7 ways to optimize your productivity without feeling burnt out

Intro:

If I had waited to be “ready”, I wouldn’t have built my own virtual coaching business and grown the way I have done it! I find that each year, I have more on my plate but feel less overwhelmed and this is all due to having better practices, now let’s talk about them.

Enhancing your productivity is always a good idea but how can you do it? Don’t worry! In this blog post I give you tips and tricks that have worked for me throughout the years and things I’ve been learning in my process of becoming a coach.

So, start optimizing your time and tasks in ways that benefit you. Work smarter not harder!

1. Stop overthinking things

Let’s be real, no one is ever 100% ready. That just doesn’t happen. People that achieve their goals, start working with tools they have TODAY. Stop expecting you will get from point A to point B once you do XYZ. Don’t attach your goals and dreams to a certain norm of non-existent perfection. With experience come better practices and knowledge every year. It is important to point out how the will to start something is enough to get you going. 

Taking action is key in order to succeed. It is much easier to hold an idea for minutes, hours, even years. So often my clients come to me saying they have had a certain idea for 2-3 years, that is overthinking. The right type of analysis or thinking leads to action, overthinking leads to inaction. This is sometimes due to experiencing impostor syndrome. This happens basically when we believe we are not as good as others perceive us to be. We tend to think of ourselves more like a fraud. Don’t let your intrusive thoughts make you believe you are not good enough! Everyone needs to start somewhere, right? Plus, if you are worried about seeming like an impostor is probably because you are NOT, a true impostor would not worry about this.

Additionally, If you know what you want but are confused as to where to start or what path to take, don’t be afraid to ask for help! Guidance there is always room for growth, meaning there is always room for guidance. Find a coach or counselor that can help you organize your thoughts and is aligned with your purpose. For instance, a virtual wellness coach can help you jump-start your life.

2. Connect with the WHY

Knowing WHY you are doing things is essential to work smartly and be more productive. You need to focus on the bigger picture from time to time and especially when your to-do lists are filled with daily tasks so you don’t get overwhelmed. Follow these simple steps:

• Ask yourself, what is your BIG goal out of this?

This answer will increase your motivation and productivity. Knowing what you want to get out of your daily tasks and achievements and how it all aligns with your purpose; will help you optimize your time and organize them accordingly. Work to create more of that feeling in your life!

• Then, ask yourself what do you want to feel out of that accomplishment?

Brainstorm and visualize how you would feel if you would have already achieved your goals. Connect that feeling with your daily tasks.

Additionally, work according to your energy. This means working, organizing and preparing your day around your energy levels. If you are a night owl, maybe it’s best to take it slow in the morning and work hard and be productive in the afternoon; or the other way around (like me!). Connect and listen to your body, to make the most of it and make sure you are getting plenty of sleep + rest!

Go grab your favorite journal and I’ll leave you with one more journal prompt:

Universe, how can I cultivate more xyz in my life today?

3. Funnel your steps

This is one of my favorite ways to get things done! It will make your tasks seem simpler and you will not be overwhelmed with accomplising the end goal.

• Begin with the MACRO goal

First, you should be able to know what you want to accomplish as a whole. Where do you want to be in 1, 3, 5 years? Once you know the answer, go to the next step.

• Ask yourself “How do I get to that goal?” And a simpler step will come up. Do this at least 5 times until you reach a step you can do TODAY

Brainstorm all the ways you can accomplish that goal. Start writing small tasks that NEED to be done in order to achieve your objective. After that, find the step you can take TODAY with the tools you already have and start with that!

• Goal: To break it down into MICRO steps. Focus on these ones (+ the purpose behind it that you learned on the previous step)

Focus on these few steps and take it day by day. It is important to have in mind the purpose behind every action you are about to take, so that it is aligned with your values and end goal.

• Set goals in a quarterly manner *This is great for keeping up with motivation and creating TRUE habits

This tip has worked for me amazingly throughout my journey. I organize my tasks in a quarterly manner and I check my results at the end of every period. I measure what worked and what didn’t with the purpose of improving my processes.

Crash course on this coming soon, stay tuned!

IMPORTANT… Don’t forget to celebrate your small victories! and send them to me via DM, I will celebrate with you! I also just celebrated the 2 year anniversary of my company and recorded a podcast on my learnings.

4. Divide your days into themes

My team and I do this everyday. Dividing your days into themes will help your brain stay focused on one task at a time, thus making you more productive at it. 

For instance, set a day and a specific time period to respond to your emails and aim to have meetings mostly on some days of the week or certain hours of the day. Then, do the same for all the tasks. Avoid multitasking! You can learn more about this here

5. Allocate time to rest and learn. Set boundaries!

Yes, boundaries and limits are big these days, and that is, because they are IMPORTANT. Start by setting limits with yourself and then with others. Some ways include: prioritizing rest, delegating tasks, being ok with saying no, and evaluating priorities.

When we are working and we feel overwhelmed, stressed and unhappy, this results in unproductiveness. It’s hard to give your best, when you are not feeling your best. Therefore, it is crucial to include activities you enjoy in your daily routine. Your brain and body need a true pause to work better, have more energy and have a sharper mind at making decisions.

For instance, reading a book you enjoy, making time in your day to include a workout or even if it’s just resting time, like taking a 20 minute nap! All of this prepares your brain to accomplish your to-do list in a more efficient manner. Focus on having a TRUE pause of at least 10 minutes every day, no phone, no distractions, just connecting with yourself and/or nature.

In turn, this will make you feel accomplished throughout the process, even when your goals seem far away. Work to create more of that feeling in your life! Resting is key to success.

On the other hand, continuous learning is just as important. It will keep you creating, up to date and exploring new ways you can grow your virtual online business and build up your audience.

6. Expect mistakes

Talking from experience of building a virtual wellness coach business from the ground up, there are no online programs I’ve launched that have been perfect. Everything I’ve done has had at least one mistake. This is part of the process. The key here is learning from them and adapting into new things that will work better. Not expecting mistakes + not learning from them is one of the main reasons most entrepreneurships fail before the 3 years mark.

7. Learn from professionals

One thing I’ve found that has helped me and given me inspiration is doing research on successful people that have made mistakes. Study their story and learn from them. You can also find the right mentors and online coaches that will guide you through the process and help you figure things out. I just released a NEW episode of my podcast, where I touch on this topic. Listen here! And see you next Wednesday, here, on the podcast and in the newsletter.