5 Tips to Increase Productivity and Reduce Stress

5 Tips to Increase Productivity and Reduce Stress

Anyone else always on the lookout for ways to be less stressed without losing productivity? ✋ I know I am. Well, this month on the Real Estate Ready Podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Julie Gray, productivity expert and owner of Profound Impact Coaching. Julie shared some incredible mindset shifts and time-management tips that I just had to share with you. 

1. Make it work for your lifestyle. When you’re creating systems of organization and strategies for time management, don’t fall into the trap of trying to conform to someone else’s approach. Julie says: “When we align with who we are it is much easier to discover the systems and strategies that are best suited for how we operate. We learn how to mold the strategy to fit us.” 

2.  Identify your why. Take time to understand the problem driving you to seek time-management solutions. Ask yourself: What problem am I trying to solve? Why do I think time management is the solution to that problem? When you understand the root of your need, it becomes easier to identify specific strategies that address that need.

3.  Figure out what you already do well. It’s much easier to build on existing strengths than it is to start from scratch. Observe yourself and notice when you’re most effective. Release the idea that your strategy needs to mirror conventional organization techniques. For example, to-do lists work for some people, but they don’t work for everyone! It’s okay if your strategies don’t look like they came straight from a Pinterest organizer. 

Releasing anxiety around what your strategies should look like is the first step to clarifying what actually works for you. Once you’ve identified what conditions empower your most successful moments during the day, you can leverage that knowledge to improve in areas of struggle. Never forget that the best information comes from what you’re already doing successfully.

4.  Separate Reminder Lists, Wish Lists, and To-Do Lists. Oftentimes people write down everything they want to get done in a day then call that their “to-do list.” That to-do list then becomes a metric by which we judge ourselves. We’re “good and successful” if we finish our list, and we’re “failures” if we don’t finish our list. Talk about pressure! Nothing causes people to procrastinate faster than pressure and fear.

Instead of jumping right into a to-do list, first create a reminder list of all the things you need to remember to do. Next, prioritize your reminder list to create your wish list. Your wish list is a prioritized list of what you want to get done, but it’s okay if some things get pushed to a later date. Your to-do list should be a much shorter list that includes only tasks with a set timeframe. Only put a task on your to-do list if you truly have the capacity to accomplish it that day. Removing some pressure by separating your lists will empower you to move forward with less stress and a clearer head.  

5.  Trust your gut. If you feel a nudge to step back, listen to yourself. Many of us listen to our anxiety brain that has been conditioned to believe we must keep pushing no matter what in order to be successful. In reality, you will function more efficiently if you trust yourself to know when it’s time to pause and reflect. Take that 15-minute walk. Spend some time journaling or sitting silently. Trust yourself to know when you need to pause in order to achieve greater clarity. 

The above tips are mostly fluid because productivity and time management are not one-size-fits-all. Honest self-observation to identify what works and what doesn’t is the most important advice for increasing productivity and reducing stress. Much of procrastination is rooted in anxiety. When you release the need to have your strategies mirror societal expectations of discipline and organization, you can move forward, free to utilize what truly works for you.

Learn more about Julie’s books, coaching, and courses HERE.