Four productivity hacks to implement in 2022

It’s officially a new year, and I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to make this one the best year yet. 2020 was, well, a s*** show, 2021 felt like a tease, and so I think we’re due for an amazing 2022.

An amazing 2022, to me, would mean that I accomplished all my goals for the year. And the only way to accomplish those goals is through a productive lifestyle. Living a productive lifestyle might sound difficult when you’re a busy mom or young professional. Fortunately, I live by a few productivity hacks I want to share with you that’ll boost your productivity in 2022, helping you achieve everything the year has in store for you.

Productivity Hack #1 – Eliminate, automate, delegate

You’ve got a lot on your plate, girl. I know it. And sometimes, it can just feel like way too much to handle. By using the “eliminate, automate, delegate” principle, you not only reduce your stress level, but you simultaneously boost your productivity as well!

To implement this principle, start by writing down a list of your weekly duties and obligations. Every single one of them. Then, on a separate sheet of paper, draw a square with four quadrants and label each quadrant as follows: Do, Eliminate, Automate, Delegate.

Now, look at your list, and start filing your to-do items under each label. Put the things you actually enjoy doing, like walking the kids to the bus stop, under the “Do” label. Split the things you don’t like doing as much, like going to PTA meetings, grocery shopping, and cleaning the house amongst the “Eliminate,” “Automate,” and “Delegate” labels. Then, commit! Walk the kids to the bus stop, quit the PTA, subscribe to a meal kit service, hire a cleaning lady. Make your life easier and win back your time. You’ll notice a difference in other areas of your life, including your overall happiness, pretty quickly!

Productivity Hack #2 – Do a time audit

As a productivity coach, having my clients do a time audit is one of the most important things I can recommend right off the bat. A time audit is done by zooming out and looking at your typical week. How many hours are you awake, roughly? How much of that time is spent working, and how much is left over as “free” time?

Outside of work, what are your standard weekly to-do list items? Volunteer, work out, study? About how much time does each of those take up? Where in your “free” time can you accommodate those things?

For example, my time audit came down to the following:

• I’m awake from 7am-11pm every weekday and maybe 9am-11pm every weekend, totaling about 108 hours awake for the week.
• 45 hours of my week are spent at work. That leaves me with 63 “free” hours.
• Every weekday I do an hour of TOA work in the morning before my 9-5, and I leave an hour free in the evening to hang with Michael and decompress. That leaves me with 53 hours to split up the rest of the week.
• For those 53 hours, I assign time like “5 hours I’ll spend cooking, 10 hours I’ll spend on TOA, 3 hours I’ll spend working out, 1 hour I’ll spend on self-care, 2.5 hours I’ll spend on date night,” and so on. I make sure to include time for everything that I’m prioritizing in my life, whether it’s a priority because it has to be or because I want it to be.

This might seem a little crazy, but it’s actually helped my clients (and myself!) set very clear boundaries that help guide what to say “yes” to and what to say “no” to. This leads to a very balanced lifestyle, which is – you guessed it – a more productive lifestyle!

Speaking of saying “no…”

Productivity Hack #3 – Learn to say “no”

If 2020 and 2021 taught us anything, it’s definitely that saying “no” is okay. In fact, it’s a good thing. Saying “no” might feel unproductive because you’re not adding something to your plate that you can eventually cross off; however, it actually boosts your productivity because you’re managing your time better. You’re learning to prioritize, which makes you more efficient.

When I started TOA, for example, I felt pressure to say “yes” to any opportunity that came my way, whether it was a potential client or a collaboration or an affiliate deal. However, I quickly realized that saying “yes” to everything drained the enthusiasm from me and the quality from what I was putting out there. So, I started saying “no” instead, and my business really took off. This is definitely easier said than done, but trust me, you’ll be happy it’s a practice you adopted.

Productivity Hack #4 – Take breaks regularly

What’s the final hack you should implement in 2022? Taking breaks regularly!

Similar to saying “no,” the idea of taking breaks doesn’t sound particularly productive, right? What’s productive about not getting something done?

The reality is that we stretch ourselves so thin nowadays that we never get a chance to rest and recharge. We keep going until we have nothing left in us, affecting our work, our mood, etc. Taking regular breaks – whether that’s having one evening a week totally to yourself or it’s taking 5 minutes every hour to do a lap around the office – can leave you feeling refreshed and energized, leading to a more productive next step.

So, which of these are you implementing in 2022? One of them? All of them? No matter which you start using, I can’t wait to hear about how your life is affected. Keep me updated by sending an email to [email protected], and if you think you might need a little bit more guidance than just this blog post, ask me about my productivity coaching services that are now available to you!

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