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:

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.
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!
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.
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.
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.

mariann.yip@gmail.com

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View Comments

Bernice says:

June 15, 2017 at 19:29

I love this dress and how it reflects your driven personality! I definitely agree with your tips. Waking up early is essential as we are all given the same 24 hours and what we do with it is a reflection of our work ethic xx

https://www.bunnybernice.com/single-post/2017/06/15/Summer-Favourites-Leibish-Co-Coloured-Diamonds-and-Inglot-Pigmented-Eyeshadow
- mariann.yip@gmail.com says:
  
  June 16, 2017 at 14:53
  
  Thank you for commenting on my driven personality. I owe it to NYC because everyone is a hustler here :)
Kate Tik says:

June 15, 2017 at 21:39

These tips are all so helpful and I will definitely keep them in mind. As a full time blogger it can be hard at times to fully switch off, but I now realize the importance of it. Thanks for sharing.

katetik.com
- mariann.yip@gmail.com says:
  
  June 16, 2017 at 14:52
  
  So glad these were helpful!I always come back to these tips when I feel like I'm getting off track or distracted.
Gracie says:

June 16, 2017 at 00:44

Mariann I love some of your advice. I just graduated from HS and heading to college in August. I already do some of your suggestions and found it very informative for when I dig in more full time. Thanks for this post.

Xxgracie

snappedbygracie.com
- mariann.yip@gmail.com says:
  
  June 16, 2017 at 14:51
  
  I can't believe how young you are! I'm so glad you found these tips helpful because I think they will help you in college since it comes down to discipline when getting your work done!
Jo says:

June 16, 2017 at 03:24

Great tips on staying on track and being more productive! That dress looks amazing on you by the way. You look like a total girl boss ready to take on the world!

xo, Jo
http://www.cutandchic.com
- mariann.yip@gmail.com says:
  
  June 16, 2017 at 14:51
  
  Thank you! The dress is definitely unique and such a statement piece.
Sharon Wu says:

June 16, 2017 at 03:47

great tips babe! getting up earlier is my SECRET to getting a lot of $hit done! LOL! especially out here in the desert where it gets way too hot to do anything mid-day. getting up at 5:30 every morning gives me an early start and i can get work done comfortably. especially shoots. haha :) xo, sharon

http://www.stylelullaby.com/fitness/hiking-rimrock-trail-in-ideology/
- mariann.yip@gmail.com says:
  
  June 16, 2017 at 14:50
  
  I would love to get up really early one day to do a nice sunset shoot. It's a bit hard in the city since people are actually commuting at the crack of dawn but maybe I should look into going somewhere or taking a mini road trip to do so!
Christine Kong says:

June 16, 2017 at 04:18

I love this beautiful dress on you and the details are just stunning. The florals with the pops of blue make this dress such a statement piece. Your tips on staying more productive are so good. I try to get up a tad earlier to catch up on some emails and social media posts but it does help (as long as you sleep a little earlier too). =) I try and focus on one thing at a time and not overwhelm myself with all the list of to-do's. Do one thing and finish it and then move on. Thanks for sharing your tips babe! xoxo, Christine
http://dailykongfidence.com/
- mariann.yip@gmail.com says:
  
  June 16, 2017 at 14:49
  
  I feel like you have mastered being productive because you seem to have a great grasp of time management especially when it comes to your blog and being a mom. I definitely admire that about you :)
Stephanie says:

June 16, 2017 at 13:49

These are definitely all the tips I try to follow on a daily basis when I'm remaining productive. I love listening to podcasts while I do my hair and makeup. It pumps me up for the rest of my day. And keeping a schedule is really helpful! Love your pretty dress, girly!
- mariann.yip@gmail.com says:
  
  June 16, 2017 at 14:48
  
  Thank you darling! I have been obsessed with podcasts because you learn so much by listening to it while doing other tasks like you mentioned.
Jenn Hanft says:

June 17, 2017 at 01:20

This dress is gorgeous!!! I totally agree with these tips and I can resonate deeply with waking up early point! I find that if you wake up early you get shit done!! Another tip I can offer is lighting a candle while you're walking. The scent will help you relax and focus more!!

With love, Jenn
https://www.jubilantdose.com
- mariann.yip@gmail.com says:
  
  June 19, 2017 at 13:48
  
  I love candles but I don't light them in my room because I'm always scared of fires haha, but maybe I can look into a diffuser!
Samantha Mariko says:

June 17, 2017 at 06:02

I totally agree about getting up early, even by just an hour. I try my best to squeeze in an hour at the gym in the mornings (I'm usually way too tired at night to go to the gym anyways), and makes a huge difference :) Setting a schedule and getting away from the phone sometimes is good too :) Thanks for sharing your tips! This dress is GORGEOUS btw!
http://www.samanthamariko.com
- mariann.yip@gmail.com says:
  
  June 19, 2017 at 13:48
  
  Thank you Samantha! And yes getting up early has been my key to success. It's also rewarding to sleep in a little during the weekends :)
Candace says:

June 18, 2017 at 03:32

Today, I experienced my first challenge at being productive on my first day as a FT blogger. I slept in for the majority of the day and I cannot do that every day, haha! Another challenge of mine is that I'm an early riser and a night owl when I'm working and I need to learn that I don't have to do everything in one sitting. I need to look into these podcasts too. One of my cousins always tells me how motivating they are!

http://www.thebeautybeau.com
- mariann.yip@gmail.com says:
  
  June 19, 2017 at 13:47
  
  I can relate in terms of feeling pressured to do everything at one sitting. I am still working on it but I think it takes practice and training your mindset to prioritize the tasks that actually needs to be completed for that day.