The Secret to Get Shit Done

Do you ever wish you could get more done? Here’s how to get shit done.

During my senior year of college, I interviewed for a position and they asked what my greatest strength was. I honestly answered, “Getting sh*t done.”  (Shockingly, I didn’t get the position.)

I have ALWAYS prided myself on my focus and productivity. I can do more throughout the course of an 8-hour day than most people can do in a 12-hour day. It’s also just one way my executive coaching in Atlanta services help clients reclaim their lives and redefine success.

The good news is there’s no big secret to being more productive. To get more done, you need to get OUT of the overwhelm and get laser-focused on the task at hand.  And, the good news is that you can promote focus with 10 easy breaths.

Empty your mind and breathe slowly, in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Ten breaths take all of a minute to complete. It’s also proven that focusing on your breathing for as little as one minute is effective for increasing focus!  BINGO!

There are no excuses here. You’re breathing anyways. You might as well use your breath to increase your focus  If you are still having trouble focusing after 10 breaths, do a “brain dump” of all the things you need to get done into a to-do list and then try taking 10 breaths again.

Start Time Blocking

What do you do once you’ve breathed out those 10 breaths and have gotten laser-focused on your task at hand? If you still feel like you don’t have enough time in the day, you may need some new mindset and time management techniques. Did you know studies show that most people are actually working 3-hours a day instead of 8-hours? The rest of the time is often spent on busy work or tasks that don’t even need our attention.

The answer lies in time blocking. Combining the 10-breaths technique and time blocking method rapidly increases your productivity and focus. The results are impressive. Time blocking has been proven to increase productivity by up to 20% and is the cornerstone of how I balance family, personal passion projects, and my executive coaching in Atlanta services. If you’re not sure where to get started, try this time blocking technique and see how it transforms your mindset and priorities.

Set Time Goals

Ten deep breaths and time blocking does wonders for your productivity, but you still need accountability for your tasks at hand. Deadlines can help some people hyper-focus but can lead others to procrastinate. However, there is a way you can trick your mind into focusing on short, stress-free deadlines to keep you focused.

Known as the Pomodoro Technique, the method requires a simple timer and a task. Set your timer for at least 25-minutes and focus on one task from drafting correspondence to working on a pitch or prepping for a sales call. Depending on how well you work with longer deadlines, try incrementally increasing your timer. Once the timer goes off, it’s time to take a break, jump on personal emails, or go for a quick walk before getting back to work. You’ll be surprised how much you can accomplish when you hold yourself accountable.

Reimagine Success

If you’re starting to lose focus on what you’re working towards and what success you’re chasing, it’s time to stop and reevaluate by asking yourself, “What am I working towards? What are my goals?”

Are you working towards your dream or someone else’s? It’s hard to motivate yourself to get more done when you’re not sure what you are working towards.

Defining personal and professional success can be a struggle – especially if you’ve been living from emergency to emergency for the past 10 years.

If you’re struggling with getting more done, it might not be about the tasks at all, but about the internal knowledge that you’re not living the life you really want.

When Productivity Goes Too Far

There is a caveat in being productive and getting a ridiculous amount of work done in a short period of time. Anything taken to its extreme can be detrimental. Yes, even productivity. In fact, I leaned so far into productivity that I squashed all of my creativity!  Now, I am working on balancing highly productive time with white space to juice up my creative energy.

If it starts to feel as if all of your goals are focused around being more productive, adjust your time blocks. You may need more time to take a walk, have lunch with a friend, or catch-up on some much needed self care. After all, what’s the point of being productive if you never have time to slow down and enjoy what you’ve built in life?

The Hour Back Club is my answer to “How do you do it???”

The Hour Back Club will give you the mindset, the skills, and the habits you need to create more time in your day.

I’m only running the Hour Black Club once in 2020 to a small group of motivated professionals. Learn more here. The doors close on October 2 and I’m offering an AMAZING bonus if you sign up before 9/24!! Don’t wait.

What will you create with all that extra time???

Remember, anyone who doesn’t light you up is too small for you,

Sarah-Nell

Executive Coach + Trusted Advisor to Attorneys and Business Owners