Category: Business

Are you a workaholic? Contrary to popular belief, there’s more to being a workaholic than simply staying late at the office. It happens when you’ve developed an unhealthy obsession with your job, to the point that your entire sense of self is based on it. This can hurt your relationships, mental health, and overall prospects for your career.

Many workaholics don’t realize they have a problem. You may consider your attitude toward work to be perfectly normal. That’s partly because our society has championed workaholism as a sign of virtue! But in the long run, it’s far better to develop a good balance between work and your other endeavors.

If you’d like to break free of this cycle, read on to learn the 5 main signs that you’re a workaholic.

5. You Pride Yourself On The Number Of Hours You Log

In our society, we’re obsessed with numbers. We look to them as a sign of objective truth. If you think of your job in terms of hours logged, you may be equating more hours with harder work… especially if you’re regularly working overtime.

Don’t fall into the trap of overworking just to feel valued. There is no shame in working a basic 40 hour week and enjoying your time off! In fact, several studies have shown that people who work fewer hours per week are actually more productive. They have time to recharge their brains and spend time on enriching activities such as family time and hobbies, which promotes their overall mental health. Pulling long hours just leads to burnout.

4. You Glamorize Hard Work

In a culture where hard work is equated with success, it’s easy to feel like work is the best use of your time. You may even derive your sense of self worth from your work … and look down on “laziness.” This approach may seem noble and lucrative. Working hard sets you apart from the people who just float through life, right?

It’s important to abandon this classist idea and stop associating back breaking work with good values. You can have a great work ethic and still take time for yourself. Remember, the world’s most successful people work smarter, not harder.

3. You Feel Ashamed When You’re Not Working

Ever feel guilty for taking some time to relax? Are you constantly checking work emails while you’re supposed to be on a break? Workaholics often feel like all their time has to be productive. So, they end up squeezing work into every waking hour.

Not only is this stressful, but it’s also hurting your productivity. Without time to rest and recharge, your brain gets fried, and that means you’ll end up getting less done. So be kind to yourself and take a true break in which you unplug and do something fun!

2. You Connect Everything To Work In Some Way

Our culture considers work to be the main source of our identity. We label people by their professions. In the media, we see successful, wealthy people and hear the phrase “hard work” associated with them. By contrast, people with low income are considered lazy or directionless. While there’s nothing wrong with considering your job a core part of your identity, it shouldn’t make up your entire identity.

Workaholics tend to equate themselves and their worth with their jobs. They are constantly looking for ways to affirm their identity through work. They’ve completely fallen for the idea that our job is our sole defining characteristic. So, they don’t allow themselves to do anything that doesn’t tie into that in some way. Going out for drinks? Make it a networking opportunity. Need to run errands? Better call those prospects while on the road. The cycle never ends.

1. Your Family And Friends Say You’re Absent Or Distant

Workaholics tend to get so preoccupied with work that they neglect social relationships. If you know more about what’s going on in your coworker’s life than your spouse’s, it’s time to rethink your priorities.

After all, overfocusing on your work isn’t just a matter of spending lots of time on it. Most of your mental energy is going toward that as well. How can you truly show up for your loved ones if your mind is stuck at work? Working endless hours is draining, and if you can’t turn off the switch when the workday is done, you’re not able to give your full attention to your family and friends. That’s not fair to them or you.

Wrapping Up: How to Stop Being A Workaholic

As with any addiction, the first step toward treatment is to know you have a problem. Hopefully, this blog has helped you do that. Next, start unlearning the ideas that your identity and success are wholly dependent on your work. You don’t need to pull long hours to be worthy! Finally, start teaching yourself to unplug. Draw a clear line between work and the rest of your life. This may mean turning off notifications once 5 p.m. rolls around, refusing to work on the weekends, or declining that happy hour invite from coworkers.

Remember, workaholism leads to burnout and low productivity. And in the long run, you’ll end up dissatisfied with your job and frustrated that it is your sole source of fulfillment. Take the steps now to break the workaholic trend. You’ll be happier and more productive in the long run.

Hi Flocksy fam! On the East Coast we’ve been lucking out with some warm weather! It’s been a nice sign that the summer months are on the horizon. I hope you’ve also been able to get outside and enjoy the season’s change wherever you are. Sam Ryan … and the rest of Team Flocksy!

Featured team member design of the month:

Here is a label design mockup created for a client by Flocksy team member Sunardi. We think its pretty cool! All custom illustrations/brand designs/marketing materials on Flocksy are created completely from scratch by one of our extremely talented graphic design creatives. Start a graphic design project today and see results in just hours!

Improving Customer Satisfaction And Why It’s Essential To Your Business

by Flocksy writer Matt Gladstone Customer satisfaction revolves around making sure your customers appreciate your efforts and feel appreciated by your company…   continue

Turn Your Business Idea Into A Career

by Flocksy writer Laurie J Gettings    Here are some steps you can use to make your own dream of owning a small business come true. continue

Should You Choose A Facebook Page Or Group For Your Business?

 by Flocksy writer Rachel Wayne
  If you’ve spent any time on the platform, you’ve seen content on business profiles, aka pages, and in Facebook groups. But which option is better for your business?   continue

Utilizing Google Trends To Enhance Marketing Content

by Flocksy writer Matt Gladstone Google has a tool which helps you create better and more favorable content more easily, called Google Trends. This tool is great for keeping your content fresh and up to the minute. It also contains many features to check on competition and enhance your existing your content. Here are five ways you can use Google Trends in your favor.   continue

Every business exists in a world of risks. As a small business owner, you face certain risks that are specific to owning a small business. Knowing how to handle those risks is key to directing your small business to success.

Here’s a look at some of the most common risks associated with owning a small business and a few things you can do to mitigate those risks.

Damages To Property

Accidents happen to the best of us. Some accidents are small, like accidentally bumping into someone when you turn a corner. But some accidents can cost your business money, especially when the accident leads to damage to your property. For example, if you spill coffee on your computer, you suddenly have to budget hundreds, even thousands, of dollars to get a new one.

One way to minimize the impact of damage to your property is with a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP). This is a type of insurance that basically combines general liability insurance with property insurance. It will protect your furniture, equipment, and tools that you need to keep your business going.

Customer & Counter Party Risks

Sadly, there are times that customers or suppliers won’t hold up their end of the bargain. They will back out of deals or refuse to pay you or suddenly disappear when it’s time to get your supplies. While this is a fact of doing business, you can reduce your customer and counterparty risks by being scrupulous about who you do business with. The more you can reduce your risks by doing your due diligence about suppliers and vendors, the less of an impact this risk will have.

Running Out Of Cash

To keep your business running, you need enough cash to reach the milestones you need to hit to attract new investors to your business. It’s a critical question to ask: how much cash do you have? As money is moving in and out of your business, that will determine your business’s ability to grow.

Without enough cash, many businesses take on debt. While this might be an easy short-term solution, it won’t help you in the long run. Instead, if you find yourself struggling with your cash flow, look for ways to bring more cash in. Whether that’s new products or services or finding ways to monetize other areas of your business, improving your cash flow into the business is the first step.

Having The Wrong Team

Being strategic about who you bring into your business is crucial. Without the right team, you won’t have the help you need to take your business to the next level. Using your execution power to know what positions are needed to ultimately bring your products and services to market will make the most difference.

Make sure that during the hiring process, you are finding people with the hard skills that you don’t have. They will need to execute ideas and carry your business through the commercialization phase so it’s imperative that they understand where your business is and where you see it going in the future.

Hacking

Cybercrime is a fact of owning a business in today’s market. If you’re accepting credit cards, digital payment types, or keeping confidential customer information, you’re at risk of experiencing a cybercrime. To protect yourself against hacking and other forms of cybercrime, you need Cyber Securities Insurance.

With Cyber Securities Insurance, potential cybercrime against your business will be prevented, detected, and mitigated. Cyber Securities Insurance covers your privacy, data, and network exposure. If you are doing business online, it’s worth the investment. It also provides you with immediate, long-term support in the form of data breach response, data recovery, and coverage for losses from business interruptions.

Injury & Illness

As the owner of a small business, it likely feels like you can’t take a break, even in the event you get sick or injured. In a way, that’s true. Since you’re the driving force behind the success of your business. To protect yourself and your business in case you personally get injured or sick, you need business insurance.

Included in your Business Owner’s Policy, there should be some contingencies to cover the loss of time and wages should you be injured or sick. Other than that, the best thing you can do is live a healthy lifestyle. Stay current on your routine medical appointments and keep a healthy routine for eating and sleeping. That will be a preventative measure that will benefit multiple areas of your life.

Reputation Risks

In today’s marketplace, reputation means a great deal. Consumers want to shop with companies that align with their values. And as your reputation grows, it can evolve to be an important asset. That being said, just a little bad press could be your downfall. Because negative publicity moves so quickly, it’s important to know the fast and easy ways to manage your company’s reputation.

For this, turn to social media and online review sites. They allow you to directly interact with your customers and address any concerns they might have. When doing so, be professional and authentic in your responses. Customers will pick up on the times you’re being phony. Instead, address any complaints with dignity and respect. It’ll go a long way with your customer base.

Every kid is asked what they want to be when they grow up. Once you’re grown up, it feels like you’re supposed to be established in that dream job. Yet many are finding it difficult to land a position they’ve dreamed about for so long.

Instead of struggling to get into that dream position, try these five tricks that will help you stand out and get noticed in the hiring process.

Don’t Forget To Network

Even if you don’t get the job, every interview you do is a chance to build your network. As important as it is to connect with business owners and hiring managers, it’s also important to connect with the people in your industry that have the job you want.

While there are many ways to make these connections, one of the most effective ways today is through social media. Professional sites like LinkedIn can help you identify the people who hold the same position as the one you want. By talking to them about how they found their way to that position, you can develop a road map to achieving your dreams.

Be Qualified (But Know Your Value)

Education is important. Whether you are looking for an office job, a position as a mechanic, or a spot on a dog grooming team, you need some amount of education. Before you go chasing your dream job, know what qualifications companies are looking for. If you don’t meet those qualifications, identify what you can do to tackle them.

Yes, you need to be qualified. Who wants a surgeon who only watched YouTube videos to learn how to remove your appendix? That being said, education isn’t everything these days. Real-world experience and the quality of that experience are just as important, if not more so to some companies.

As you’re job hunting, remain humble, regardless of your qualifications. You could be the most qualified person in the room, but if you have an attitude of arrogance, chances of you being hired into that dream job are slim.

If you’re just starting out in the field, take any opportunity you can. Even if it’s a temporary place-holder, it’s money coming in and it’s building your real-world experience. Always remember that any progress is good progress toward your goal.

Finally, be realistic with your expectations. You might find your Number One dream job, but if you don’t meet their qualifications, you should be honest with yourself about your chances. It will save you a lot of disappointment in the long run.

Know What You Want

To achieve a goal, you have to know what the destination looks like. By identifying what you want in life personally and professionally, you’ll be able to dream big without being aimless in your endeavors.

Make sure to take into account what your dream job will do to your life. You might want to be an accountant more than anything in the world, but if you have a child, you need to factor in the cost of childcare and the impact of you not being at home during the day. Impacts like this one will be there, regardless of what your dream job is. The secret is learning to accept those things or moving on to another dream.

Take Action

You also won’t go anywhere if you aren’t trying. Get a head-start from your competition by setting alerts for new jobs on your job bulletin. You should also plan on starting early. Even if you’re not quite done with college, you can still apply for the jobs. You might end up in a position you aren’t thrilled with in your dream company. Take it and enjoy the experience.

Set Your Story

The days of anonymity are gone. People are posting all of their personal lives on social media and that collectively tells a story. Be aware of the story you’re telling with your actions and words. And of course, be sure to package yourself creatively, focusing on the good and downplaying the bad.

While these seem like easy solutions, they can have a lasting impact on your health and professional development. By applying every one of these changes, you’ll be able to land that dream job in no time!

Hi everyone, Thanks for your ongoing support! We’re updating our pricing this month, removing the team plan and making it easier to choose an individual service. You are also going to see a redesigned dashboard for easier navigation, and simpler briefs. We hope you enjoy these updates! Sam Ryan … and the rest of Team Flocksy!

Featured team member design of the month:

Here is a custom mascot illustration by our creative Sunardi, for a client. We think it’s pretty cool! All custom illustrations on Flocksy are drawn completely from scratch by one of our extremely talented illustrators. Start an illustration project today and see results in just hours!

Keys To Successful Start-Up Marketing

by Flocksy writer Matt Gladstone The key to a successful business, including a start-up business, is mastering the art and process of great marketing. If you’ve just started a business or plan to in the future, follow these tips and techniques to perfect your marketing and get a leg up on the competition.   continue

5 Tips For Working From Home When Your Kids Are There Too.

by Flocksy writer Scarlette Olivier Whether your kids are also learning from home or you have little tots who are too young from school, it can be extremely challenging to work from home with your kiddos constantly asking you for snacks, telling you they’re bored, or fighting with their siblings… continue

Tips And Techniques When Using Live Social Media For Your Business  

by Flocksy writer Matt Gladstone   There’s an art to using live streaming platforms, however, and they work most effectively for companies who know the ins and outs of the process. Here’s a short guide to using live social media streams to enhance you brand attract new customers.  continue

5 Instagram Tips Which Will Help Boost Your Sales

by Flocksy writer Matt Gladstone Instagram is unique and engaging because it’s primarily a visual platform, allowing you to post pictures about the products and services you sell. Instagram is relatively simple to use but there are some tips and techniques which will help you take your social media game to the next level.  continue

It’s no secret that 2020 was a difficult year for many business owners. Even if your business wasn’t locked down, many of your customers were likely strapped for cash and distracted by the state of the world. Also, it can be hard to keep your focus when the world is in crisis!

As a business owner, you have a lot of responsibilities and stresses. Resilience is a key part of business success. So, how can you cultivate the right attitudes and skills to deal with economic uncertainty? Read on to find out.

Embrace Creativity

Creativity stems from innovation which leads to problem-solving. When you make creativity a core part of your business, you open the door to new ideas that are crucial to resilience.

If you stay in your current processes, it’s much harder to adapt to change. How can you develop new avenues for growth if you’re set on certain ways of thinking? Creativity can help you “think outside the box” and find ways to deal with uncertainty.

So, be willing to sit down and brainstorm solutions. Or, open the door to ideas from your team. Fresh perspectives are always helpful when facing a crisis.

Prioritize Your Needs

When economic crisis strikes, it’s tempting to start hedging your bets…or getting rid of anything you’re unsure of. Many businesses make the mistake of laying off workers instead of trimming their bloated ad budget. Others start pumping money into “growth hacks” hoping to turn the tide.

In times of economic uncertainty, focus on the solid parts of your business. Then, identify the aspects that truly need attention. If the market is down, cutting your staff may not be the solution. Now, you’ve crippled your ability to reach out to potential customers.

Knowing how to prioritize your needs is essential to good business management. What do you really need to achieve, and how does your current income support that? You might find that you could cut down on your paid ads and focus on word of mouth …. or vice versa!

Embrace Technological Change

Like it or not, the world is becoming increasingly virtual. Even as things open back up post COVID, many consumers are now accustomed to digital interactions. Your business must involve with the times. That may mean offering online ordering, an eCommerce store, chat based support, and so on.

Technology can also help your team collaborate more efficiently. Do you have remote workers? Are some team members still working from home? Avoid the temptation to force everyone back to “the way things were.” Improved flexibility and communication can boost your profits and make your employees happier. Take some time to consider how tech has helped your business.

Turn A Doomsday Mindset Into One For Growth

The pandemic certainly seemed apocalyptic at times, and many business owners reacted accordingly. Some let pessimism take over their outlook. But resilient business owners either (a) adjusted their businesses to current market conditions or (b) pivoted to a new industry that would better survive the pandemic.

How? Resilience is more than putting up with poor circumstances: it’s finding new opportunities when things change. Innovative business owners made their services virtual, opened up eCommerce stores, or decentralized their operations to save money. You can learn from them: rather than dwelling on the negative, look for ways to grow your business. You might be surprised by what you discover.

Lead With Compassion

Leadership is not simply a matter of making decisions and telling others what to do. You must be able to inspire others to action and stay calm in times of crisis. Your team can perceive how you regard yourself and your business. So, how are you acting?

In addition to leading your business with a cool head, you also need to show your team support. They may be concerned about their finances, fearful of losing their job, or generally stressed about the state of the world. It’s important to make them feel empowered. When they do, they perform better, which can help your business survive the crisis.

Wrapping Up

Resilience is ultimately adaptability. You must be able to change with the tide, especially during economic uncertainty. Running a business requires you to make the best decisions for your growth, and that’s not always a matter of maintaining the status quo! Don’t be afraid to embrace change, inspire innovation, and cultivate a flexible environment for your business. And remember, your team is crucial to your growth, so be sure to give them the freedom to solve problems for you. With these best practices in mind, you can be a resilient business owner, better equipped to keep your business thriving during difficult times.

Starting your own small business can be tricky and oftentimes even a little frightening. Getting out of the comfort of the usual corporate scene and commanding your own destiny is enough to give anyone pause. But the ambitious few who push through the fear and doubt soon realize that there is so much more to gain when you dare to take the first step.

It is true that many small businesses fail, but just as many succeed. The “why” varies as widely as the laundry list of potential pratfalls that made a particular business a success or doom it to disaster, but that doesn’t stop budding entrepreneurs from getting out there and taking a shot at making it in such a volatile economy. In fact, for many, it spurns them on. But why do something with such a stark likelihood of prosperity?

Why Entrepreneurs Take The Plunge

Maybe it’s destiny. Maybe it’s the desire to be the boss. Maybe it’s greed. But if you had to ask, many of them would likely boil it down to one word, and that is “love.” Love of family inspires them to work from home. Love of their passion that drives them to turn their art or skill into a profitable enterprise. Love of the idea of not answering to a nameless, faceless entity who signs their paycheck.

It is love, passion, desire, and grit that get the entrepreneur out of bed, make them want to get to work early, and keep their eye on the prize at all times. It is the love of the path they have taken that makes them work longer hours than they have ever before in their previous employment to ensure the trains keep running on time. And that love sustains them and gives them the push to reach new heights in their field.

That is who franchise opportunities are born, how they need to go on sites like Indeed.com to hire more staff is decided, and how someone working out of a garage can have a fortune 500 company in less than a decade. If you see a need, then fill it, there will always be work to do. The best entrepreneurs that succeed with the greatest frequency know there is always a need to fill.

5 Reasons A Small Business Is Worth Your Effort

Beyond the typical motivations, there are a few other ways you can profit from having your own business. And these apply if you intend to always stay small or if you wish to expand and create your empire. Just remember to pace yourself. Small business growth and cultivation is a marathon, not a sprint.

1. Credit Availability

Just like the equity in your home is available as long as it is gaining worth, your business is a resource for credit when needed. And these days, it is easy to get a credit line as long as your business model is viable for the long term. This is less true for niche markets, but these specialty shops are still a plausible risk as long as they have shown a quality history of positive returns.

But beware. Credit can be a slippery slope. Credit is against the profitability of your business, so when your business dives financially due to unforeseen market circumstances, creditors will still come for their pound of proverbial flesh. Don’t get overextended.

2. Tech That Works

Nowadays, we have the technology for everything. From your Point-of-Sale system to your marketing needs to your taxes, everything can be done and run by a single person on little more than a laptop. It is easier than ever to track transactions, issue billing, and even monitor employee efficiency, and you can do it all from home if necessary.

Tech has its downsides, though. If you haven’t taken the precautions to back up your data or properly secure your online systems, you are vulnerable to outside breaches. It is sadly easy to be targeted by cyber predators. Cover your technological bases and keep them updated.

3. Compete To Improve

More and more new online business opens every day. Sites like Shopify have made something as intricate as drop shipping so easy that the market is now saturated with stores selling everything from toys to pet products, all from the comfort of home, and never having to touch a single piece of inventory. But is this saturation a bad thing?

Many entrepreneurs would say “yes,” but the ambitious ones would disagree with that notion. Competition invigorates the soul, gets creative juices flowing, and makes a real fighter want to go a few more rounds. Having a few competitors raises the bar from mediocrity and complacency to excellence. It inspires you to strive to be the best.

4. Contact With The Customer

The worst cliché in any capitalist economy is the notion of “the customer is always right.” Why is this wrong? Because it is designed to move the meat, but it doesn’t address the real problem. The issue at hand has nothing to do with the customer, but with the way a transactional situation is handled in the intricacies of the deal. The nitty-gritty of the experience.

By interacting with your customers from the other side of the equation, you can see the perspective as the businessperson, and get involved in those details the average customer doesn’t know or even care about. It provides greater enlightenment into the mind of those who are often taken for granted due to that dated axiom. It flips the mental script.

5. Pat On The Back

When is the last time you felt truly amazing about doing something? When have you felt absolutely satisfied with a project or task? One last wonderful notion when running your own business is the ability to see the whole event from start to finish and know it all succeeded because of you. You did this. Maybe you had help, but they were driven by your love and passion.

Inspiring others, changing someone’s life, enhancing your own, are all great ways to see and feel that you have done work that is worthy of your efforts. You can stand back with a smile knowing that this is yours, a ship at your command, and you are at the helm. It is up to you to keep it on course, but those you have brought into your adventure will help you because they believe as you do that your small business is here to stay.

Hi everyone,

We’re continuing to update and add helpful and exciting changes to Flocksy so you should be seeing those happening during the next few months, and we have really appreciated all the feedback and suggestions we have had from both clients and team members alike, as we seek to make everyone’s experiences the best it can be.

Sam Ryan
… and the rest of Team Flocksy!

Featured team member design of the month:

Here is some marketing material created for a client by Flocksy team member Amanda. We think its pretty cool! All custom illustrations/brand designs/marketing materials on Flocksy are created completely from scratch by one of our extremely talented graphic design creatives. Start a graphic design project today and see results in just hours!

5 Reasons To Establish A Blog For Your Small Business

by Flocksy writer Matt Gladstone

Blogs are more in use now than ever before, and it’s never too late to start one. Here’s a brief guide to why you should start a blog today, this very moment.   continue

Live Your Purpose: Five Reasons To Become An Entrepreneur

by Flocksy writer Mary Lee Ptacek

In the world today, you don’t have to stay in a career that makes you unhappy or that isn’t as fulfilling as you hoped. In the gig economy, there are many opportunities for people to build their own business.  continue

How To Move Past A Failure At Work

by Flocksy writer Allison Denny

Remember that everyone makes mistakes from time to time, including your management team, director, board, and other decision-makers. Explore the following steps to minimize, address, and move past professional mistakes.  continue

Managing Vs. Leading

by Flocksy writer Matt Gladstone

If you’re wondering what the difference between effective management and effective leadership are, read this quick and informative guide.  continue 

We love our smart phones. They provide a constant connection to the Internet and to each other. However, they also give us the ability to be constantly connected to work. Many people are finding it more and more difficult to separate their work from their personal lives, which leads to several different problems.

Whether you work remotely full-time or you’re expected to check emails every night, you probably struggle with your work-life balance. We’ve come up with five tips for dealing with the demands of working in our modern world of constant connection.

Measure Your Workload

If you’re worried you might be working too much, you probably already feel stressed and overwhelmed. There are other signs that you are working too much, too.

One of those telltale signs is forgetting tasks. If you have too much on your plate, something’s going to slide off. Then you’ll be left cleaning up the mess that the forgotten task has created, which just causes more work for you.

Take an unbiased look at your workload. How much work have you agreed to do? How much of it is extra or not related to your job description? How much of it do you think goes beyond the scope of what you can handle?

Measure your workload. Estimate how much time it will take to complete the tasks that you’re currently expected to do. Find out if there are enough hours in the work week for you to complete them all.

When you measure your workload, you help discover just what is taking up the biggest chunks of your time. Having a clear picture of your workload will help you better understand the problems you’re experiencing.

Evaluate Your Health

Too much work can absolutely affect your physical and mental health. When you’re stressed because you don’t have enough time or the ability to complete what you need to do, then you’re more likely to make poor choices.

For many people, the first thing to go out the window is healthy eating. Overworked employees don’t have the time or energy to stick to a diet or prepare healthy meals. We eat from the vending machine or grab takeout at the end of an 11-hour day. Sometimes we resort to overconsuming alcohol or using substances to take the edge off after a stressful day or week.

Needless to say, these unhealthy choices cause serious issues. Even unhealthy eating, which seems fairly harmless, can lead to major health problems down the line. These physical issues also affect mental health.

When mental health issues are ignored, serious problems occur. If you have too much work on your plate, you could suffer from much more than simple stress. More serious anxiety and depression are possibilities, and you could eventually suffer from burnout.

Ignoring how you feel about work can make everything worse. If you have too many tasks and not enough time, you could end up resenting your coworkers, your supervisors, and even yourself.

It’s important to regularly evaluate both your physical and mental health while you’re at work and at home.

Make A Plan

Measuring your workload and evaluating your health are the first two crucial steps you have to take before you make a plan. Yes, we know we’re asking you to add another item to your to-do list. However, taking the time to follow these steps will help reduce your workload and your stress in the long run.

Figure out when you’re going to accomplish your tasks each day and each week. Write down these items on your calendar. That means literally setting aside time to finish projects before their due dates.

Take the time to schedule healthy meals and exercise sessions. You also need to prioritize “me time,” when you’ll do what you love the most, whether that’s reading a book, watching a movie, or having a game night with friends.

Once you’ve made your schedule, ask yourself how realistic it is. Make any adjustments that you think are necessary.

Talk To Your Supervisors

You know you have too many tasks on your plate. You’ve measured your workload and found out just how much is expected of you. You’ve also evaluated your situation to determine what you can actually accomplish without damaging your health. You’ve made a solid plan.

Now it’s time to talk to your supervisors. Show them the data you’ve collected and the plan you’ve created. Prove to them that you’ve been doing more work than should be expected for someone in your position. Ask them if there’s anyone else who can handle the tasks that don’t fit your job description or shouldn’t be part of your role.

Be direct and do your homework before you begin the conversation. Showing your supervisors that you know exactly what you’re talking about will go a long way.

Stay Consistent

Most reasonable supervisors will assess what you’ve brought to them and agree to make some changes. However, you are still responsible for staying on top of your own workload. As time goes on, you need to consistently check in to make sure that you’re not falling in to the same trap as when you were overworked before.

Schedule a monthly meeting with yourself to measure your workload and evaluate your health. Take stock of the days where you feel stressed and overwhelmed. Your health and happiness are more important than any job, especially a job that is continually dragging you down. Keep checking in on your workload. Be your own best advocate so you can enjoy your life!

Productivity advice is one of the top searched topics on the internet, and it’s no wonder. Everyone is always looking for the perfect way to get more done in less time. There are seemingly thousands of apps all promising to make this possible.

The truth is, everyone’s productivity needs are different, but you don’t need to focus on getting more done. You need to get the right things done. Here’s how to work smarter, not harder, and enjoy greater productivity every day!

1. Cut Down Your Task List

How many of your to-dos are actually necessary? How many could you cut with no harm done? Many people feel overwhelmed by their task list because they simply have unnecessary items on it. It’s hard to feel motivated when a task has no benefit to you. Subconsciously, you know this.

So take a good, hard look at your to-do list and do the following:

• Cut anything that’s been sitting undone for weeks or months. It’s probably not important. If it is in fact important and still relevant, it’s likely an unpleasant task and you should just go ahead and get it over with.

• Delegate tasks that someone else could do. Lean on your team! Could someone else do it better? Resist the urge to keep it on your plate just to feel accomplished.
• Eliminate “would be nice” tasks that don’t support your goals. Perhaps you’ve been meaning to sign up for that Krav Maga class your friend recommended, and it’s been sitting in your todos for months. Learn to identify tasks that just don’t align with your life. Pro tip: If you haven’t made time for it, it’s probably not crucial to your endeavors.
• Automate anything you can. Tedious tasks such as writing standard emails and updating CRMs suck up precious hours. Use an automation tool to do the heavy lifting for you.

2. Stop Multitasking

You may feel more productive when you’re catching up on your favorite podcast as you check your email while you make breakfast and wait for the laundry to be done. Phew, I was exhausted just writing that. Imagine how your body and mind respond when you do that.

Multitasking is not actually getting more done. If anything, you are splitting your attention and energy, causing everything to take longer. Your brain also can’t process these multiple stimuli effectively, so you end up losing focus. When working on projects, that’s the absolute worst thing for productivity!

Resist the urge to multitask. Break your day down into chunks of time, then allot each chunk to a specific task. You’ll get more done and feel less stressed.

3. Create Routines

We are creatures of habit. We like consistency and predictability. This is why the world’s most effective productivity systems such as Get Things Done focus on habits.

After you’ve broken down your day into chunks as described in Tip #2, map out a workflow. Think about a logical flow for your schedule. For example, most people check their email first thing in the day. Block out a time for that, then focus on other tasks. After 2 hours of work, you might want to take a break, then check your messages again.

By creating a predictable flow, you can stop the “daily grind” that makes you feel stressed. You’ll stop worrying about squeezing in so many tasks because you know, without a doubt, that you’ve blocked out time to do it.

4. Focus On Self Care

Speaking of routines, don’t forget to leave time for self care in your schedule. It’s so tempting to skip meals or your daily workout because you’re eager to get things done. But these “recovery” moments are crucial to your overall productivity. They will keep you from feeling like you work, work, work with no time to yourself.

Try creating a morning, afternoon, and evening routine in which you do your self care. Include your essential health tasks (eating a meal, taking medications, showering) as well as some time to yourself. This can be when you catch up on the news or do a bit of pleasure reading.

Make a short list of items you will do at these times every single day, e.g. wake up, shower, eat breakfast, and do yoga in the morning, then read, wash your face, drink tea right before bed.

5. Take A Break

It may sound counterintuitive, but when you take regular breaks, you give yourself time to recharge and therefore get more done. Our brains simply aren’t designed to sustain mental focus for hours on end. So when you are trying to get your tasks done, an endless marathon of work is the worst thing you can do. You’ll burn out fast.

Incorporate breaks into your workflow. This doesn’t mean taking a long break to watch Netflix every couple of hours, but it does mean getting up to stretch, grabbing a (healthy) snack, and forcing yourself to step away from your work to recharge. If you’re a workaholic, this can be a challenge. But once you learn to

The Pomodoro Method is an excellent way to boost productivity. You focus on a task for 45 to 60 minutes, then take a short 5 minute break. Each focus session is called a Pomo. Every few Pomos, you take a longer 15 minute break. This keeps your energy levels up and helps you feel less overwhelmed.

Wrapping Up

The greatest productivity happens not when you’re piling on tasks, but when you’re leaving space for recovery. The work you do should be important and meaningful, not an endless parade of tedious, pointless tasks. So, the more you can do to cut down your task list and care for your health, the more you will get done in the long run. Try these tips and see for yourself!