Whether you work from home, work in an office, work for yourself, or for someone else, there is a tip out there that will organize, streamline, or enhance your process.

1.  Stay away from social media.  Don’t get sucked into a Twitter hole when you’re supposed to be working.  Stay off Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, all of those while you’re supposed to be working.

2.  Figure out  when you best work.  Some of us are larks and some are owls.  Forcing yourself to get up an hour earlier to get things done is useless if you’re nodding off.  Structure your day so the most important tasks get tackled when you’re at your peek.

3.  Learn how to say no.  Whether it’s an invitation, a phone call, or taking on a project when you already have too much on your plate, say no. Once you’ve finished, then you’re free to accept those things.

4.  Exercise, eat and sleep properly.  You’re brain and body can’t function if you’re poorly nourished, tired, and immobile.

5.  Get organized.  Clutter and mess are distracting.  Tidy your work area.

Our personal tips:

1.  Drink coffee.  Or your stimulant of choice.

2.  Wear headphones.  Especially if you work in a loud office, get some noise cancelling headphones to block out the distracting noise.  Music or podcast optional.

3.  Mailbox.  Manage your e-mail faster and more effectively.

4.  To do list.  It should be short but detailed with everything you need to accomplish each task to hand.

5.  Set time constraints.  Set a timer and when it goes off, you’re done.  The limited window will force you to get things done.  30/30 is an app designed for this.

6.  Rescue Time.  The Mint for your time.  See how much time you’re wasting on Reddit.

We’ll put a lot more ideas into the show notes for you.  Even using one of our tips or tools will make your day easier.

Show Notes

Wise Bread:  A great resource for personal finance information and frugal tips.

College Info Geek:  Our buddy Thomas’s guide to getting the most from your college experience.

Four Hour Work Week:  Productivity Tricks for the Neurotic, Manic Depressive, and Crazy Like Me.

Trello:  Organization for groups.

Getting Things Done:  Learn the concept of “brain dumping.”

Understanding the Value of Time:  LMM’s episode 76.

Evernote:  Lose the sticky notes with this digital app.

Lift:  The habit building app.  Learn more at Episode 66 where we interview founder Tony Stubblebine.

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