productivity | BlogZynergy

11 techniques that will make your life simpler and less stressful

Is chaos increasing in your life? You are not alone – the whole universe is affected. These 11 techniques will help you towards a simpler life.

man in gray jacket standing on rock formation during daytime

Pfff – can this be simpler?

Entropy is everywhere: if we do nothing, life will only become more chaotic.

Systems in this universe – including your life – tend to become more and more complex .

We can (temporarily) reduce entropy, but that does not happen automatically.

Removing chaos from your life is like building a sandcastle in the surf – eventually you lose it to the sea, but you have a lot of fun in the meantime.

If we want to live a simpler life with less stress, we must constantly work on this. Then it is important that we set up habits and systems that help us every day to tame the chaos , to keep an overview and to increase simplicity.

These 11 techniques have helped me for years, maybe they will help you too.

Let’s see.

1. Tidy up your house

If you live in an empty room with no stuff, you never have to tidy up and you never lose anything. Cleaning is also fast!

It’s just not very practical.

It does show how it works: the more stuff you add to the empty room, the more complex the situation becomes .

Clean up more
Cleaning more
Lost more things
More anxiety and stress
Move and put back more
Less physical and mental space
More hassle to move
Etc.

You make your life easier with less stuff . But it’s a balance – too little can actually complicate your life.

For example, life is simpler with a can opener when you want to open a can. But nobody needs three can openers.

The question you want to ask yourself at home (and for the rest of your life) is simple:

“What is essential for a good life?”

The rest can go.

Just start small: scan your environment, find something that is unnecessary and get rid of it now.

That cleans up nicely.

2. Clean up your digital clutter

All those documents on your desktop don’t make your life any easier. The same goes for that mailbox with 1,402 unread messages.

Digital clutter is no different from real clutter: eventually you ‘have’ to do something with it . And in the meantime, it makes your life more viscous than it needs to be.

A tidy digital environment is an extension of a tidy home. Especially if you spend a lot of time on your devices.

For example, now walk through your smartphone and find at least one app that you can delete.

Advanced Challenge: Delete the Facebook, Instagram, Reddit or Tiktok app (or all of them!) 🚀

3. Reduce your screen time

Speaking of devices – if a simpler life is your goal then it helps to dose your screen time .

Of course, we first look at your smartphone. But maybe it’s also your laptop, tablet, television or game console for you.

We receive most of the stressful messages through our screens . Bad news, shocking posts on social media, YouTube videos or Reddit posts that concern us (negatively), drama or all kinds of unnecessary input via group apps, an endless stream of (unnecessary) notifications, work emails in your spare time – it doesn’t stop.

Bring a little more ’80s into your life and reduce your screen time step by step. Recently I described the steps I took:

Now dive into your screen time stats and see which apps gave you the most notifications last week. Simply silence one or more of these apps completely – nice and quiet.

4. Decide what matters most

If you know what you want, you know what you can cut.

When I know I want to travel towards the sun, I no longer have to orientate myself on ski suits but only on swimming trunks – it makes my life easier.

Making a decision instantly makes your life easier . Even if you don’t make the ‘perfect’ choice.

So you can ask yourself, “What does my ideal life look like?”

Write the answer to this question directly in your diary, notebook or a notes app.

Focus your attention on the things that bring you closer to this ideal, and try to give less and less time and attention to the rest.

5. Give yourself a simple and clear goal

With a concrete goal you immediately make your life simpler.

Suppose, in my ideal life, I do half an hour of yoga every morning before the kids wake up.

A concrete goal can then help me to achieve this. For example, I set a goal of learning my morning yoga habit within 30 days .

Such a goal immediately spurs me to action:

I’m going to delve into getting up earlier and set my alarm a little earlier.
I also go to bed a little earlier and adjust my evening routine.
I’m taking some steps to make my attic suitable for a nice yoga routine.
I streamline my evening and morning routine to make this habit easier (I lay out clothes, unroll the mat, fill a bottle of water, etc.)
I’m going to look for some tips for a suitable yoga routine that helps me on the points that I find important. Based on that, I put together a standard routine that I’m going to try.
I start with my new habit, and adjust based on what I learn.
I track my progress and feel motivated to get used to this new habit within 30 days.

A goal helps you put your ideal life into practice . It helps you focus, making your life simpler.

Now think of a simple goal you can set to achieve one aspect of your ideal life.

6. Streamline your life for more simplicity

Often there is something you can do to reduce ‘hassle’ and ‘trammeling’ in your routines.

By streamlining your life you can save a lot of time and aggravation and make your life easier.

For example: thanks to a few key hooks in the hallway, we never lose our keys again! A stupid example perhaps, but a great pleasure for me every day.

You make a process clearer, simpler and reduce friction.

Look for a small optimization that you can do today to streamline your life, so that you move more easily towards your ideal life.

7. Practice gratitude

Gratitude simplifies your life because its opposite is the cause of almost all of your frustration .

Gratitude feeds contentment and joy. This makes you feel good and you don’t have a constant tendency to change everything.

Dissatisfaction does the opposite: it pushes you to action . And much of that action actually makes our lives more complex because it is often focused on ‘more’: buying more things, doing more things, making more money, etc.

There is nothing wrong with wanting something and working towards it. But it is important to realize that this can also cause complexity in your life.

Satisfaction is often much more efficient .

If you can feel grateful for your current smartphone, you feel less inclined to order a new version. This saves you a mountain of money, so you can save more, work less and feel more free.

Not upgrading is likely to have a greater positive impact on your quality of life than upgrading.

Especially because you quickly get used to your new smartphone, so that you are back to square one ‘satisfaction-technically’.

8. Simplify your agenda

A simpler life with less stress contains a lot of ‘play space’ – space that is not blocked with all kinds of activities.

We feel that a rich and complex life full of outings and “nice things” is optimal. But, as with anything, too much of a good thing can become stressful.

For example, I used to fill my week so often with fun things that it ironically stressed me out .

Now we like to provide enough unstructured time. Time that can be spontaneously filled with activities that we find fun and important.

Take a look at your agenda and research at least one way to create more leeway now.

9. Practice mindfulness

Your life doesn’t start when you ‘finally’ achieve your goals. Your life is here and now .

This is it.

This it always has been and always will be. The rest is just a story in your mind .

Mindfulness actually makes everything simple, because it helps you realize how simple life is when you don’t take your thoughts so seriously.

You can increase mindfulness by practicing mindful meditation on a regular basis. You can also practice more mindfulness throughout your day – for example, when you read this article.

10. Simplify your diet

Healthy and simple food makes your life simpler because it helps you to be healthier and more energetic.

Health complaints are an enormous source of unwanted complexity . Healthy living can help you prevent, reduce or solve health problems.

Eat simple, healthy dishes. Do not eat too much and not unnecessarily often. And if you really want to make it simple for yourself: pick up intermittent fasting .

Eating nothing sometimes turns out to be surprisingly simple:

Grab – when you get hungry – for example, just a piece of fruit or some (unroasted, unsalted) nuts.

Much simpler than a croissant. 🍎

11. Surrender to life

Complete surrender is the ultimate – and most advanced – form of simple living.

It works very simply: instead of resisting reality, you decide to embrace life – just the way it is.

You stop fighting against that which is .

It’s challenging, because we constantly wish life were different than it is. And that wish causes us stress, frustration and discomfort because we have no influence on reality .

Things are just the way they are, not otherwise.

Because if they should have been different, then they were different. And they are no different, so apparently this is just the way it should be.

The more times you manage to get to this place, the simpler your life becomes:

You see that you are good as you are , including the sides of yourself that you don’t like and including your desire to change those sides of yourself.
You understand that the feelings you experience are allowed to be there , even if they feel uncomfortable. You also see that you can find them uncomfortable.
You understand that things can and should happen , even if you don’t agree. At the same time, you realize that you can disagree with that event, even if it doesn’t change the situation.
You accept that you do not always have the solution to every problem . Instead of feeling frustrated at your lack of knowledge or power, embrace the opportunity to learn and grow.
You understand that not everyone will always agree with you , and that’s fine. It’s okay to disagree and still be respectful and understanding.
You see that life is not always fair and you will be disappointed at times . But instead of getting angry at the world, accept this situation as part of life.
You realize that you are not perfect and that you will make mistakes . But instead of punishing yourself for these mistakes, embrace them as opportunities to learn and grow.

It is also called radical acceptance .

It’s beautiful stuff, although it’s not always easy.

You will naturally get better at it the more you practice mindfulness. And your mindfulness grows almost naturally when you reduce your screen time, pushing your life in this direction and creating more unstructured time.

You don’t get a simple and stress-free life as a gift – you have to do something for it because chaos is the norm. But with smart choices and strategic habits, you can keep entropy at bay a bit.

And that’s well worth it if you ask me.

So – did you already delete those social media apps? 😉

#Life simplification techniques
#Stress reduction methods
#Simplify your life
#Reduce stress
#Techniques for a simpler life
#Stress management tips
#Simplifying daily life
#Coping with stress
#Life hacks for less stress
#Stress-free living
#Strategies for simplicity

There’s Big Money In; THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD SMILE MORE, INCLUDING AT WORK

We can all use some fun, cozy and cheerful moments in life. A smile is no exception during these moments. And this is a good thing, because laughter is healthy and brings many (health) benefits, also at work.

People laughing Images | Free Vectors, Stock Photos & PSD

A smile brings people together, lowers blood pressure and has many other benefits. Not only is it good for your health, it also has its benefits in the workplace.

Increase productivity

Research shows that it is important to laugh at work. It would increase productivity in the workplace. Maybe sometimes it feels like you’re not being productive and actually not working, but it turns out that performance improves spectacularly when we laugh together.

Positive humour

Little jokes, because someone makes a funny mistake, is fine. On the other hand, laughing at someone else’s expense, by teasing or gossiping, is not productive. So it’s important to laugh at the right things and not hurt anyone. Positive humor is the key to productivity. When this positive humor is used, it does not have to cause loss of time, but it actually ensures a pleasant working atmosphere and a lot of productivity.

The health effects of laughter

Not only is it important to smile at work, it is also important to do so in other situations. For example, half an hour of laughter a day could possibly be a natural protection against a heart attack. This is partly because the body will produce less of the stress hormone cortisol when there is laughter. As a result, it is possible that the coronary arteries stiffen less, which may happen earlier when the body produces a lot of cortisol.

It also has a positive effect on other hormones. For example, the body produces more of the hormones that make us feel good, such as endorphins and serotonin. This makes us feel more comfortable and we are more relaxed, which also has a positive effect on your resistance.

So laughing is healthy, so try to do this regularly. You will shine!

Why you should have a super morning routine

I never had a morning routine. I only did something in the morning.

If I already had a morning routine it would be something like this:

Waking up as late as possible to make it just in time for my first appointment/work. Just joking..

I can tell you: that was not a success.

During my search for the good life, I kept coming across the importance of an optimal morning routine. I couldn’t avoid it anymore, so I started taking it seriously. It wasn’t an easy road.

I tried dozens of habits during my morning. I kept the most successful.

And now? I never want to be without a morning routine again.

In fact. My morning has become the most important moment of my day. Something my younger self would never believe.

In this article I am not going to tell you what a morning routine should look like. There is no gold standard in that.

No, I want to make it clear to you here why you should have a morning routine. And don’t be afraid. You don’t get a long list of reasons. I share the three most important reasons I know. Maybe you will have more.

1. A morning routine is essential for your productivity

What is Productivity? How to Define and Measure It? | Simplilearn

Do you want to get more out of your days? Then start with your morning routine.

You are not distracted in the morning. You have not consumed any energy yet. And you can do exactly what helps make your day a success.

That ties in with perhaps the most important tip I know for productivity:

Decide each day what your most important task is for that day. Start each day with that task. Repeat that. So you have a productive day every day.

To do that, you need a morning routine.

If you leave every morning to chance, there is little chance that you will do the right thing. Then ‘ what feels best ‘ takes over from ‘ what’s best ‘.

A quote from behavioral expert Nir Eyal sums this up perfectly:

The antidote to impulsiveness is forethought.

Freely said: the antidote to impulsiveness is to think in advance what you are doing.

If you still have to decide what to do in the moment, then you are too late. You must have thought this through beforehand.

A morning routine is completely thought out in advance. You don’t leave your morning to chance like this. You do the right thing every morning. You set the tone for the rest of the day.

You can also plan the rest of your day during your morning routine. That way you have a clear picture every day of the most important tasks that day.

My morning routine has become my anchor for my productivity . Even if I have a really bad day, another morning routine awaits the next day. That’s way I can immediately recover.

And there are a number of reasons why a morning routine contributes to your productivity:

Your willpower is still at its maximum in the morning. The best time to do your most important tasks.
The morning is the best time for meditation. One of the most important exercises for productivity.
You have a moment for reflection. This way you can think ‘why’ you do everything. And you can clarify what your goals are for that day.

2. Successful people have a morning routine

Ask anyone on the street about their morning routine and you’ll likely get an answer like:

What kind of routine?

Ask a successful person about her morning routine and you’ll likely get a comprehensive story.

Just look it up. The entire internet is full of morning routines of successful people.

Could it be a coincidence that they deal with their morning so consciously and not the rest of the world?

3. With your morning routine you have the most influence on the quality of your life

Yes, you read that correctly.

A morning routine has the most influence on the quality of your life.

Just look at it this way:

Your life is a sum of what your days look like. If you have good days, you have a good quality life.

The secret of a good life is to make sure you have good days. And you simply have to repeat that.

And what influences the quality of your days the most?

Right. A morning routine!

Why isn’t that another time of the day? That’s because your morning is the only best time of the day to organize yourself completely.

In the morning you have no input from outside yet. You wake up with yourself. You’re not at work yet. Nothing is expected of you yet. It’s the only time of the day where you don’t have to take anything into account yet.

And think about it. Everyone secretly has a morning routine. Everyone does the same thing almost every morning. The only question is:

Have you consciously chosen your morning routine, or do you leave your mornings to chance?

Start your successful morning routine

Enough reasons to start tomorrow with your own morning routine.

But how do you start?

Easy.

Yes it is simple, but you also have to start simple. As small as possible. It’s not about setting up the most successful morning routine as quickly as possible. Your goal should be to have a morning routine that you can sustain.

It takes time to make your activities a habit. but keep pushing.

My morning now consists of maybe twenty different habits that I perform in an hour and a half. It took me several years to achieve that.

You can probably do that faster. Especially if you keep it simple.

The most important thing is that you stick with it. And as I always say: the secret is in the 1%. Make sure your morning tomorrow is 1% better than the day before.

These 4 techniques will help you overcome your procrastination

Do you want to overcome your procrastination? You can quickly reduce your procrastination with these techniques.

“Procrastination is opportunity’s assassin.”

PROCRASTINATION AND PRODUCTIVITY – EDUpub

Overcome procrastination in small steps

Procrastination is no stranger to me. I’ve had periods when I struggled a lot with it and literally could n’t get anything of value out of my hands for weeks.

And then there are the periods when I mess up a bit. I do the things that need to be done, but procrastinate on projects that are important to me but not urgent .

When I struggle with procrastination, perfectionism is invariably the culprit. I make the projects way too big in my head , so I get overwhelmed, restless and don’t know where to start.

Fortunately, I now understand exactly how this works, and I have all kinds of tools that help me overcome my procrastination in such a moment. It’s a mental game that you can win by taking the right steps.

I share the most effective techniques in this blog. Read further . Below are 4 techniques that can help you overcome your procrastination.

1. Know what your next step will be

We can get everything done in small steps. The challenge is often not in performing the tasks. Because the tasks are simply actions that we perform:

Why You Should Pay Attention to Your Procrastination | myTherapyNYC

typing an email
paint wall
make a phone call
Look up information
Paragraph typing
Etc.

The challenge lies in determining what is most important now . “What should I do now? What is my next task?”

With clarity , you can overcome your procrastination . Because when you know what to do, you not only experience less unrest and stress, you also struggle less with procrastination.

Your brain no longer thinks: “Pfff, what a lot of work, I don’t know where to start!” – it thinks: “Oh, make a call, I can do that!”

Ten minutes of planning is often enough to get ahead . Take a step back and ask yourself, “What’s most important right now?” Once you know what to do, you define a manageable task. Then you can get started without procrastinating.

2. Lighten up your day

In the same vein: the more you have to do, the more likely you are to procrastinate . Why? Because your brain gets overwhelmed. It often doesn’t feel motivating to take part in a match that you have already lost .

And this again hooks into planning: you have to make those decisions . We often don’t feel like planning because it sometimes feels difficult . We have to make choices, often based on too little information.

But if we don’t make those choices, everything seems equally important and way too many tasks end up on our to-do list.

Ask yourself, “What 2-3 tasks do I need to complete today to feel successful and satisfied at the end of the day?”

Write down those few important tasks and make sure you can complete them. Give yourself a competition you can win – it will help you overcome your procrastination.

3. Work task by task to overcome procrastination

Once you’ve determined what’s important (and what isn’t), you can get started.

Select your task
Turn off distractions
Start your task
Continue until your task is completed

And most importantly, keep your focus on that one task you’ve selected .

By taking the time to plan, you can rest assured that you’re doing exactly what you need to do . So you can put your thoughts on other tasks and projects aside for now .

That gives you peace of mind, reduces stress and helps you overcome your procrastination with less effort.

4. Avoid Your Known Pitfalls to Overcome Procrastination

I know: if I turn on YouTube during lunch, I will procrastinate. Then I watch a few movies, and I keep watching – even after I’ve finished eating.

So? So I won’t start.

The same goes for other distracting activities, such as social media apps, checking the news or playing video games. Once I start, it’s not easy to get out .

You probably have an idea of your common pitfalls. If you want to overcome your procrastination, you can choose not to start in advance . That choice is often easier than fighting yourself out once you’re in it.

Put your smartphone in a different room, change your environment or switch off the internet if you have to. Avoid falling into familiar pitfalls – it can often save you a mountain of procrastination.

Always remember that by beating procrastination you can reach your destination faster.

Get Premiere self-discipline – it’s easier than you think

Do you want to learn more self-discipline to make your dreams come true? Learning self-discipline is easier than you think, and you don’t even need that much to get ahead

5 Hacks to Improve Self-Discipline in 2021 | Brian Tracy - YouTube

The lazy ones with self-discipline

I don’t think I have a lot of discipline. But when I say this to people, they say it’s false modesty.

Because how can someone with little discipline write regularly, eat healthy , exercise enough, develop courses, keep his mailbox in order and meditate regularly ?

I thought about it, and I came to two conclusions :

Discipline is about doing things you don’t want to do . A lot of the things I do I like to do – so I don’t need discipline for it.
Once you do something often enough, you form a habit . And habits are almost automatic. And because they are almost automatic, you hardly need any discipline.

And that is exactly where I am.

Stop doing things you don’t want to do

I am a star at this. I think life is too short to deal with things I don’t want to do .

Okay – I’m not doing the VAT return with a smile. And I am not fond of making the bed . But even with this kind of task, I do my best to make it less annoying.

I streamline the VAT return process so that it becomes less tedious . I work with a checklist and because of that I am through it before I realize it.
I use making the bed as a mindfulness exercise . I change the sheets in full consciousness. At the end I am happy with a crisp clean bed, and I feel nice and calm and happy.

And for the rest I am very critical about the things I let in my life. If it doesn’t make me happy, doesn’t help me toward my goals, or doesn’t bring me satisfaction, it’s going to get out of my life (or not come in).

My standard answer is no . And only if the activity can convince me of its fantasticness, then maybe it will be yes.

Habits streamline your life

It works like dental plaque – just think about it. If you don’t brush your teeth for too long, you get the jitters and you start brushing . The threshold at which you can no longer tolerate it is different for everyone. And you can train that threshold.

For example: if I don’t meditate for too long I get the jitters. So I’m going to meditate. I can’t help but meditate .

I get the jitters after a few days. And I’m working on getting them in just one day. Because I know – the more I meditate, the better my life gets.

Habits streamline your life. They ensure that you no longer have to think and feel no resistance. You just do it – because you’re used to it.

Building habits is one way to invest your willpower . For a few weeks, you use your willpower to push yourself into a new habit. And once the habit is ingrained, you don’t need willpower anymore.

Then that willpower is released and you can invest it in a new habit. And that works like a charm.

I’m a productive lazy cat

Really and truly. I would prefer to play games and laze about every day . But I can’t , because I have all kinds of fun things to do and because I get the jitters if I don’t do certain useful things .

Ten Things That Will Change Your Life[style]

Many times we put our eyes on the big things out there. But the fact remains that as determined as we are to make significant changes and do big things, we can only reach that height of big things until we fix some small items in place.

Life has a lot of experiences, and only if we gather the right experiences, we will not get the best out of what we do.

The constant thing about life is change. No matter what you do, you cannot avoid change. The more we resist change, the more miserable our life becomes. And to give heed to change, we should ensure we plan it and take it gradually as our routine can permit.

We can, however, not avoid the unexpected from happening, but what we can do is, set a sample of what we want for ourselves when the unexpected does happen.

This is where our power of choice comes in, using this power of choice allows us to change our life. And that is the fulcrum of what we are going to be talking about today—using your power of choice to craft out something beautiful for our lives.

1. Make your bed daily

A lot of interpretations can be made from our little actions daily. Making your bed and how you make it can be one of the ways to tell how organized you are.

Many may want to trivialize this act, but making your bed will set you to the next task and the next after that, and you will be bubbling with fulfillment by the end of the day. But it all begins from you doing what is right immediately you get up from the bed.

As soon as you make your bed (clean your bed), the next thing to do is clean yourself. Wash your mouth and have your bath.

Even if you are not going out or you don’t have an appointment to catch, having your bath daily in the morning goes a long way to increase your productivity. Take your time to clean yourself.

2. Read the news

This is another little thing that could affect you most positively or negatively possible. Follow the news and know what is happening around you.

As little as it is, listening to the news can keep you informed about the kinds of jobs that are available, the places you should not visit, and most importantly, you get information that gives you talking rights when around people.

3. Cut Posters in your room

Having a motivational poster in your room is very important; it improves your success rate. It can be the only force that makes you continue reading that book when you are about to stop. You can put up your resolution to finish a book every week on your doorpost.

No matter how trivial it looks but that motivational poster helps you to stay motivated and to get rid of procrastination.

4. Clear youR To Do

To-do lists are usually written to guide you on what to do daily. If you have good things listed out, completing them daily will go a long way to improve every aspect of your life and can cause a drastic change. When you clear your to-do every day, it helps you assess yourself and decide your next move.

Hence you should ensure that your To-Do is cleared before you retire to bed daily. This way, you set yourself up for progress.

5. Exercise daily

The magic behind exercises comes when you are faithful to it. You tend to see its effect after being consistent for at least 21 days. Exercises will help reduce your stress level. Also, during exercise, your body will secret hormones that will help your body relax and prepare it for the day’s activities.

Exercising in the morning increases your chances of completing your To-do listings, thereby improving your productivity. No matter how busy you are, at least go for a 10 minutes walk.

6. Set your alarm 1 hour early

This trick is simple; if it has been difficult for you to get up at a particular time, then you should learn to set your alarm 1 hour before the time you want to wake up. This way, when the first alarm wakes you, you sleep back. Then the second alarm will have more effect, and then your sleep may not be profound.

Sleep can be refreshing sometimes that it can make you miss your appointment.

7. Volunteer

Find a cause you are passionate about and spend time volunteering. You can never experience true acts of kindness until you learn out to give your time and money for something you are passionate about with the expectation of nothing in return.

8. Grow a garden

Nurturing plants teaches patience. Not only will gardening give you something to do, but you’ll also be contributing to your environment. Imagine waking up, looking out your window, and seeing beautiful flowers and plants. You feel pride when you know that you are responsible for such a beautiful environment.

9. Reply all your mails

Sometimes, our mailbox can tell how lazy we are, especially if you accumulate your mails without responding to them. Unimportant emails should not be left unattended to, open them, read them, and take the necessary action.

Ensure that you do not sleep without attending to all your mails, even if you can’t get the information being asked for immediately, you can fix that on your To-Do for the next day.

10. Drink a glass of water before and after sleep

Water is good and can be used when thirsty. But it can also be used as a therapy. Taking water before bedtime has a way of reducing your stress level, and when you wake up, it helps you improve metabolism.

It is free, in your reach and will cost you nothing to take a stroll to the refrigerator before and after sleep.

Small activities go a long way to how we handle big things. Hence we mustn’t lose the touch of these little things; the more we are perfect in them, the more productive we become.

It is actually your job.

But you hardly get it:
• Set out the main lines.
• Anticipate the future.
• Brainstorming, sparring, coaching, leadership.
Unfortunately.
It is simply too busy.
...
And not so crazy, too.
Once you have team members, the questions come.
And before you know it, you help your customers, your colleagues, team members - you actually help everyone!
And so you run for the rest of your life here on earth, from one fire to the next.
You are being lived. I can already see you laughing because you can find yourself in this.
...
Not only during working time, by the way.
They always know where to find you.
- Bad for your mood.
- Bad for your energy.
And so bad for the business.
Can't it be otherwise?
Fortunately.
Try to jump out of the hamster wheel for yourself, just like others who have preceded you in professional leadership.
And now it's your turn!
Are you going to try to focus on daily reality and how you can maintain a certain pattern.
So that you are going to make big hits.
And once again you experience satisfaction from all your hard work.
I don't work in the evening.
Not on the weekend either.
And I start planning a ridiculously many holiday weeks every year.
...
Once it was very different.
When I just started working, I was doing as much work as possible.
And if, like me, you like variety, then your agenda and to do list are packed in no time.
Until I noticed that I hardly spent any time on my real work.
Think that and stuff.
That is where I actually add the most value.
...
From that moment on I started to study productivity.
In fact: I have started to delve more into how working could be done differently
And now I spend the majority of my working time thinking, writing, coaching and coming up with nice new things etc.
...
"I never succeed," you think.
"Because with me the phone rings all day."
And you have to meet.
And write reports.
And adapt to everything that your customers / colleagues and organization ask of you.
Look.
… Go on a journey of discovery
You discover exactly:
• why you are so busy
• how you still make time available for strategy and innovation
• how you set priorities
• and then your goals really hail
• how you maintain that focus
...
Eventually you will come to a complete master plan.
Feasible steps and concrete techniques.
There is enough to get to work with much more pleasure and to grow old healthily.
Let me know what you still do and will do to make your work more enjoyable.

Maximize Your Productivity

Working for yourself gives you a freedom you can’t get when you’re working for someone else. It also means that if you don’t work (or spend too much time on non-work tasks), you don’t get paid. Here are MY ways you can be more productive so your income doesn’t suffer.
The benefits of the freelance lifestyle are endless and often discussed. Not only can you make your own hours and skip out on that morning commute – saving on gas costs and general aggravation – but you also get to create something of your own instead of working to build someone else’s dream.

Still, the self-employment route is not without its challenges. Because freelancers only get paid when they complete their work on time, poor productivity can cripple a business venture. When you run your own business, your time truly is money, and individuals who don’t maximize their time are unlikely to survive in the industry long term. Here are 6 ways to maximize your productivity when you work for yourself:

Limit Internet Time

It’s easy to get distracted when your boss is, well, you. Without a supervisor peering over your shoulder, you might be tempted to spend your working hours checking your Facebook page or reading the latest Google News stories. However, unchecked internet time can be highly problematic for freelancers seeking to boost their productivity levels. Even business-oriented tasks, such as checking email, can interfere with your ability to concentrate on the project at hand. For best results, opt to refresh your inbox just once every hour or two and designate a set period of time for browsing the web or talking with your friends on G-chat.

Learn to Delegate

Just because you’re the boss doesn’t mean you need to handle every business task yourself—or that you should. As a self-employed person, it’s important to turn over certain jobs to your contractors so you can focus on bigger-ticket projects. For example, someone who owns her own marketing business might opt to pay a freelancer to create blogs or post to clients’ social media pages. As a result, she can concentrate on higher-level work, such as creating content plans and pitching new clients.

Evaluate Your Time Usage

To stay productive as a freelancer, it’s important to assess the amount of time you’re spending on various tasks. While some self-employed people charge by the hour, many earn money based on completed projects. If you originally estimated that a job would take three hours, and it actually required 10, you can’t exactly go back to your client and ask for additional funds. Freelancers therefore need to evaluate their time usage regularly to determine when they need to raise prices and which tasks simply aren’t worth their time. Additionally, time tracking can help you identify problems in your work style and flow.

Fortunately, today’s freelancers have access to various tools and apps that make time tracking easier. A well-ranked product, Harvest helps freelancers make more educated choices about the projects they take. Not only can you track times with a single click, but you can also do so from anywhere, including your mobile phone or laptop.

Work in a Designated Area

Although working on your couch might be comfortable, it can also lead to distractions. You might be tempted to turn on the TV, wash that sink of dirty dishes, or even lie down for a nap. To stay productive while self-employed, consider setting aside a specific area of your home for working. If you don’t have a designated office, think about putting a desk in a quiet area of the house, such as a guest bedroom or breakfast nook. The goal is to associate this zone with working so you’ll be better able to concentrate. Additionally, you should ensure your new workspace is comfortable by investing in an ergonomic chair and keyboard and making sure you have access to natural light.

Pursue Continuing Education

Just because you run your own business doesn’t mean you know everything about your chosen industry. To stay sharp as a freelancer, consider attending training sessions and continuing education courses. Not only will these training programs allow you to network with your peers, but they will also ensure you stay up to date on the latest developments. Doing this is especially crucial for self-employed people who don’t have coworkers or bosses to keep them abreast of industry changes. As an added bonus, taking classes allows you to enjoy some social time with people who likely share your interests.

Clear Your Schedule Now and Then

As a freelancer, you probably know that working hard is essential if you hope to build a successful, sustainable small business. However, it’s also important to allow yourself opportunities for relaxation and leisure. While you might be tempted to work straight through the weekend, doing so can leave you feeling burnt out and unmotivated come Monday morning. For best results, take one to two days off each week to pursue your interests and hobbies. Not only are physical activities like hiking and biking great for clearing the mind, but they also allow you to spend time with family and friends. With any luck, you will start the next workweek recharged and ready to focus on the tasks at hand.

As a self-employed person, you have the ability to set your own schedule while pursuing your passions from the comfort of your own home. However, your freelance career will surely hit a wall if you don’t learn to manage your time effectively. Follow the above tips to ensure your days stay productive and your energy levels high while embarking on a career as a small business owner.