, you’ll know when to say yes and when to say no to certain projects or jobs. 

Get Help

Stop trying to do everything yourself. It’s impossible. This is why at most jobs, there are teams. Lean on your team for support and be realistic with your supervisor about what you can handle. 

If you’re self-employed, consider hiring a virtual assistant or someone who can take a time-consuming task off your plate. I know this will require some money, but it’s worth it if it allows you to be more productive and build your business. Don’t be afraid to invest in your business if you’re serious about growth. As an added bonus, you’ll avoid some of those effects that are directly tied to how overworking negatively impacts your health.

Summary: How Overworking Negatively Impacts Your Life and Productivity

Working too hard every now and then when it is necessary can be rewarding if you’re staying productive. But when you make a habit out of overworking, it is bad for your health and business. Overworking all the time leads to an unhealthy work-life balance which has severe, negative impacts on your life and productivity.

Focus on implementing these 3 steps to help you stop overworking so you can improve your work and your life all around.

14 Business Tasks That Can Be Automated

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How to Use Appointment Software in Your Personal Life

As a business owner, you have a full plate. But, did you know that you can free-up your most valuable asset by automating tedious and redundant tasks? I know what you’re thinking. You don’t have the budget or knowledge to afford such luxuries. But here are 14 business tasks that can be automated.

In reality, these tools are affordable and user-friendly. And, this small investment will save you time and energy so that you can focus on your priorities.

Not sure where to start? Well, here are 14 business tasks that can be automated. You’ll thank us later.

1. Scheduling appointments.

Whether it’s trying to figure out when to have dinner with friends or book an important meeting with a client, scheduling appointments can be like pulling teeth. You suggest a date and time, only for the other party to throw out a completely different option. Next thing you know, you’re engaged in an elaborate game of cat and mouse.

Thankfully, with calendar scheduling apps that’s no longer a problem. Simply share your calendar with others through email or embed it onto your website. Now they can see when you’re available and select a date and time that works from them. The event is then automatically added to everyone’s schedules.

Moreover, you can make appointments with yourself, such as blocking out time for your priorities. It’s a safe way to guarantee that you won’t book something else during that timeframe.

And, better yet, tools like Calendar use machine learning to see how you’re spending your time. It will then make smart suggestions on how to schedule meetings so that those dog days of going back-and-forth are over. It’s pretty much-putting scheduling appointments on autopilot.

2. Master your to-do-list.

Are to-do-lists flawless? Of course not. But, they can still come in handy when planning how to spend your time. And, this is most true when your list has been prioritized.

As you’ve probably guessed, automation can help you make your lists mare effective. In turn, you’ll be able to conquer it. And, as you cross items off, you’ll want to keep that momentum going. In short, mastering your to-do-list will make you a lean, mean productivity machine.

If you use a tool like Zapier, then you could convert emails, notes, Slack messages, or form submissions into to-dos. Microsoft’s Flow automates workflows, while Focuster will add items from your to-do-list to your calendar.

3. Sorting and responding to emails.

According to a survey from Adobe, respondents “said they spend approximately five hours a day checking work email (three-plus hours a day) and personal email (two-plus hours a day).” That’s bonkers. And, just imagine how out of control your inbox would get if it wasn’t effectively managed!

Automation allows you to eliminate annoying emails or newsletters that are no longer relevant — thanks Sanebox and Unroll.me. You can also create canned responses in Gmail. And, most importantly there’s email automation where create emails that will reach the right people at the right time. For example, if someone placed an order with your company, they would receive an automatic message thanking them for their order and what steps to take next.

4. Posting to social media.

If you want to spread brand awareness, promote events, and engage with your audience, then you need to be active on social media. However, just like email, this can become a time-consuming task as you may get drawn into the rabbit hole of sharing, commenting, and liking.

Solutions like Buffer and Hootsuite allow you to schedule social media in advance. You can also use chatbots to deliver immediate responses. And, tools like Sprout Social can curate content and generate real-time reports.

5. Filling out online forms.

It may not seem like it. But, constantly filling out forms online can be a drag. Just think about how much time you waste plugging in the same information again and again. If you use Chrome, then the Big G will fill out forms automatically for you. But, you can also use RoboForm.

Both of these options are secure. And, they’ll also remember and manage all of your passwords passwords so that you don’t have to search for or reset them.

6. Data back-up.

When I was younger and more naive, I didn’t think about backing-up more computer’s hard drive. Sure enough, it crashed and everything I had on there was lost.

That’s not really a concern today. Most cloud services, whether if it’s Google, Apple, Dropbox, or Carbonite, will automatically back-up your data. That should definitely give you some peace of mind at night.

7. Recruiting and hiring.

Full disclosure here. You will have to actually speak with potential hires. But, automation makes this process a whole lot easier. For instance, with ZipRecruiter you could send out a job description to multiple job search sites at once.

Additionally, tools like Yello can be used to screen candidates and speed-up the interview process. And, since you’re already using scheduling tools, this can also simplify scheduling interviews.

8. Creating proposals.

“Generating a new proposal from scratch can be tedious and exhausting,” writes Sujan Patel over at Inc.com. “Plus, with so many people involved, getting a proposal approved and out the door can sometimes take forever.” And, with so much back-and-forth going on, quality can also take a hit.

“But by investing in proposal management software, such as PandaDoc, you’ll be able to consolidate all of your proposal tasks in one place,” Patel adds. “This will allow you to seamlessly coordinate with sales, marketing, legal and others and avoid confusion that could lead to issues.”

“Within the system, you and your team can also create templates so that you won’t always have to start from scratch,” says Patel. “With a streamlined system, you’ll create better proposals in less time.”

9. Document collecting and auto signature.

Regardless if you have full-time employees or a team of freelancers, there will be times when you need to gather documents and electronic signatures. Sending out reminders can be tedious. And, if you need this information by an exact date, it can also be stressful — think gathering all essential documents during tax season.

Moreover, you may need to have a vendor sign a contract or deal with client intake forms. Long story short, chasing documents, while necessary, is a huge drain on your time. Platforms like Integrify will automatically gather documents for you. Meanwhile, Docusign will automatically digitize important paperwork. It will also send out reminders via email.

10. Invoicing and billing.

We all have bills to pay, like rent, utilities, or payroll. Instead of manually writing checks like your grandparents once did set up automatic bill pay. As an added perk, it ensures that you’ll never be late or forget about paying a bill — which could result in your getting hit with hefty late fees.

Additionally, if you have recurring invoices, you can use a wide range of platforms to send out your invoice. Besides saving you time, it also can help you get paid faster.

Even if you aren’t handing your finances automation can at least free up some of your accountant’s time.

11. Lead nurturing.

The last thing that you want to do is waste your valuable trying to sell your product or service to someone who will never purchase it. That’s why gaining and retaining your leads is so clutch. At the same time, it can also be extremely time-consuming.

With automation, you can quickly respond to inquiries, assign inbound leads to sales reps, follow-up, and segment your leads. After gathering this information, it can automatically be put into a database so that you can pinpoint where they are in the sales funnel.

HubSpot, Act-On, and Marketo are some solid options for nurturing and converting leads.

12. Sales and marketing.

Arguably, the most profitable use of automation is assisting you with sales and marketing. After all, it’s impossible to stay in business when you don’t have cash flowing in.

When it comes to sales, automation can:

  • Set a framework for your sales pipeline.
  • Help you determine and focus on your hottest leads.
  • Remain engaged with prospects who aren’t ready to buy.
  • Welcoming new clients and customers.

Also, it can encourage repeat sales by reminding customers about abandoned carts and when their supply is running low. It can also suggest new products or services that they might be interested in based on past purchases.

13. Customer service and engagement.

Keeping your customers happy is a crucial part of running a business. Besides building loyalty, it can also help attract new customers through referrals and word-of-mouth.

Chatbots, as previously mentioned, can be used to address customer inquires in real-time — even during off-hours. It’s even being anticipated that by 2020, 85% of interactions without human interaction. Bold 360 and Drift are just two tools that can handle this task.

Furthermore, with so much data at your disposal, you can send personalized offers, content, and reminders to your existing customers. You could even attach surveys after a sale to gather much-needed feedback on how to improve.

There are a lot of sales and marketing automation platforms that can assist you in this area. Examples would be Constant Contact for email marketing automation, Keap for CRM, and BuzzPortal for customer engagement.

14. Update contact information.

How embarrassed are you when you call a contact only to be informed that they no longer possess this number? What if you sent out an email and it was returned?

People are constantly changing their contact info. And, if you aren’t on top of that, then you may have a contact book full of outdated information. Addappt addresses this by updating your contact information whenever it’s been changed.

There are some other cool features too, such as birthday and anniversary reminders. And, Addappt will also keep you updated on your contact’s weather conditions. You know. Just to remind them to bring an umbrella if it’s going to rain.

Are You More Productive Working From Home?

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It’s a question that mankind as tried to answer for centuries. Are you more productive working from home? Your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. The concept of remote work has been around for a very long.  With the COVID-19 mess we are asking this question more and more. Ask yourself — are you more productive working from home?

As noted in a fascinating Fast Company piece, “there was no such thing as going to a different place to labor.” Around 1.4 million years ago, an extinct hominid species called Homo ergaster (“working man”) “foraged for plants and hunted animals for food” close to their dwellings.

Many millennia later, labor was clustered in the home,” adds Lydia Dishman. “Medieval England had the ‘longhouse,’ which was inhabited by peasants and their livestock at either end of the building. In the middle, there was the kitchen, as well as the center for spinning/weaving/dressmaking, dairy, butchering, and tanning.” During this period, it was common for merchants to work their trades from home too.

To be honest not much has changed. Even following “the Industrial Revolution, home-based work continued to thrive as shopkeepers, funeral parlors, and schools featured proprietors and teachers living and working in the same building.”

However, during the early 20th century in the U.S., immigrants would work in their apartments — some were know as “sweatshops” because of the heat.

After WWII, there were more in-home sales and telecommuting opportunities for women. But, it wasn’t until the 1980s that companies began to experiment more with flexible hours. It also didn’t hurt that technological advancements, like personal computers and the internet, became more accessible.

Fast forward to the 21st century. Research from 2019 found that 74% of respondents reported that flexible working has become the “new normal.” And, following the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s expected 25-30% of the workforce will be working from home multiple days per week in 2021.

The Pros and Cons of Working From Home

So, being able to work from your home has been around for ages. Why?

Well, probably out of necessity — current stay-at-home orders have proven that. For employers, it can also be cost-effective and helps them tap into a deeper talent pool.

As for freelancers, business owners, or employees who have this option, they cherish the following advantages:

  • More autonomy and independence.
  • No stressful and time-consuming commutes to work.
  • A healthy work-life balance.
  • Saving money since you aren’t purchasing as much gas, public transportation tickets, or ordering out for lunch.
  • No workplace distractions, such as chatty co-workers.
  • Ability to create your own inspiring work environment.
  • Improved mental and physical health since you aren’t as stressed and have time to attend to your well-being.

Most importantly, working from home makes you happier and improves your job satisfaction. And, when put together, it will influence your productivity for the better.

At the same time, there are drawbacks to remote work, such as:

  • Increased isolation — which can impact your mental health and performance.
  • Working too many hours since there aren’t boundaries.
  • Distractions like chores, housemates, pets, or Netflix.
  • Feeling out of the loop with your colleagues.
  • Not having access to the resources and tools you need to work effectively.
  • Lack of a proper workspace.
  • Unhealthy lifestyle — you aren’t walking as much, frequently visiting your fridge, and don’t have ergonomic furniture.

Obviously, those disadvantages will negatively influence your productivity as well.

But, that doesn’t answer this lifelong quarry. Are you productive working from home or not?

What’s the Data Say About Work From Home Productivity?

To help settle this, let’s dive into some data, shall we?

  • “On average, remote employees worked 1.4 more days every month, or 16.8 more days every year, than those who worked in an office.” (Airtasker)
  • According to data from RescueTime, “remote workers had a 4% increase in average daily time spent on their core work and an 18% decrease in time spent on communication (compared to office workers).”
  • “Remote workers save 2–5.5 hours a day without commuting and in-person meetings.” (RescueTime)
  • “People who work from home are 17% more likely to leave work ‘feeling accomplished about what they set out to do.’” (RescueTime)
  • “Remote work has had only a small negative impact on productivity – an average reduction of 1 percent.” (Valoir)
  • “The average workday is 9.75 hours, with an average start time of 8:15 am and average end time of 6 pm.” (Valoir)

Still not convinced? We got more stats for you.

  • A study from Owl Labs, and published for its 2019 State of Remote Work report, stated that full-time remote workers are happy in their job 22 percent more than those who don’t. The reasons? Improved work-life balance (91 percent), increased productivity/better focus (79 percent), less stress (78 percent), and no commute (78 percent).
  • Following a 2-year Stanford study, “showed an astounding productivity boost among the telecommuters equivalent to a full day’s work,” writes ScottMautz for Inc.com. “Turns out work-from-home employees work a true full-shift (or more) versus being late to the office or leaving early multiple times a week and found it less distracting and easier to concentrate at home.”
  • “Additionally (and incredibly), employee attrition decreased by 50 percent among the telecommuters, they took shorter breaks, had fewer sick days, and took less time off,” adds Mautz. “Not to mention the reduced carbon emissions from fewer autos clogging up the morning commute.”
  • According to research from Airtasker, “remote employees were healthier in terms of exercise. On average, they clocked in two hours and 44 minutes of physical exercise each week, which was 25 more minutes each week than office workers.”

Not all tasks are created equal.

While the data seems to prove that people are more productive working from home, there is a caveat.

A 2012 study found that productivity decreases when it comes to “dull tasks.” The reason? Well, since you’re in a less structured work environment, you’re more likely to succumb to distractions. In other words, you’re tempted to do laundry or walk your dog instead of focusing on boring assignments.

However, when it comes to creative tasks, you’re more productive. That’s because structure stifles creativity.

What’s more, not everyone is cut out for remote work. If you lack characteristics like self-motivation, discipline, being responsive, and possessing strong communication skills, then it’s less likely that you’ll be successful at working remotely.

How to Be Productive Working From Home

Regardless of what science has found, and if you have what it takes to work from afar, there are ways to ensure that you can be productive.

Establish routines.

Create a schedule where you primarily work during your most productive hours. Keeping track of your time can help you figure this out. Another trick is to align your schedule with your priorities.

Additionally, make sure that you schedule frequent breaks throughout the day. It’s the most effective way to keep you fresh since you need them to recharge.

Identify and eliminate distractions.

When it’s time to work, turn off your phone and notifications. To prevent FOMO, block out specific times to check your messages.

If you live with others, be clear on when you’re working and when you’re not. Sharing your calendar with them, closing your home office door, or setting up a signal system are useful tactics.

What about background noise? I suggest investing in a decent pair of noise-canceling headphones.

Set up a dedicated workspace.

Do you have a spare bedroom, garage, basement, attic, or shed? Consider converting them into a home office. Besides being quiet places to focus, with the space to set up a proper home office, this can keep your personal and professional lives separate.

Furthermore, make sure that you keep your work area clean and organized. A little mess may help with creativity. Overall though, it can cause your mind to wander.

Take care of your health and well-being.

Make physical activity a priority. As for your mental health, block out time for self-care, take walk outside, and prep healthy meals in advance.

If you work with a team, schedule virtual meetings with them to combat loneliness — it will also build rapport and keep you in the loop. In fact, “studies have found that teams are more productive when they communicate in bursts followed by periods of isolation for focused work.”

Beware displaced productivity.

“Displaced productivity is when you replace what you’re supposed to be doing with something else that still seems productive, but isn’t a priority,” writes Amanda Abella in a previous Calendar article. “For example, as I am writing this from my living room, I’m feeling the urge to do laundry.”

While this is still a good use of your time, it’s also getting in the way of your work. “The secret is to know when you’re using ‘productive’ tasks to procrastinate,” says Amanda. “Trust me; you’ll know when it’s happening because you will use every excuse – including cleaning the bathroom – to avoid working.”

How to Build a Relaxing Office Environment on a Budget

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Your staff may be stellar. You may be the best at what you do. But neither necessarily mean your clients are coming away happy.

One of the easiest ways to soup up your client experience? Sprucing up your office space.

The environment you create sets the tone for how clients interact with your business. A winning office can make customers excited to come in, reduce complaints, and build customer loyalty. 

You want your customers to feel comfortable and calm. This is especially true if you’re in a line of work that makes people nervous: law firms and doctors offices, pay attention.

The good news is, you don’t need a full renovation or an interior designer to make your office a more welcoming place. Take a look at the following ways to create a relaxing environment without breaking the bank:

1. Declutter the office.

In an office, things will pile up. And if you just keep stuffing things in nooks and crannies, you’re only creating a bigger problem for the future. 

Take care of clutter by dedicating time to clean up the office. Be thorough: When you work in the same space consistently, it’s easy to miss things that customers are sure to notice. Mess can make them feel uncomfortable at best and claustrophobic at worst. 

Once you’ve gotten rid of things that you don’t need, reorganize your office to give it a full reset. It’s an opportunity to try something new instead of sticking to the status quo. In doing so, you create space both physically and mentally for your customers.

2. Change your color palette.

Have you ever considered how much color impacts the way clients experience your office? It’s a big deal. 

You can cultivate a relaxed mood in your office with earthy colors. Try a warm white accented with green and natural-looking wood. If you rely on warm colors, like reds and oranges, you’ll create a more cozy/sleepy vibe. If you use dim colors, your space might feel depressing. 

Aside from painting, you can freshen up your office’s colors by:

  • Bringing in plants that complement your furniture
  • Allowing as much natural light into the office space as possible
  • Putting art on the walls that depict serene, earthy scenes
  • Rolling out soft, neutral rugs
  • Replacing old drapes with flowing, semi-transparent curtains

A relaxed atmosphere keeps people calm yet alert enough for an office. It’s like what people experience when they are in nature. 

3. Check the temperature.

It’s easy to forget how much of a difference adjusting your thermostat even a few degrees can make. With that said, temperature can be a tough thing to get right in an office.

Everyone will have a different opinion about how warm or cold it should be. Employees may want control, but customers should also have a say. Find a happy medium: Maybe your chilly team member can put on a sweater, if it means setting the thermostat where customers want it. 

Don’t be afraid to adjust your thermostat frequently. If someone comes in shivering, turn the heat up a notch. And if they start sweating, switch it right back down.  

4. Provide snack options. 

Snacks are delicious, but they also lend a certain ambiance to an office space. Even if they aren’t hungry when they come in your door, customers like to know they have options. Munching on a cookie or apple can be soothing while they wait. 

Speaking of, it’s important to have a variety of snack options. Leave out some healthy options, but don’t be afraid to squeeze in salty and sweet snacks as well. Particularly if appointments run long, customers will be grateful for the bite. 

5. Don’t forget a good demeanor. 

Your office environment includes the people in it. Don’t forget to smile and maintain a positive demeanor.

Some employees are naturally gifted at making people feel welcome. Those who don’t may need to work on their relationship-building skills. Add people with a good aura to a relaxed environment, and you’ll have a winning combination.

Just because you don’t have a budget to completely change your office space doesn’t mean all hope is lost. Do what you can right now, and save the bigger changes for when you have a little more play in your budget. 

Take Time to Develop a Good Social Media Calendar

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Regardless of how you personally feel about social media, there’s no denying that it can be a powerful tool for you professionally. Social media has to ability to increase your brand awareness, establish you as an industry leader, address customer service inquires, and manage your reputation. In turn, this can generate leads, sales, and generate a loyal following.

But, before posting or sharing content willy nilly, you should take the time to develop a solid social media calendar. Why? Well, that’s an excellent question. And, let’s answer that in the following article.

What is a social media calendar?

Let’s take a moment and quickly rundown what exactly a social media calendar is.

“A social media calendar is just what it sounds like: a calendar for scheduling social content,” explained Breonna Bergstrom on the CoSchedule blog. Just like any other calendar, this can come in the form:

  • A printed calendar or physical planner.
  • An online or digital calendar, such as Google Calendar.
  • Spreadsheets created through Excel or Google Sheets.
  • Premade social media templates.
  • Social media scheduling tool like CoSchedule, Sprout Social, or Plannable.

Each method has it’s own unique set of pros and cons. For example, going the digital route makes it much easier to share and collaborate with others. At the same time, constructing and managing a spreadsheet can be tedious and time-consuming.

My advice is to experiment with each and see which type of calendar works best for you and your team. As long as it helps you determine when, where, and what type of content you’re going to publish, you can’t go wrong with whatever calendar you use.

Why do you need to take time to develop a solid social media calendar?

I feel like we barely scratched the surface here. While a social media calendar can point you in the right direction, it also will save you time and preserve your sanity.

Just think about it for a second. Let’s say that during your morning routine you update your social channels. Because you didn’t plan out what you’re going to post, you have to scour the web every morning to find a piece of content that your audience will connect and engage with.

To be fair, that might only take you a couple of minutes — especially if you have an RSS feed or curating content from other industry leaders. Other times though you might waste 15-minutes searching for the perfect piece of content. And, that’s not even getting into the time it takes for you to create your own.

Doing that on a daily basis is like swimming against the current. It’s strenuous and wastes your valuable time. And, as the old adage goes, time is money.

Moreover, having a social media calendar allows you to maintain a consistent posting schedule. It also promotes accountability, lets you stay on top of your content across multiple channels, and lets you plan for holidays or observance days. Most importantly, it makes it easier for you to measure results so that you can continually improve your social media efforts.

Overall, having a social media calendar keeps you organized, eliminates excuses, and ensures that you’re making the most of your time.

How to create a social media calendar.

“Before you begin to fill out the social media calendar template you just downloaded, you need to determine what channels and content types you’re going to be using,” suggests Bergstrom.

For most of us, that should be pretty straightforward if conducting a social media audit. Just list the platforms that you’re currently active on. After that, evaluate the effectiveness of those channels by:

  • Knowing where your target audience spends most of their time.
  • Identifying the platform that has experienced the most growth.
  • Determining which channels generate the most engagement and traffic.

After analyzing this data, you’ll want to answer an important question; what’s your goal? Remember, each and every social media post has a specific purpose. Are you using social media to tell your brand’s story? Is it educating or entertaining your audience? Or, are you promoting an event or new product?

Knowing what your goal is will guide in creating the right content for the right channel at the right time. And, with that out of the way, let’s take a closer look into how you can create a solid social media calendar.

Brainstorm content ideas.

“The first step is to develop content ideas,” wrote Abby Miller in a previous Calendar article. “These should be topics that fits your brands persona, addresses any questions or concerns your audience has, and that establish you as an expert in your industry.”

Some ideas to get the ball rolling would be:

  • How-to guides, videos, or webinars.
  • Customer success stories.
  • Case studies.
  • Playoff popular culture, news, holidays, or trends.
  • Reading lists.
  • Interview with a leader in your industry or business.
  • Beyond-the-scenes of your business.
  • Business-related infographics, statistics, press releases
  • Weekly or monthly themes, such as Motivation Monday or 12 Days of Christmas.

“If you have existing content, go back and see if you can repurpose it,” adds Abby. An example of this would be converting an evergreen blog post into an infographic and sharing it on your social accounts.

“Ideally, you should develop enough ideas to schedule content for as far in advance as possible,” adds Abby. “I prefer to have enough ideas to last me for at least the next six months.”

Know when and where to post.

“Once you have an idea of the types of content you’re going to post, it’s time to create a posting schedule,” writes Sarah Aboulhosn for Sprout Social. “After auditing your past posts or competitors’ posts, you will begin to notice trends.” In particular, you’ll want to take note of “what days and times they were posted and on which platforms.” Pay attention to themes as well.

So, how often should you post onto social media platforms? Research suggests:

  • Facebook pages: 1-2 per day
  • Twitter: 3-10 times per day
  • Instagram: 1-3 times per day
  • Instagram Stories: 2-5 times per day
  • Pinterest: 3-20 times per day
  • LinkedIn: 1-2 times per week

However, this can vary across industries and niches. According to Louise Myers, “At a minimum, you should post to your Facebook Pages 3 times per week.” Things get wild with Twitter as Myers suggests that you tweet between 3-30 times per day.

As for the other channels, here are Myers recommendations:

  • “It’s generally recommended to post at least once per day, and no more than 3 times per day, on Instagram,” she wrote.
  • For LinkedIn, at least twice per week.
  • If you’re on Pinterest, at least once per day. But, 3-5 Pins is optimal.
  • As for YouTube, you need to post a new video at least weekly.

I would recommend doing a little more research and experimentation. And, definitely pay attention to your analytics, like Facebook Insights, to see how often you should publish content — this can also let you know which times to post.

However, in my opinion, you can never go wrong with quality over quantity.

Add your campaign content to your calendar.

You know what content to create, where to place it, and how often. Now it’s time to add this information to a calendar.

Again, you can create your own template or use a pre-made option. Whatever you chose, remember to include the following information on your calendar:

  • Posting days and time.
  • The goal of each piece of content.
  • Author.
  • Campaign details.
  • Sales cycle.
  • Image details.
  • Tabs for each channel.
  • Link to post.

I should also mention that there are different calendar views for you to consider. For example, you may want to plan your calendar out for the next year. While not a bad idea, that can get overwhelming. So, you may want to establish mini-deadlines or break it up into seasons.

Even if you do plan out your calendar for the next 12-months, selecting a monthly view is probably the way to go. “Having a monthly view for your calendar is a really great way to not only be able to visualize your content for the next few weeks but it also helps highlight some of the big events coming up that you might need to focus on,” writes Sandrine Sahakians for Buffer.

“A monthly view can work for busy or light schedules,” adds Sandrine. “For busy schedule, I would recommend maybe using it to highlight the most important posts so that it doesn’t feel too crowded.”

However, the bulk of your work will probably be placed on a weekly or daily view. “The best way to be effective with your social media calendar is to have every single post for each day of the week already written out (or at least every single one you can get to),” says Sandrine.

“I would recommend you do this as early as possible and I think that starting the week with everything already planned out will most likely remove a lot of pressure from you.”

Schedule (or publish) your content.

With everything in place, it’s time to schedule or publish your content. Personally, I like batching my social media content. That means I will set aside a block of time specifically for social media content creation.

For example, on Mondays, I would use batching to develop all my social media content for the next couple of weeks. If I have the availability, I might even go further into the future a generate content for the next month or so.

And, to save time, I would recommend using a calendar that has a scheduling feature. That way you don’t have to worry about manually publishing posts.

Track and evaluate your efforts.

Finally, collect and analyze data to track your social media’s performance. You really want to pay attention to what’s driving traffic and engagement. From there, you can adjust your approach, like adjusting your posting schedule or the type of content you’re sharing.

Even better you can use this information to automate your social media activity. How so? By re-sharing your top-performing content on other sites like LinkedIn and of course, Twitter. Just remember to give correct attribution each time.

Productivity Journal vs. Time Trackers

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Like many others, I’ve spent years on a productivity quest. That may sound hyperbolic. But, think about it. We’re constantly adjusting productivity strategies and experimenting with new hacks.

Sometimes this works out, other times they don’t. And, that’s okay. Productivity is discovering what works best for you and being flexible enough to implement these changes.

But, I have noticed something throughout this journey. All of these hacks and techniques are pointless if you first haven’t tracked your time.

That more sound laborious. However, being productive gives you purpose. It’s also good for your health and wellbeing. And, because you’re getting more done in less time, it improves the quality of your personal and professional lives.

To figure this out, we can use one of the following methods; productivity journals and time trackers. While there are differences, both have the same goal; helping you become a lean, mean productivity machine.

Each method gives you a chance to pinpoint your personal production peaks. They also give you a chance to clarify your goals, track your progress, and reflect on what works and what doesn’t. They can even let you know where you’re wasting time and what’s getting in the way of your productivity, such as your biggest distractions.

Possessing this knowledge allows you to make the proper adjustments so that you can finally work smarter, not harder. But, which method should you use? Well, let’s figure that out.

What Are Productivity Journals?

As the name implies, productivity journals are journals that document your productivity. Although you might be tempted to think of this as a diary, that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth.

“Sure, it’s a place to log your activities, but the logging of those activities is more matter-of-fact than emotionally driven,” explains Jessica Greene over at Zapier. “It’s more ‘I worked on a blog post all day’ and less ‘Writing this post reignited my dreams of launching my own blog.’

“You can add entries to a productivity journal as often or infrequently as you want,” adds Greene. “Each time you complete a task, at the end of the day, or even once a week. And you can document that information wherever you want: A paper notebook, an app, or anywhere else that saves text.”

The only criteria are you “save everything you write in it” and keep in one location. Why? Well, you’ll need this information so that you can “go back and access previous entries to see how you spent your time on different types of tasks and projects.”

How do you use it?

The best thing about productivity journals is that they’re flexible and simple to use. In fact, you can create a powerful productivity journal in just three steps:

  • Record. List your big goals for the day, week, month, quarter, or year. Keep this to no more than 8 items so that you don’t get overwhelmed. Next, break these down into more manageable mini-goals.
  • Analyze. Track your progress, tasks, and emotion for a month. You’re doing this to pick up on patterns so that you know your energy highs and lows, where you succeeded, and what needs to be developed upon.
  • Improve. Analyze your data so that can clearly see where you need to improve. For example, what if you notice that you have the most energy and focus in the morning? Then that’s when you would start scheduling your most important or challenging tasks for the day.

Another practice would be writing down your top goal for the day. It will remind you what you’re working towards on a daily basis, explains Jari Roomer. Other key components for this method would be setting 1-3 daily goals/targets/intentions, the lessons learned, and your daily wins. Roomer also suggests jotting down any thoughts or ideas that pop-up.

For more complex journaling practices you could try Interstitial Journaling. “During your day, journal every time you transition from one work project to another,” explains Tony Stubblebine—Founder and CEO of Coach.me. “Write a few sentences in your journal about what you just did, and then a few more sentences about what you’re about to do.”

He adds that this world well with the Pomodoro Technique. After working for a 25-minute block, journal for 5-minutes. At the minimum, note the time, what you just accomplished, and what you’re going to do next.

The pros and cons of journaling.

As someone who enjoys writing, I’m a champion of journaling. I find it therapeutic and it gets all of these ideas out of my head so that I can focus. Moreover, it brings clarification to my goals and allows me to reflect on my progress.

Additionally, assist you in prioritizing problems and identifying solutions. Science has also found that journaling can stretch your IQ, invoke mindfulness, improve your memory, and spark your creativity. It can also help you develop emotional intelligence, self-discipline, and stringer communication skills.

That doesn’t mean that productive journaling is flawless. It can also be time-consuming and difficult to analyze. Mainly this is because journaling focuses more on how you feel. That makes it easier to overlook certain problems, such as unconscious behaviors like spending too much time on a website.

The best tools for productivity journaling.

If you want to give productivity journaling a chance, you just need a notebook and a pen. However, there are notebooks specifically designed for this task. There are also some digital options if you want to be more eco-friendly and access your planner from your devices.

1. The Productivity Planner

Printed on sustainable paper, this planner is pretty straightforward. It helps you set your most important and secondary tasks for the week. It also allows you to rate your productivity for the day, plan your week, and stay focused with the Pomodoro work system.

2. Bullet Journal

“Created by Ryder Carroll, a digital product designer, in 2013 bullet journaling is simply a method for note-taking and day-planning using good ol’ paper and pen,” explains Calendar co-founder John Hall. In other words, it’s a “customizable journal that’s a cross between a planner — to-do list — and diary” designed for rapid logging.

3. Franklin Covey Planners

Considered the grandfather of all planners, these will help “you to identify values, create successful habits, and track and achieve your goals.” What’s more, there is a variety of options ranging from daily planners to monthly calendar tabs.

4. Passion Planner

Sure, the #pashfam rely on this to organize their lives and keep track of their goals. But, for them, they consider the Passion Planner as a “paper life coach.” They offer a variety of colors and options like weekly, annual, and academic.

5. The SELF Planner

“The Self Planner helps you master your time, focus on what’s important, and take control of your life — every day,” states it’s site. “Use the various templates to get clear on your priorities, mastermind your future, and infuse every day with the things that matter most to you.”

6. The ONE Thing Planner

Based on the personal planners of coauthors Jay Papasan and Gary Keller, this planner is intended to help your identify your priorities. From there, you can use it to make sure that your daily activities are aligned with them.

7. The Mastery Journal

The makers behind this journal state that this “will guide you in mastering productivity, discipline, and focus in 100 days.” It was developed by entrepreneur John Lee Dumas, who used these skills to build multiple multi-million dollar businesses.

8. The High-Performance Planner

You can use this planner to get into the right mindset, prioritize your goals, rate your performance, and strategically plan your day. Since it’s also a journal, you can capture thoughts and ideas and take note of where you need to improve.

9. The Morning Sidekick

If you want to have a productive day, then you need to start off on the right foot. And, that’s exactly what this journal does. It encourages you to self-reflect, plan your day, and map out your biggest task. There are also pages to track your progress to hold yourself accountable.

10. Note-taking apps.

Finally, if you want to go digital, you’re in luck. If you use the big three, then there’s Microsoft OneNote, Apple Notes, and Google Keep. But, there’s also the popular Evernote app that’s ideal for everyone. If distractions are an issue, try out Simplenote.

Of course, you could also track your productivity using a spreadsheet management expert and author Jim Collins or this one from Chris Baily. There are also premade worksheets like the 168 Hours Timesheet.

What Are Time Trackers?

Time trackers essentially do the same thing that productivity journals do. They shine a light on when you’re most energetic, focused, and motivated. Additionally, they can pinpoint when and where you’re wasting your valuable time.

The key difference? Time trackers are digital tools that run in the background of your devices. That means they track your time automatically without you even realizing it. Better yet, they analyze the data and make suggestions on where and how to improve.

How do you use it?

Here’s what’s great about time tracking apps and software. Just download it and you’re pretty much all set. Some tools will just automatically track and categorize how you’re spending your time on your computer or phone.

Others, however, will require you to hit start, pause, or end. Usually, these types of solutions are used more for billing purposes. But, they can still provide an accurate picture of what your screen time looks like in real-time.

The pros and cons of time trackers.

The main advantage with time trackers is that you don’t have to manually do this task. You can essentially set it and forget it. That’s perfect if you feel that journaling is too time-consuming and tedious.

Another perk is that these tools are more accurate and objective then productivity journaling. They are literally monitoring your activity to see when you’re most productive and what distracts you. They will then analyze this information and show you how you can work better.

But, just like journals, there are issues with time tracking. Most notably, they don’t take into account the emotional context of work. Why is that important? Because emotions provide insights into what motivates you and how to improve your performance.

Another drawback is that there isn’t offline functionality. You may even forget to track tasks like checking your email or attending meetings. And, there are also times when the app or software is buggy and provides inaccurate reports.

The best time tracking tools.

If you decide to use a time tracking tool, here are some of the best options available.

1. Calendar

Calendar is a scheduling tool that also provides analytics to see where your time is going. It uses machine learning to review data like meeting distribution. As a result, it will make smart suggestions on when and where to plan your next event. It can even provide a breakdown of who you’re spending time with.

2. Toggl

Available for iOS, Android, the web, Toggl offers a basic version or a more robust paid option. It’s a popular time tracking tool thanks to its simple interface. In fact, you can get started with just one-click. If you forget, it will remind you to start tracking. Another cool feature is the ability to track idle time.

3. RescueTime

As with Toggl, RescueTime is available for Android, Apple, and desktops. It also only takes one-click to get started. However, it automatically tracks the time you spend on apps, websites, and documents. It can even block the most distracting sites and apps as well.

4. Timely

Timely is another tool that will start to automatically track your time by running quietly in the background. It also uses AI to analyze and categorize how you’re spending your time. It can be used for individual use or for teams.

5. Harvest

If you’re flying solo, Harvest is an excellent tool for tracking billable hours. If you have a team, Harvest can keep track of your team’s time via timesheets. In addition to being compatible with most phones and browsers, it also integrates with tools like Slack, Trello, and Zapier.

6. Clockify

What makes Clokify stand out is that it’s 100% free. But, don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s subpar. With this tool, can track hours using a timer, categorize time by project, and mark time as billable. It also provides a visual breakdown of how you’re spending your time.

7. Timeular

Unlike the other selections listed here, this is actually a nifty 8-sided dice. After assigning an activity to each side, you simply place it on your desk. When it’s time to start an activity flip it to start. It is accompanied by a mobile and desktop app as well.

8. Wrike

Wrike flawlessly combines project management and time tracking. Although it may not be the most accurate time tracker, it’s definitely helpful when collaborating with others.

9. Time Doctor

Time Doctor is a fully customizable tool designed for teams. It takes screenshots to track activity, reminds you to stay off distracting apps and sites, and even monitors when users take breaks. You can also organize it to track the time spent on specific projects and clients.

10. Forest

Forest is an app that’s mean to keep you focused and present. How? By being a gamified Pomodoro timer, time tracker, and app blocker all rolled into one. Even better, the app has partnered with Trees for the Future to plant real trees.

The Final Verdict

Which method is more effective? Well, that’s totally up to you depending on your preferences and goals. If you want to stop wasting time on your screen, time trackers can produce more accurate insights. If you want to improve your motivation, productivity journaling may be the way to go.

In my opinion, I think a hybrid approach is best. Journaling gives you that much needed emotional context, while time trackers deliver hard data. Combining that information gives you a better understanding of how you’re spending your time and where to improve.

6 Team Reads That Are Perfect for COVID-19

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Finding time to read is tough. One silver lining of COVID-19 is that many of us are spending more time at home — the perfect excuse to crack a book. 

Between that and remote work’s cultural challenges, an office book club might be just what your team needs right now. Reading a book together is both a bonding opportunity and a recipe for team-wide continuing education. 

With all the books out there, though, settling on one can be overwhelming. Narrow it down by suggesting the following options to your team:

1. “Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Live in a Busy World” by Cal Newport 

In a world of constant updates and notifications, it’s easy to get distracted. That’s why a book like “Digital Minimalism” is so important: Not only does it bring awareness to digital time-wasters, but it suggests strategies for breaking free from them. 

Newport goes beyond the typical tech-detox advice. Instead, he argues for a complete rethinking of how we interact with digital technology. Especially on a remote team, it’s a topic worth talking about. 

Distractions destroy productivity. Use this read to get your team talking about what a more focused digital life might look like for each of them. 

2. “White Fragility” by Robin DiAngelo

For good reason, leaders are taking a hard look right now at racial biases and tensions that might be affecting their team. Robin DiAngelo’s “White Fragility” is an unapologetic look at how and why those things often get swept under the rug. 

DiAngelo comes from the world of corporate diversity programs. Throughout her book, she refers to that experience when explaining why white people struggle to talk about racism.

Your team needs to read things that challenge and inspire them. Use “White Fragility” as a jumping-off point for a heart-to-heart chat about how inclusive your company really is. Having a book to refer to can open space for people to acknowledge others’ experiences and right wrongs.

3. “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel

At times, the pandemic can feel positively apocalyptic. Why not lean into that? Emily St. John Mandel’s “Station Eleven” offers a lot of parallels.

A finalist for the 2014 National Book Award, “Station Eleven” tells the story of a traveling group of performers twenty years after a devastating flu pandemic destroys the world. After making their home in an abandoned airport, the group tries to reconnect with what’s left of humanity. 

“Station Eleven” bucks the myth that only nonfiction books are valuable team reads. In fact, reading fiction can sharpen employees’ emotional intelligence and creativity. Plus, they tend to be engaging, fast reads. 

4. “Shook One: Anxiety Playing Tricks on Me” by Charlamagne Tha God 

For a great book about mental health, look no further than “Shook One.” This memoir by Charlamagne Tha God traces his emotional challenges as an adult, as well as his success in media, to the traumas he experienced as a child. 

To add depth to Charlamagne Tha God’s story, the book also includes insights from Dr. Ish Major, a clinical psychologist. These sections provide a professional edge and tips for managing anxiety to the radio star’s story. 

Why read this one with your team? Because mental illness is still stigmatized in many workplaces. Maybe it could encourage someone on your team to ask for help in these trying times. 

5. “Acting with Power: Why We Are More Powerful Than We Believe” by Deborah Gruenfeld 

COVID-19 has made many of us feel powerless. Fight that sense on your team by reading Deborah Gruenfeld’s “Acting With Power.” Gruenfeld manages to be radically positive in a way that’s authentic and original. 

The best part about Gruenfeld’s book is that it’s steeped in her own research. By analyzing the techniques of actors, she redefines personal power as the part you play in someone else’s story. “Acting With Power” encourages the meek to embrace their power by adopting an actor’s mindset.

6. “Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams” by Matthew Walker 

At risk of repeating a worn-out joke, this book will put you to sleep in all the right ways. That’s because many of us could benefit from getting some more sleep. 

Sleep is one of the most underestimated and least understood parts of life, but it’s also one of the most important. In “Why We Sleep,” Walker explores the things that sleep does for our bodies and our brains. After reading it, you’ll definitely think twice before staying up past a reasonable bedtime. 

These books touch on different concerns and topics. Put your team’s heads together, and decide what you need most right now. And if the one you’re interested in isn’t chosen, remember: There’s always another read down the road. 

Major Hurdles for Startups of Productivity

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Your Appointment System Works for You. Does It Work for Your Clients?

It’s not easy launching a startup. What, with overcoming obstacles like finding your niche, getting your finances in order, and working with partners. Oh yeah. You also have to worry about building your brand, marketing, and recruiting and retaining top talent. That’s a lot for anyone to take on.

But, one area that tends to get overlooked is productivity, which often gets confused with efficiency.

“While efficiency means doing more with less, wrote JotForm Founder and CEO Aytekin Tank for Entrepreneur. Productivity, on the other hand, “is about doing more with the same” while still pursuing quality. “After all, who cares whether you cross four extra tasks off your to-do list, if those activities don’t move the needle for your business?” asks Tank. “An effective morning routine or work schedule should help you to do more of what really matters,” he adds. “That’s why I believe founders and CEOs should focus on productivity, not efficiency.”

Additionally, when you focus on productivity, you’ll be able to finish what you start, boost morale, and achieve your goals. Ultimately, that will make your startup a success.

With that in mind, here are 10 major hurdles for startups to overcome so that they’ll be more productive.

1. Inefficient time management.

Despite the fact that time is your most valuable resource, it’s still astounding that so many founders don’t use it effectively. There is a multitude of reasons why this is the case. But, I think it boils down to the fact that they’re wasting too much time on time-wasting activities. For example, couldn’t your delegate or outsource your bookkeeping responsibilities or use automation and machine learning for customer service inquires and scheduling?

Freeing up your schedule of less important tasks and the things that you don’t enjoy doing, allow you to spend more time on what you love and do best. Moreover, it gives you the chance to learn and attend to your health and well-being.

That’s a crash course in time management, I know. But, here are some other time management tips startup founders should try:

  • Find out when you’re most productive and schedule your important tasks then.
  • Chunk up your week by doing similar tasks on the same day.
  • Establish new habits and strategies like the Pomodoro Technique, Mind Mapping, and Completion Bias.
  • Monotasking instead of multitasking.
  • Identifying common distractions and finding ways to avoid them.

And, most importantly, keep it simple. Relying on too many complicated strategies or tools can be overwhelming and counterproductive. If all you need is your Google Calendar to keep you in-check, then you do you.

2. Productivity tools aren’t being used correctly.

You’re probably tired of hearing it. But, it’s true. There really is an app for that. And, that can be a wonderful thing if you want to improve communication, collaboration, planning, and task management.

But, at the same time, haven’t we become too reliant on productivity tools? Again, I have nothing against them. It’s just that we forgot that these tools are here to help us and not solve all of our problems.

Before building up an arsenal of productivity tools, filter your search to the ones that improve your skills or fill an organizational gap. Or, in other words, use the tools that will work best for you. For example, a lot of people rave about tools like Freedom that can block distractions. But, if you have enough willpower and don’t need assistance in this area, then why spend the time learning and using it?

3. Keeping up with demand is impossible.

“While this isn’t necessarily a bad problem to have, it can definitely cause problems for your business,” writes Chalmers Brown, CTO and Co-Founder of Due.com. “Just as you would prepare for the worst, you should also prepare for the outcome you are working toward — growth.”

“In this case, if you can’t keep up with production due to lack of resources or manpower to service demand you may be in serious trouble,” he explains.

“Make sure you have a well-defined plan for growth,” suggests Chalmers. “If you’re just launching your business, make sure you set clear and reasonable expectations.” An example of this would be if you have a limited amount of your product. If so, “make sure your customers know there may be delays if supplies run out.”

Additionally, “you should pay attention to surges in demand, like during the holiday season,” adds Chalmers. “A surge in demand should never be your biggest issue.” And, if it is, it could create bottlenecks that prevent you from being as productive as you should be.

4. Lack of planning.

Someone much wiser then I once said, “if you fail to prepare, prepare to fail.” As a founder, that probably means creating a business plan and taking into account things like sales, hiring, funding, scaling, and preparing for the unexpected.

However, it also involves planning. After all, as Angela Ruth perfectly put it, “productivity doesn’t happen. You need to make a plan.” And, here are a couple of ways to get you there.

  • Make the choice to be productive, not busy. At the minimum, prioritize your tasks, block out distractions, and be proactive instead of reactive.
  • Think 168 hours, not 24. Find out how you’re spending your time and eliminate time-wasting activities. You could also create theme days and set an intention for the week.
  • Harness the power of KPIs. Monitor your KPIs to make sure that you’re achieving your goals.
  • Fight off decision fatigue. Preserve your mental energy by spending less time on unimportant decisions. For instance, prep your lunch for the week so that you don’t have to make this decision every day.

5. Organizational culture is in disarray.

“So, you want a productive day, but it’s not possible because of your working environment, notes,” Dragan Sutevski, Founder and CEO of Sutevski Consulting. Since you have an open-door policy, people can come and go as they please. And, because you’ve made yourself so available, people will email or call you “for every possible problem.”

“These are only the fraction of possible distractions that will decrease your productivity level,” Dragen writes. “They are the results of the organizational culture that you have built in the past and is still active in your company.”

Unfortunately, this problem is this won’t just interfere with your productivity, “but also the productivity of your whole company.”

How can you change your organizational culture?” Dragen suggests your “spread responsibilities, and decision making among your team members and ensure that your culture will make all your team members accountable for their decisions and work they are doing.”

I’d also add that you should create a more positive work environment. You can do this in a variety of ways. But, you can use your values and priorities to guide you in the right direction. Most importantly, you should encourage everyone to speak up and remove any toxins from your organization to keep morale and collaboration healthy.

6. Lack of respect.

Whether you’re a startup, mom and pop operation, or Fortune 500 company, it’s imperative that you treat your team with respect. If not, you can expect poor morale, unfinished tasks, a lack of collaboration, and lots of wasted time.

How can you respect your employees? Well, Amanda Abella recommends focusing on the following areas:

  • Don’t be a jerk. “If you want your employees to stick around, treat them with dignity,” she writes. “This means you can’t have unrealistic expectations, you must compensate them fairly and you need to be flexible when emergencies come up.”
  • Prioritize health. Encourage your team to take time for self-care. You could also offer gym memberships, healthy snacks, flex schedules, and access to mental health resources.
  • Don’t waste people’s time. Don’t arrive late for meetings or keep attendees longer then the time allotted. Get back to them in a timely manner. And, don’t overload their work capacity or message them non-stop during off-hours.

Amanda also suggests that you respect yourself. “Keep an eye on the nasty tendency to be way too hard on yourself,” writes Amanda. “Take care of yourself and be a stellar example to the people who work for you.”

7. Autonomy isn’t being encouraged.

“The best way to encourage productivity and creativity in your team is for the managers (and founders!) to step back,” wrote SINC Founder Sam Dolbel. “Let your team manage their tasks freely and independently; you trusted them enough to join your start-up, so you should be able to give them a task and let them fly with it.”

Encouraging ownership drives motivation. And, “you’ll find that the more ownership someone is able to take of their role, the better job they will do at it.”

Of course, this is a tough pill for entrepreneurs to swallow. But, you can start small, like letting employees work remotely 2 days a week. You could also let them choose how they want to work and share their unique skills and talents. If you’ve clearly stated your expectations, then you shouldn’t have much to worry about.

8. No one is able to stay on track.

Tim Hyer, Founder of Getable, told Business News Daily that the biggest lesson he’s learned is the importance of focus. By nature, a startup is extremely resource-constrained,” he said. “The last thing it needs is to be spread even thinner than it already is.”

“When working on a brand new problem that no one has attempted to solve before, the possibilities are limitless — as are the distractions,” Hyer added.

Ty Morse, the CEO of Songwhale agrees. “The early years of a startup can be chaotic and desperate,” Morse wrote for Yahoo! Small Business. “Even a great idea needs capital to get off the ground.” As a result, you say “‘yes’ to anything and everything because you need clients; you need investment; you need to turn your idea into an actual business.”

“Too quickly you’ll take on too many things,” Morse adds. And, this “disrupts your focus.”

If you want to stay on track, Morse recommends:

  • Putting together a business model that works best for you.
  • Only sticking to one or two things that you excel at.
  • Firing your bad clients.

As for focusing on your daily activities, Deanna Ritchie in a previous Calendar article suggests that you:

  • Build your concentration like a muscle. “The ‘Pomodoro Method’ is a great technique to help you get started,” Denna writes. “Yes, it’s the same calendar and productivity hack where around 45 minutes straight and then take a 15-minute break.” But, since “you’re gradually building your focus muscles here, cut that time way back.”
  • Meditate. It’s a fast and effective way to keep you in the present and “bounce back from distractions and tame stress reactions.”
  • Optimize your environment. Maintain a clean and clutter-free workspace.
  • Stop multitasking. Seriously, it doesn’t work. Do one task at a time.
  • Manage your energy, not your time. Work during the hours when you have the most energy and concentration.

9. Success has a different definition for your employees.

If you’re no longer flying solo, then this is an important thing to remember when you want to empathize with or rally your team. Why? Because entrepreneurs and employees have different definitions of success.

Case in point, work-life balance.

For employees, balance an important factor that determines if they’ll join a stay with a company. But, it’s not for entrepreneurs since balance isn’t feasible. At the same time, founders also need breaks. So, you may want to focus on seasons instead. That means that if you’re on the verge of a product launch, you may put in 12 hour days. But, after the launch, you could disappear for a two-weeks if that’s your prerogative.

10. The workspace hasn’t been adapted to various needs.

Your workspace plays a huge role in how productive you and your team members are. If you aren’t comfortable and working from a filthy desk in a dimly lit room, do you honestly think you’ll be all that productive?

At the same time, we all have our personal preferences. Some people enjoy working in an office where they can hear background noise like typing and chatter. Others want absolute silence.

While you may not be able to accommodate everyone’s needs, you can allow them to decorate their workspaces however they want or listen to headphones. You could make certain areas of your office as silent as a library or permit people to work wherever they’re most productive.

Also, don’t forget to provide them with ergonomic furniture, a standing desk, and all the tools and resources needed to get their work done.

6 Fast Ways to Build Trust With a New Client

By | Business Tips | No Comments

You can probably sense when a person doesn’t trust you. Maybe they leave out information about themselves. Or they question everything you tell them.

Building trust is tough enough on your team. When it comes to clients, it can seem downright impossible. 

New clients are especially prone to skepticism. You have yet to prove yourself to them, so why should they trust you?

It’s a fair point, but don’t panic. Don’t resort to toxic positivity, which can actually push people away. 

Although it’s important to build trust naturally, there are things you can do to speed up the process. Here’s what you can do:

1. Lead with ethics and values.

Edelman’s 2020 Trust Barometer shows that trust in businesses boils down to two things: ethics and competence. Although you can’t show your skills until you’ve done business together, you can speak to your ethics.

The way to do that is to make your values clear. Any business would promote values related to competence, such as discipline. Go further by pointing out actions you’ve taken to support social causes, sustainability practices, or other humanitarian work.  

When people know what you stand for, they’re more inclined to trust you. From there, you can prove you have the other part of the equation: competence. 

2. Know your clients.

Knowing your clients may seem like a given, but you can’t make assumptions. If you assume your clients are young people, you’re likely to turn off seniors who use your service. 

Without a sense of the demographic and psychographic categories your customers fall into, you’ll struggle to provide a strong customer experience. Build avatars with the following attributes:

  • Average age
  • Gender breakdown
  • Race and ethnicity
  • Geographic location
  • Income level
  • Educational attainment
  • Hobbies and interests
  • Values and concerns

Knowing these things can help you master your branding. But more importantly, it helps you make every relationship more personal and, as a result, trusting. 

3. Be genuine.

One of the simplest ways to build trust is to be authentic. If you put up a front, your customers will see right through it. 

Genuineness isn’t something you can teach. And it can be tough to be genuine when you’re overthinking it. Simply put your best foot forward, and don’t try to hide anything. 

4. Be confident.

If you communicate to clients exactly what you can do for them with confidence, they’ll give you a shot. The reason is, confidence is contagious. If you believe in your business, then so will your customers. 

Confidence should be tempered by realistic expectations. If you’ll say anything to get clients in the door, then they’ll soon see your confidence is a facade. 

Being real but confident with customers is a matter of knowing the ins and outs of what your company can do. If you promise them something you can’t deliver, they won’t stick around after you fail. If you under-promise, they won’t be impressed. Get it just right, and they’ll receive exactly what they expected — which shows you’re true to your word. 

5. Communicate transparently.

It’s no secret that transparency is key to building trust. So when communicating with customers, give them both the pros and cons of your service.

Say you’re a boutique ad agency. You might be able to secure placements nobody else can — at a premium price. Be honest about both pieces of the puzzle.  

If you only emphasize your pros, clients will assume your promises are too good to be true. In fact, they’ll respect you for sharing the cons. Think about them as opportunities for growth. 

Once you’ve given customers the skinny, step back. Tell them what they need to know, and leave the nitty-gritty details for later in the relationship. It’s all about balance. 

6. Emphasize security. 

Sometimes, a client will need to share sensitive information with you. If there’s any question about whether that information will fall into the wrong hands, that customer won’t be keen on working with you. 

Always acknowledge that clients’ security and privacy is critical. Explain upfront how you’ll use their information: Will it be passed to the marketing team? How will it be stored? What recourse does the customer have if it’s disclosed?

Operate with integrity. Don’t ask customers to sign things they haven’t read. Walk through the highlights, leave plenty of time for questions, and be patient if the customer isn’t ready to move forward. 

Trust is the foundation of business. The sooner you can build it with a new client, the better. And if you can maintain it, they’ll be loyal to you for years to come. 

How to Structure Your Day When Working from Home

By | Time Management | No Comments

Up until recently, working from home was almost taboo. It was a luxury. Only a small percentage of very trusted people and freelancer’s enjoyed this freedom. But, the worldwide COVID epidemic has made the old luxury — the new normal for thousands of people. Here is how to structure your day when working from home.

How how you done working from home?

Some, have embraced working from home — and they have thrived. Others, not so much. I’m not passing any blame here. Getting used to working from home and your new schedule will take time to adjust to. And you had to adjust mighty fast as things shut down.

If there’s something you’re still, struggling with, here’s the best way that you can structure your day when working from home.

Find your most productive hours.

Here’s the best thing about working from home, you have the flexibility to set your own schedule. The caveat? You must determine when your most productive hours are. An issue to consider, right now, is that you have to do a little bit better balancing act.

If you’ve recently made the switch from the traditional 9-to-5 workday, knowing your most productive hours may seem odd. However, thanks to ultradian rhythms (and many other productivity tips we have on Calendar) — we can teach you how to find your “best” time of day. different times of the day when alertness, energy, and focus are high. Hence this explains if you’re a morning bird or night owl.

Now, you may have an idea of when these hours are. I mean if you’re an early riser and ready to tackle your work in the AM, then that’s a sign that you’re a morning person. If it’s the opposite, then you wouldn’t want to force yourself to work on your most important task before the sun shines through your curtains.

Not sure when your most productive hours are? No worries. Here are some strategies you can try to find out:

  • Track your time for a specific period. Ideally, you want to track your days for around a month to get a more accurate picture.
  • Use the right tools. A simple pen and paper method will suffice. You could also create a spreadsheet. But, there are also digital tools like RescueTime, Clockify, Toggl, ATracker, and Calendar that can do this for you.
  • Maintain your time log. There are two ways to track your time. The first is by the time of day. For example, you can write down everything you accomplished in a specific timeframe and how you felt. The second is by the task. Here you would note when you started an activity and when you moved on to something else.

Whatever tools or methods you use, be honest and consistent. You should also record your data in real-time. And, try to be as meticulous as possible.

Start the day right.

I know that the first step to starting your day right involved a little elbow grease. But, from here on out, it’s going to be much easier to plan out your day.

Regardless if you wake-up at five am or noon — if you want to have a productive day, you need to establish a morning routine. While the exact activities can vary, the idea here is to let your brain know that it’s time to get down to brass tacks.

What should be including in this ritual? Well, here are some of my personal favorite techniques:

  • Plan the night before. You don’t have to overthink this. Just simply jot down the three main things you want to accomplish tomorrow. You could do things like reviewing your calendar and prep your meals.
  • Wake-up feeling refreshed. Get enough sleep, preferably between 6 and 8 hours. And, if possible, try to wake-up naturally or use an alarm clock. It’s a simple way to avoid looking at your phone first thing in the morning.
  • Focus your mind. I like waking-up prefer everyone else to take advantage of the peace and quiet. I then use this time to exercise, eat a healthy breakfast, read, and write in my journal.
  • Set a daily intention. It’s been found that writing down your goals enhances your achievement of them.
  • Have a daily affirmation. “Affirmations are short, powerful yet simple statements intended to help you manifest a particular goal,” writes Choncé Maddox. “This is power is positive thinking and it only takes a few minutes to recite some positive affirmations.”

Another suggestion would be to create a daily compass. These are any activities you should check before jumping into work. For instance, you might want to check your email or Slack messages to make sure that the afternoon meeting hasn’t been rescheduled.

I also strongly suggest that you get dressed. And, I would also remove distractions like turning off your phone before starting your workday.

Have a dedicated workspace.

There’s a belief that when working from home you’re just plopped on the couch all day. That’s not exactly the most productive environment to work in — what with distractions like the TV, kids and housemates.

In a perfect world, you would have a swanky home office. You know, like all of those amazing pictures you’ve seen on Pinterest. The reality is that most of us don’t have such a luxury. But, at the very least, you should have a quiet space that’s dedicated to work.

Make sure that you have all the tools you need and you keep it free from clutter. And, if you work from the same place daily, it gives you some much-needed structure.

Add work blocks to your calendar.

“A more tactical piece of advice, particularly if your work situation had regularly provided this structure for you, is to use your calendar as a friend in helping you manage your time,” suggests Vivian Nunez, founder of Too Damn Young. “Setting work blocks on your Google Calendar and color-coding them to match different projects or tasks will give you a visual cue for the way time is breaking down for you.”

But, let me go a little more in-depth here. Remember when you determined when you were most productive? You would block out those times for your most important work.

Let’s say that you’re peak performance hours are from 9 am to 11 am. You should reserve that time period for your most important or challenging task of the day. By adding that to your calendar, you’re ensuring that something that’s less important will occupy that slot.

Furthermore, time blocking untangles your mind and helps you identify your priorities. And, you can even use this strategy to create buffers between tasks and block apps when you don’t want to be interrupted.

Give yourself permission to take breaks.

Data from NordVPN Teams found that remote workers in the U.S. increased their average workday by almost 40%. That means we’re adding an extra three hours to our workdays!

“The data as well revealed that employees are starting work earlier, but finishing at the same time,” said Daniel Markuson, a digital privacy expert at NordVPN Teams. “This is perhaps because people are not commuting, and instead of sitting in traffic, they choose to work.”

That’s just not going to fly. Putting in more hours may work right now. But, eventually, you’re going to burn yourself out. That’s why taking frequent breaks is essential.

Whether if you use the Pomodoro Technique or follow the 52/17 Rule, make sure to give yourself a breather. You need this downtime to recharge and refocus.

And, here’s the best part. You can spend this time however you like. If you want to go for a bike ride, take a nap, chat with a friend, or watch a TedTalk, that’s your provocative.

Enforce boundaries.

“If this is your first time working from home and you still haven’t found a routine that works for you, then you might find you’re just as distracted as you were at the office,” writes Laura Martisiute in a Calendar article.

“From loud kids to a chatty spouse to household duties (doing laundry never seems so appealing as when you have to write a boring report), it’s critical that you learn how to overcome distractions when working from home,” adds Laura. The key is to let others know your schedule.

In my experience, sharing my calendar is the most effective way to do this. When my family can see my schedule, they know when I have meetings and focused on deep work. On the flip side, they also know when I’m available to spend time with them.

Make time to socialize.

It’s not surprising that remote workers struggle with depression and loneliness. It can also be difficult to commute and collaborate with your team members. The solution to both? Block out time to socialize with others.

Now, in a non-COVID world, you could meet up with others at a coffee shop or conference room. But, the way things are now, you’re going to have to rely on tools like Slack or Zoom. Just be mindful of your usage as there is such a thing as Zoom fatigue.

Set an end time and stick to it.

Another way to prevent working too much is to establish a stop time. More importantly, though, you need to set up a routine to help you transition from work to relaxation.

Similar to your morning ritual, this can vary. But, here some ideas to help you wind down:

  • Clean out your inbox.
  • Organize your workspace.
  • Create a to-do-list for tomorrow.
  • Send a “goodnight” message to your colleagues.
  • Log out of your work accounts, like Slack.
  • Turning off your computer.
  • Reflect on what you accomplished.
  • Have a mini celebration, like going for a walk or putting on your sweats.

It may be tempting to worry about work. But, like breaks, you need your evenings to rest and recharge.

Example of a structured WFH workday.

  • 6 am – 8 am: Exercise, breakfast with family, get dressed, and review calendar.
  • 8 am – 9 am: Write in a journal, catch-up on emails, update social media, and check-in with coworkers and employees.
  • 9 am – 12:00 pm: Deep Focus on your top priorities.
  • 12 pm – 1 pm: Eat lunch with family, go for a walk, check inbox.
  • 1 pm – 3 pm: Deep Focus on second priority.
  • 3 pm – 3:30 pm: Have a video call with your team.
  • 3:30 pm – 5:30: Work on your third most important task of the day.
  • 5:30 pm: Wrap up whatever you are working on and wind down.

I usually try to get a couple of hours of work done in the evening after relaxing for a couple of hours. These hours have turned out to be quite productive, as well. You have to be flexible enough with your work schedule to add and subtract your times to meet the situation.

If your kids are kind of wild between nine to noon in the morning — get up at five and get your work done then. Don’t sit at your desk from 9 am to noon and scream at everyone to shut-up because you are working! Written here is the ideal work from home schedule.

But, please, change your schedule to fit your situation — and make this time of COVID better than ever.

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