Task Efficiency
This time of year things become chaotic and having task efficiency becomes incredibly important in order to keep things organized and stress free. I am not the most efficient person, just ask my husband. However, there are 5 things that keep me efficient when I tend to naturally head out on a bunny trail of pretty images and funny teacher videos.
Make a Schedule
The first step to being efficient at your tasks is to make a schedule. List out all the tasks that need to be done and then assign them days and dates to work on them. It there are weekly tasks that repeat, consider assigning them a repeating day each week. For me this looks like:
- Monday – Financial books and Blogging
- Tuesday – Personal Education and Blogging for the Photography Business
- Wednesday – Content Creation and Videos
- Thursday – Content Creation and Vendor Meetings
- Friday – Errands Run, Lunch Date with J, and Social Media planning
This may be a bit fluid if engagement sessions or styled shoots occur in the middle of the week but this is a general overview of what a week looks like in our office. What may work for me though, may not work for you and this brings me to my next point.
Be Realistic
It is so easy to get caught in the comparison game. People we think have it all together really may lead lives that are just as chaotic as ours. Social media breeds that type of thought process. When setting your schedule, be realistic about what you can accomplish. You are not Super Girl . . and no one expects you to be.
Get Rid of Distractions
By far, distractions will trip me up faster than anything else. I love Pinterest and Instagram for my daily dose of all things pretty but the reality is, it takes me down a bunny trail. I might have intended to take a “break” for five minutes from answering e-mails only to look up at the clock and realize . . I have been scrolling and pinning for 30. YIKES! The best way I have found to get rid of distractions is to set timers for myself to keep me accountable to what needs to be done.
Take Breaks
I love to “marathon things” as my husband calls it. If I have a large project in front of me, I want to sit down and knock it out rather than taking little bites out of it, one small piece at a time. This worked great when I was in college and while my husband was deployed. However, as a mom of two and a husband currently home and not deployed . . this doesn’t work. It also isn’t healthy for my body to sit stationary for long periods of time. This goes back to the timer and getting up and moving around a bit.
Give Yourself Grace
Lastly, this is the most important part. Give yourself grace. I am HORRIBLE about this and when I fall behind in my goals for the week . . I tend to beat myself up over it rather than actually assessing the problem and solving it. We are human and it happens . . breathe, assess, and fix.
With that being said . . its time for a task break and a little reward in the form of a tiny bit of dark chocolate.
