5 WAYS TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE

Outfit Details: Dress (Shein) | Shoes: | Clutch (Asia Society)

As a full time blogger and girl boss, I don’t find it hard to be productive, but I get asked quite frequently how to stay on track now that I am self employed. I am so happy to see more of my friends take the plunge and pursue their goals whether that’s in the blogging industry or elsewhere. It’s refreshing to know that we live in a self driven society, which is something that I take pride in as a millennial. Social media has grown within the last few years and I know that it will stay for a while. I decided to give you 5 tips on how to be more productive, but before I do, I wanted to share my outfit details since I know some of you may want to know more.

I am obsessed with the print, silhouette and style of this dress and I knew I had to get it simply because it’s a staple. I get invited to events all the time and although I refuse to repeat outfits, I think this dress is something I can always rely on. To pair it up, I have this Rhapsody Clutch from Singaporean designer Ling Wu’s collaboration with Onlewo.  The collection is inspired by independent women exuding beauty and inner strength, which is portrayed in the front part of the clutch. I loved the theme and message of the designs because I’d like to call myself an independent, strong woman and I try to encourage others to own those attributes. This clutch was also at the Singaporean Design Now exhibit at Asia Society. Feel free to visit it as the exhibit is still up until August and you can learn more about the Singaporean designers that are featured and also shop products like this clutch!

Now let’s dive into my 5 tips on how to stay productive:

1. Get up earlier: I know not all of us are morning birds, but I promise if you get up just an hour earlier to start your day, you’d be surprised by how much you can accomplished. I have the option to sleep in everyday and treat the weekdays like my weekends, but I decide not to because I know I need to make the mental shift between work and play. I’ve expressed this several times throughout my blog posts, but I always start the day with a morning workout because that’s just part of my lifestyle. I think it’s important to dedicate an hour of your day just for yourself and you can find clarity and balance in doing so. Try it for a week and let me know how it feels.
2. Listen to podcasts: I used to always listen to music when I was in transit but I have switched to podcasts and I feel extremely productive because I am learning something new while on the go. There is also audiobooks, which is self explanatory and I know a lot of people like to listen to that when they’re stuck in traffic. I prefer podcasts and the one that I have been loving is Lewis Howes’ The School of Greatness. Check it out on iTunes because it is extremely inspiring and motivating!
3. Set a schedule: I like setting schedules for myself because it allows me to stay on track. This is easy when I have events and meetings scheduled out because those times and days are already booked on my calendar. I like to revolve my other work around those meetings. Use each break wisely and it’s quite fun to play around with your schedule.
4. Prioritize your goals: I am the type of person that feels like I need to do everything right away and that honestly gives me anxiety. I often feel overwhelmed especially if I receive an email or have a deadline approaching because I love the feeling of checking it off my to do list. However, I’ve learned that it’s okay to put some tasks aside as long as you prioritize your goals. I recommend setting these goals at the beginning of the day so you know exactly what’s on the top of your list and what can be put for the next day.
5. Take a break from social media: This might be a given and I find this to be the biggest issue for some people especially bloggers since I know it’s part of our jobs. However, I think it’s important to schedule times to check social media and schedule times to be off of it. When I am at meetings, I like to focus on the one on one conversation. However, if I’m at at event, then I sometimes will Instagram story my experience or take photos. I think we all have good judgment in terms of when the appropriate time is to use social media. I tend to use it only when I have completed all my tasks and when I’m out and about, I usually don’t have time to be on it anyways.

If you have any other tips on how to be more productive, let me know! I am always curious to know what other people do daily to keep on track.