How to Be More Productive at Work

Hey everyone!

Whether you work in an office building, outside, at home or somewhere in between, being your most productive self at work can be a challenge. For many of us, we spend the standard 40 hours [if not more] per week working, but not getting nearly enough done. 

Being more productive at work reduces stress, helps you stay more organized and improves your attitude. 

Who doesn't want a little more of that?

The idea of getting more done at work without stress or long hours sounds appealing; but how do you get there? Here are a few things you can do now to help you be more productive.

Curate Your Space. 

This is my #1 suggestion to immediately spruce up your desk or area, and make it more comfortable to be in for the whole day. Enhance your workspace with reminders of things you love, personalized accessories, or bring the outside in with plants and greenery (some studies show that more green-like space in the workplace boosts cognition by 26%.¹). Surrounding yourself with familiar things creates an extension of your home, family, and friends. 

Pack Healthy Snacks. 

The 3:00 afternoon slump is SO real and, in many cases, occurs more than once throughout the day. You already know that food gives you a boost of energy but healthy foods will keep you fuller, longer. Also, retrieving your snack from the kitchen will require you to get your body moving. Fueling and moving your body will help keep you more alert. 

Download Helpful Apps.

You may need a little help from technology to stay productive. There is no shame in my game, I use a variety of apps to collaborate with my team (i.e., Slack), help me stay on top of meetings, track my projects (i.e., ToDoist), and sketch out ideas (i.e., Evernote or Bamboo Paper). 

Take Your Lunch Break.

One of the biggest lessons I've learned this past summer is to take an actual legit lunch break. This hour belongs to me—and you—and I have forced myself to eat lunch away from my desk, go downstairs to the gym, or do important errands. I used to work through lunch or eat at my desk but that never works. You think you're getting more work done but what you're actually accomplishing is burnout. 

Eliminate Distractions. 

Gossip at the water cooler, chatty Cathy from accounting, social media notifications are all there pulling our attention and focus and threatening our productivity. Who hasn't gone down the rabbit hole every now and then? Distractions cause us to lose track of time and then work doubly hard to recover and pick up where we left off. Move to a focus room or wear headphones, if permitted. I usually wear headphones as a signal that I am unavailable for shooting the breeze. At the same time, listening to my favorite playlist or audiobook, not only helps me focus on the task(s) at hand, but makes the day go faster.


1. Frobes.com, https://www.forbes.com/sites/adigaskell/2017/02/15/a-green-office-equals-a-productive-office/#6458db397ca5

Honing Your Craft

Hello everyone!

It feels like entrepreneurship is in the air lately! Everywhere I look I see people going into business for themselves, producing multiple streams of income and watering the rivers to financial freedom. As a full-time and part-time marketing and design professional, my brain is working 24/7. I work full time as a Senior Marketing Specialist for the largest commercial real estate company in the world, and part time I am a marketing and design business owner. This year, I am setting my business goals as a priority and honing my craft as a content creator.

When I look up the word hone (or honing) Merriam-Webster defines it as 1) to sharpen or smooth with a whetstone; 2) to make more acute, intense, or effective. Wow, that’s powerful! You literally take a tool and grind it against a stone to make it sharper, more effective at what it was designed to do. Let’s see how to apply that same principle to ourselves. We each have a skill or talent—a innate gift—that come naturally; whether it be public speaking, drawing, financial aptitude, cooking, caring giving, or teaching. Taking that skill, talent or gift—or tool—and sharpening it so that it becomes effective is paramount to completing the job or task. The question then becomes, what device—or experience—can I use to sharpen this? A pencil sharpener was specifically designed to efficiently sharpen a pencil. All the mechanics and their functions were invented to give a pencil its cylindrical shape culminating a perfect sharp point with which to write. Can you sharpen a pencil with a knife? Sure! But will the point be perfect and sharp? Will the cuts be even? Can you carry it around with you at all times? Your tools need to be sharpened by things, people and experiences conducive to shaping and sharpening the purpose of those instruments.

Honing your craft first starts with identifying your craft. Think about something you do very well; something you don’t even have to think about in order to accomplish or something which you often receive compliments. This is your skill, your talent, your gift, your craft! Now, that you’ve identified it, what situations, experiences or environments are the most conducive to helping you sharpen your craft in order to monetize it? I’ll use myself as an example. As a self-taught graphic designer, I thought I had to offer everything under the sun to be successful: flyers, business cards, banners, logos, product design, illustrations, websites, and the list goes on. While I do offer several of those, creating websites is not my forte. In the beginning, I tried to learn all I could about HTML, coding, programs like Dreamweaver, and FTP uploading—honestly just typing those words gives me a headache. I limited the website projects I accepted, and I stressed about the few I had because I was trying to make it work with my limited knowledge. So, guess what, I got to the point where I realized I had to scale back and really narrow in on what I could execute REALLY well. Cutting those services didn’t mean I was taking a pay cut if anything I could charge more for my expertise in the remaining specialized areas!

Today, I continually immerse myself in order to become a subject-matter expert by taking webinars, staying current on industry trends, joining groups/communities, and studying other successful professionals. Collaboration is something that I have found helps me sharpen my skillset while becoming inspired by fellow subject-matter experts. By honing my craft, I can become a thought leader in my area of expertise where people will seek out my perspective and service.

This is the sweet spot. Creating the solution to a need. You don’t get there by doing a little bit of everything poorly or surrounding yourself with people who are not designed to enhance the effectiveness of who you are and the task you were designed to do. You get there by finding that thing specifically designed to refine you and the thing you were exclusively created to do on this earth. What is that thing for you? Is it finding a mentor, taking an online course to gain credibility in your industry, or perhaps renting a separate work space that fosters quiet and creativity? If you’ve gotten to this point, your work ethic is not in question, you are willing to do what it takes to succeed. Focus your hard work on refining, shaping and putting an edge on what it is you do best!

5 Work From Home Tips

Hi everyone!

Working from home can sometimes be more challenging than going to “the office”. There are many things vying for your attention at home: television, kids, comfortable beds, a fridge full of food, personal phone calls.

I have recently been working from home and I absolutely LOVE it, but I quickly realized there were a few things I needed to do in order to help me feel my best and most productive self. I want to share my top 5 tips with you.

Tip #1: Claim Your Space.

Depending on the layout of your home, a room with a door or sitting upright at a table decreases distractions and signals to your family—as well as your own mind—that you are concentrating on work. Think about an extra bedroom you can convert into an office or setup shop at the far-end of your dining table. Avoid plopping down on that comfy couch in the living room or jumping into bed with your laptop—it’s too tempting to get lazy in these spots.

Tip #2: Get Dressed!

One of the perks of WFH is the dress code! You can grind away in your favorite robe and fuzzy slippers and while I have nothing against being cozy in your own home, I challenge that you may not be at your most productive in this attire. Listen, I DEFINITELY do not put on actual clothes every single day but when I do, I feel refreshed and ready to tackle my day. I choose a comfortable outfit that I can sit in all day and I usually decline footwear.

Tip #3: Pick the Right Time of Day.

Choosing the right time of day to begin your day is imperative to being as fruitful as possible. Although I am not a morning person—if you are like me—I need the bright, recharging, mood-boosting daylight to fuel my energy and disposition. However, I know musicians whose day doesn’t typically start until 9:00 in the evening. So, whatever your profession, select the time that encourages efficiency and creativity.

Tip #4: Surround Yourself with Inspiration.

So, you’ve claimed that great space, you got dressed and you are working at the optimal time of day, now it’s time to place things around you that inspire. For me, a candle is a must! There is something about that soft glowing light that calms and soothes me—perfect for those days with stressful deadlines. I also love having words of affirmation, to speak confidence to my abilities. Color plays a vital role in our mood and outlook. The color palette in my office is comprised of cool grays, soft earth tones and muted pastels—I am able to think clearly and spawn a lot of ideas here.

Tip #5: Type-Cast Your Ideal Space.

My final tip is to ensure your space is conducive to the type of business you are running or tasks you are performing. For me, it was important that I have an area to receive clients. I didn’t want to conduct a business meeting in my living room. So, I have a settee that seats two and is proportionate to the room. A private chef may want to consider bar seating and prep space for cooking demos, or a personal trainer would need an open area with high ceilings for fitness equipment and freedom of movement. Think about what you need to do, how you need to do it, and if anyone needs to do it with you. Let these inform the type of space you need.

Now that we’ve discussed some suggestions to help you be more productive, positive, practical and creative when working from home, let’s get to it!