Have you been struggling with your productivity?

Maybe you’ve done some research here and there on ways to increase the amount of work you get done but to no avail.

You’ve probably come across some of these simple time management tips all the time and yet implementing them into your life seems to be way harder than you ever thought it would be.

If this sounds like you, you’ve come to the right place.

I’ve been there too.

Heck sometimes I still find myself there from time to time.

I have seriously struggled with trying to find a balance with setting aside proper time for work with zero distractions.

I can be hard getting started and getting the hang of things, but once you do, ooo man it will be a game changer!

I am sharing a short but impactful list of 5 things you NEED to stop doing ASAP that are seriously blocking your advancement. 

So buckle up, grab a pen and paper, or open up the notes section on your phone and jot these tips down.

5 self-sabotaging things to stop doing right now (To increase your blogging productivity)

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1. Stop comparing yourself to others

Sounds simple enough, right? 

But let me tell you this is like a muscle that needs to be worked daily.

It is so easy to compare yourself to other people. But nothing good can ever come from that and here’s a reason why it so toxic to your growth.

You don’t know where these other people started and what they had to do to get to where they are today. Everyone has a backstory and you may not know what it is.

It’s so foolish to compare yourself to someone who is in a completely different place than you are.

You’ve started a brand new blog, so of course you’re not going to have as much content as that other person who’s probably been in the game for years.

The point is, they are way ahead of you because they started way before you. It doesn’t mean that you’re behind. You’re comparing your chapter 1 to their chapter 10.

We all have to start somewhere and if you saw where that person began (you know, the one you keep comparing yourself to), you might find that is not so different than where you are right now.

So stop comparing yourself and start focusing on what you have to offer and the things that make you unique and different. Create quality content and your blog WILL grow.

2. Stop multi-tasking

I’ve always thought I was a great multitasker, in fact ( for the most part) I know that I am.

Do you think you’re great at it as well?

If you said yes, I believe you, I do.

However, when it comes to blogging and creating content, as great at multitasking as you may be, it can seriously be detrimental to your growth and to your productivity.

Trying to do too many things at once can easily take away from your focus and in the end, you end up getting nothing done at all. 

Then you feel like crap because you, the great multitasker, in the end- couldn’t multitask.

I say this because I’ve been there.

I know what it’s like trying to get a bunch of stuff done at the same time and it sucks.

It becomes overwhelming and you may even lose motivation.

Instead, try making a list of the things you need to do, whether it be written down on a sheet of paper,  a checklist or a list you’ve typed up on your computer or your phone.

Make your way down the list ticking tasks off as you go along.

DO NOT MOVE ONTO THE NEXT TASK UNTIL YOU FINISH THE FIRST ONE.

I am totally guilty of this, but I don’t want you to make the same mistakes.

I promise you, you will get so much more work done if you do things one at a time and you’ll honestly feel so great about it.

I’ve read a lot about batching.

In simple terms, batching is where you put together all your similar tasks and do them all at the same time. One day you might work on the blog, i.e. creating a few of your posts.

The next day you would focus on creating all your social media posts, and the next all your Pinterest graphics.

Depending on how many different platforms you are on, this might need to be divided as well. i.e one day for Instagram, one day or facebook, etc. You could even break this up into half days, whatever is best suitable for you.

Batching honestly sounds like it has been a Godsend for all the people who utilize it but I myself am still working out how to effectively add this to my routine.

It’s a slow process but I know once I get the hang of it, it will be life-changing and will totally increase the amount of work that gets done.

And I am all for that.

3. Put the phone away-it causes too many distractions

Here’s a scenario for you.

You’re working on your blog, making great headway and getting ish done. You’re feeling good and super productive.

Then your phone goes off, you pick it up and see that you’ve got a notification.

Someone liked and commented on one of your Instagram posts and you decide to check out what the person said. From there, you click back to the person’s page and start scrolling through their feed.Then you go back to your home feed and start scrolling there….

You see what just happened there, right?

You became so distracted by what was going on on the gram and totally lost focus on the awesome work you were creating on your blog.

I can’t stress enough how much and how easily this happens and how much time and momentum you can lose.

PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY!

Here’s what I started doing, because this was a real problem for me.

When I’m working on or editing new blog posts, or whatever other task I may be doing, my phone is facedown on the “Do not disturb” mode.

I even put on some coffee house music to set a nice working mode ambiance, it really helps keeps me focused.

*If you are going to play music for ambiance, make sure to either put on instrumentals or music that won’t distract you and will have you singing along to it instead of working. Another thing I am guilty of, haha, there seems to be a lot of them, but that is why I’m writing this.*

At first, I left my phone on the kitchen table or in the bedroom because I was so prone to getting distracted by it.

Now I’m disciplined enough that I can keep it beside me (still face down though) and get a good amount of work done without touching it.

Trust me, once you put your phone away (if this is a real problem for you), you will be amazed at how much more productive you are.

4.Close up all those damn Tabs 

I am completely and utterly guilty of this one right here.

This is something I am still working on today.

Even right now, I have about 20 tabs open on my browser. It’s so hard not to have them open but here’s why it’s something that needs to get nipped in the butt bud.

It is so easy to click over to the different tabs that are opened and to become insanely distracted. It seriously takes time away from the work you’re doing right now.

If you’re anything like me and you have a bazillion tabs open, and you can’t find the heart to close any of them, whatever you’re working on, right-click it and open it in a new window.

Minimize the other one with the bazillion tabs and come back to the new window with the single page that you were working on.

Doing this helps a lot as you won’t get as easily distracted trying to click on different tabs because there will only be ONE in this new window.

It goes back to the saying, “Out of sight, out of mind”.

But I wish for you (and me) that we’ll get to the point where it doesn’t feel necessary to have all those tabs open, and will only have opened what’s necessary for the work being done right at that moment.

5. Slow down

It is extremely easy to get carried away.

Especially being a creative, there can be so many ideas coming in and you just want to do them all…sometimes at the same time.

But don’t.

It will cause you to lose focus and you’ll become flustered trying to do everything at once.

Write things down, make a list and slowly make your way through it. Check things off as you go along. This goes back to #2 stop multi-tasking.

Being the crazy creative person that I am, I literally get ideas in my sleep. Or while I’m working on one thing, like 5 other ideas will pop into my head.

I’ve pushed away the need to do them right then and there because as we’ve learned, it’s seriously unproductive and again causes nothing to get done in the end.

Instead, now, I keep a notebook and sticky notes on my desk, so if any random idea pops into my head, I simply take a second, jot it down, and then continue on with whatever I was doing previously.

This way I don’t lose my focus switching over to a different task or forget the idea that popped into my head.

And then when I’m finished working on my original task, I can then review what I wrote down and possibly start working on that.

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These 5 things are seriously a game-changer, and once you start implementing them, you’ll be surprised just how much more work you get done.

If I’m being 100% honestly, implementing them all at the same time can be frustrating and a little overwhelming, so make sure to take your time.

Try to add them in little by little, and definitely give yourself a break if you’re not a pro right away.

Be kind to yourself and know that change takes time.

But once you successfully start doing all these things, oooo man, that is where the magic will happen.

Let’s recap

So let’s quickly review the 5 things we’re going to work on stopping today. (Gradually of course).

1. Stop comparing yourself to others
2. Stop multi-tasking
3. Put the phone away- get rid of the distractions
4. Close up all those damn Tab
5. Slow down

That’s it! Trust me, they will work and I’m honestly excited for you to start implementing them and seeing your productivity levels rise.

And that’s a wrap folks.

Let me know in the comments below what you think about these tips. Whether you’ve already implemented any of them into your work life and how it’s helped or affected you

I’m curious to know 🙂

Until next time, stay blessed ♡

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If you want to become more productive, you need to be the master of your minutes

-Crystal Paine

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And be sure to check out the blogging section on my Resources Page for tips and tricks to navigate this blogging world a little better