The MOST simple guide to the BEST productivity hacks and tools on the planet (Did I mention SIMPLE?)

Hey, guys. So I just wanted to take a moment to be able to take you through this cheat sheet, this entrepreneurial lifesavers that I put together. Now, none of this stuff is earth shattering, but sometimes it's the simplest things brought together that can make the biggest difference for us. So I'm going to talk you through each of these bullet points really quickly, really simply. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to drop a comment to me. And remember that this is actually a bonus productivity sheet that's a part of a larger course that we have called Defy. And so if there's references to Defy throughout this sheet, just know that that's part of this bigger. This bigger toolbox that we built. And so there's more information in the link below if you're interested in exploring that. But without further ado, here we go. I'm going to start with the Make Tomorrows to do list tonight. So I am not licensed to have post it notes anymore. My team decided that in order to make the world a better place, that Post it notes were killing trees. And so I do this by using my journal and just write down my two to three tough tasks and make sure that they're on that to do list for tomorrow. And if nothing else gets done, at least if one of these things gets done, then the day was a success. And that's also a mindset. So being able to do it first, as you see here, as the last line of it says, is making a to do list. We can be tempted to kind of get the small victories, but I want to make sure that you're really doing what's going to be moving the needle the most first and get it out of the way. And then you're actually going to have some more energy to get more accomplished in the end. So the second is to break down tasks. Now, when I'm in the Defy course with you guys, one of the things I say is that I ask the clients and the groups, what's the first step of making a peanut butter sandwich? And a lot of individuals will say, oh, well, you know, it is definitely getting out the peanut butter, getting out the bread. And actually, the first step to making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich could be growing the peanut tree. So breaking down the tasks and writing out those action steps can really help you in knowing and not having to waste that brain power in where to start. Something really simple but effective is creating your ideal workspace when you feel cramped, when you feel disorganized, when you feel out of place and overwhelmed. It's really difficult to be productive. So pay attention to if you want a diffuser or a candle or if you don't like fluorescent lighting, then getting some other lighting options and making sure that you have all of your supplies and your furniture, whether you're a paperclip type of person, a stapler type of person, a tape type of person. And if you need white noise in the background or sounds, know that. And know which kinds of music helps you blast through email versus what kind of music helps you write blogs and be creative. And then one of my favorite things and you can use an app for this, you can use. There's even extensions on your browsers. I know for Google Chrome, I'm not sure for other browsers. But using a tomato timer, it's neurologically proven that the brain does better with longer chunks of work time and then breaks. And so using a tomato timer 25 minutes on, 5 minutes off leads to higher productivity. It doesn't have to be 25 and 5. You can find your own kind of mixture for this, just as long as you're using some kind of method that is similar to the tomato timer. But I'm a huge fan of being able to make sure that we're taking breaks because so many of us can sit at our desk and all of a sudden the day has slipped by. So please make sure that you have some kind of break. And one of the things that we have in Defy is that you can actually outline what you're going to do with those five minutes so that you don't get lost in social media or you don't get lost in other kinds of options as there's Great Danes having fun behind me. So you can definitely hear that in this recording and then focusing on one task at a time. So I'm super focused on recording this video. I'm not paying attention to the Great Danes that are having a blast behind me, but being able to apply that tomato timer or pomodoro technique that we've discussed, that's one of the names for it. And using that along with this one task at a time can really multiply and compound the effect of your productivity. So when you have that one task at a time, just take a couple of these steps, add them together. So when you look at tomorrow's to do list and you have that tough task, focus on that one thing and do it for your 25 minutes and see what happens. Just do me a favor and give this a try. Not just for one day and Be like no bunny, I really didn't like it. Do it for a couple days and see what happens. And then ensure breaks that are a part of your schedule. Again, if you're using that tomato timer method, you're definitely going to have that worked into your schedule already. So you don't have to worry about that. But making sure that you're getting brain breaks, making sure that you're getting bio breaks, making sure that you are getting nutrients just for mind, your body, your soul, getting that circulation going, that's really all great for your body and for your productivity and for your overall health. And you see here, I'm referring back to step six of the Defy program. Remember, if you want more information about that, feel free to click the link below on the Defy program. But that's what that is referring to is that bigger toolbox Defy program that we pulled this productivity sheet out of and made it available to you for free. And so there's only a couple more Avoid distractions. Put your plane, your plane in cell phone mode. How about put your cell phone in airplane mode. Put your noise canceling headphones on, but put your phone on silent and a do not disturb on your door. When I'm recording at my office, I put a quiet please sign in the hallway as well as on my door. And it just lets people know that I'm in a zone even if I'm not actually pressing the record button. It lets people know what to expect when they're walk to that environment. And it also gives my brain the permission to just focus on what I'm doing here. I'm focused on you. I'm focused on delivering this message to you. And the Great Danes are having a good old time. But being able to have my kiddos know that right now I'm focused on this one thing and giving them permission to be focused on this one thing too. And modeling that versus the distractions of social media, the distractions of your phone, the distractions of the the email notifications. You know, the same way that when I'm going to do a podcast, I turn my do not disturb on on my laptop, I turn my do not Disturb on for those 25 minute segments so that I'm not getting email notifications that are breaking my chain of thought. That is a real thing. When you break that chain, some studies show that it takes up to 27 minutes to get back on track as far as where you're thinking and the next two bullets really have to do with email. I strongly suggest and urge you not to check your email prior to 10:00am and this is because of the previous bullet point. Your emails can be a dopamine release where you're just checking things off and it can be easy feelings of oh yeah, I got that done, I got that done, I got that done. But it also sets up your day and your speed for firefighting. Your emails puts you in reactive mode and we really want to start our day strong in that proactive mode with those to do lists that we created the night before. So if you can, if you're starting your day at 5, then maybe you don't check your emails until 8. If you're starting your day at 8, then don't check them till 11. Whatever works for you. Remember that these are just guidelines for your productivity. You need to try these exercises and have the opportunity to say this tool works and tweak it and however it works best for you. The point is, is that you try it and you see what works and then being able to make a system, as I said, that works for you. That's my very last point. That's what I was just talking to you about. If you're using a paper calendar, don't apologize for being old school. If you're using a goal sheet that is in an app and somebody recommends another goal sheet, don't abandon what's working just to try this new thing, you know. And I realize that kind of is counterintuitive to what I'm telling you to do here, but what I'm saying is try systems that work for you. The entire defy toolbox is a combination of my master's degree in counseling and psychology, my experience as a therapist, my experience as a third generation entrepreneur and my coaching from other coaches and my mentorship, my things from my advisors that I just put together in this toolbox and said, you know, hey, if you're not sure about group coaching or peer coaching or online learning or individual coaching, let's just put this all in a toolbox and see what works for you and give yourself a chance to try a bunch of different things in a three month period and then move forward from there with what works. So take what you can from this productivity sheet, from this entrepreneurial lifesaver sheet. You can download the sheet, gave you the link below to be able to download it and use it how works best for you. I don't think that's proper English, but utilize it and let me know in the comments what you got out of it. And also if you have something that's not on here. I'm always adding to this sheet. Let me know. Send me a message. I would love to hear your thoughts on it. I'd love to hear what works for you. I'd love to hear what's working for you from these tools, from these tips that I've given you. And above all, I'm proud of you for taking the time to invest in you, to learn how to be a better version of yourself. And thank you for making the world a better place.