If you’re like me, there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done. As a Mom, my “to do” list is never ending. Sometimes at the end of the day I look around and wonder what I did all day. It’s so frustrating!

Lately I’ve put the focus back on my blog. Stepping up my game. This means even more distraction. In an attempt to combat my laziness and disregard for focus, I have some productivity tips I try to employ. Today, I’m sharing them with you. I’m far from perfect, but these certainly help boost my productivity. I know they will do the same for you.

So here they are…

9 Simple Productivity Tips

1. Wear Sneakers – There is just something energizing about putting on your sneakers. Maybe because they require too much effort to take off? You know, making it harder to just climb back into bed. Or just the simple tie to working out. Whatever it is, it works. I put them on my feet and hit the ground running (not literally…I actually hate running). It just puts me in the right mindset to work and get things done.
2. Make a List – I am a list lover! Seriously, I’m so obsessed with crossing things off a list that I will actually add something I’ve already done just so I can cross it off. Crazy? Maybe. However, a list gives me something to focus on. It clearly displays the work that needs to be done. My motivation to cross something off that list drives me to action. When I get distracted, the list brings me back into focus.
3. Crank the Tunes – Music gets me going. It’s a great distraction when I am working on something mundane. Suddenly it is a little more enjoyable to clean up messes and scrub floors. Many times the kids will join in and before you know it, everyone is dancing around the kitchen helping.
4. Employ Pockets of Time – This is one of the most annoying phrases my husband ever created. Don’t tell him that it made this list! At our house this means making sure the laundry is running before you start your next task. Or the dishwasher. Or anything that can be making progress in the background doubling the amount of work that gets done in the same amount of time. Make sense?
5. Outsource Tasks – What can you pass off to someone else? This could be in the form of chores for the kids. Maybe someone is offering to help out with something that you haven’t had a chance to do. Say yes! Take advantage where you can. Then there is my favorite time saver: Walmart Grocery. I have completely outsourced my grocery shopping! No longer do I drag kids through the supermarket. It takes me less than 10 minutes to shop online and push that task to someone else. Check out my review of the service. If they aren’t available yet, there are others. Trust me, it’s worth checking them out.
6. Cut the Crap – Recognize the time suckers that exist in your day. These mostly come in the form of social media for me! Yes, I have an addiction. Who doesn’t these days? I find if I really want to get things done, I have to put the phone down. Sometimes in another room so I can limit the temptation to kill an hour on Facebook.
7. Know When to Say No – There are always a million things that pop up during the day. New tasks.
   Distractions. It’s easy to chase the rabbit down the hole. It’s also important to know when to say no. Understand the importance of putting things on hold and planning to tackle them tomorrow. Not everything is deserving of being a priority today.
8. Do the RIGHT things – In the big scheme of things, there is a reason you are doing what you are doing. Do the things that make the biggest impact towards that goal. Let the rest go. There always has to be some give and take. Perfection is not attainable. Choose what gets you closest to your final goal and spend your time there. If the rest doesn’t get touched until later, so be it. Don’t stress!
9. Know When to Stop – Set realistic limits. I am queen of procrastination and over committing myself. It will be the eleventh hour and I will be all sorts of stressed out trying to get it all done. That’s not healthy! Schedule in down time if you need to. Just make sure you know when to stop. Then follow through. It will all be there again tomorrow.

What am I missing? Please share your favorite productivity tips in the comments. 🙂