By Adam Wills
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28 Oct, 2021
I have a confession to make. It seems that this year I’ve come down with SQUIRREL! Syndrome. If you're a COPreneur, it's highly likely that you've come down with the SQUIRREL! Syndrome too. If so, then don't feel alone because most COPreneuers eventually get infected due to our habit of chaotically managing calls for service, juggling multiple case investigations, and our natural predisposition towards perfectionism. These things make us great at our jobs in general but it's also why we struggle when trying to manage productivity in order to be more efficient and effective throughout the day. If this sounds like something you’re struggling with too, let me share with you the top 3 things that have helped me get back on track. Clearly Define the Project: Identify the project objective and desired outcomes. Then, work backwards to determine every single sub-task that needs to be accomplished to bring that project to completion. Document these steps somewhere or place them into a project management software. (Tip: If you’re looking for a great project management software that can also handle all of your business’s proposals, contracts, and invoicing, I highly recommend Plutio!) Block off Time: Sometimes the highest impact tasks are the least fun. If you don’t block off specific chunks of time during your day or week to do them, you will easily become distracted by the things that are more fun, but less important. Eliminate Distractions: There’s nothing that destroys productivity more than phone calls, text messages, or notifications about new emails, social media posts, or the latest Donut Operator video on YouTube. Turn off your phone if you can, but at the very least, close out all email, messaging, and social media applications on your computer or phone when you are doing scheduled deep work. I hope these tips help you be more productive like they’ve helped me, but don’t be too hard on yourself - new habits are hard to make. Make incremental changes and give yourself some time.