5 Tricks To Adulting Better In 2018
Adulting is a b*tch. I know it and you know it. I wake my tiny tush up around 7:30a which is already 45 minutes past the time I set my alarm. I throw my hair into a shower cap (because I refuse to waste time washing it again this week), hop into the shower reluctantly and jump out in under 15 minutes.After waiting for the elevator about 10 minutes, squeezing in with a bunch of suits, I hold the dog, her poo bag and leash and jet out the back doors to take Lyrics (my pooch) out. Thank goodness it’s starting to warm up here in NYC because if I had to wear my puffer jacket in these tiny elevators stuffed full of the suits one more day… someone was going to lose a limb!
If you’re not catching my drift, it’s simple. I’m a procrastinator at heart, but I work best under pressure! I need all the apps, tools and short cuts available to keep my life productive and on track!
If I’m being totally honest, I throw on a podcast or listen to music on my way to work every morning. While navigating the cross walks of New York City and trying not to get hit by the yellow cabs, I am simultaneously pre-ordering my Starbucks vanilla blonde latte to-go from my app. Life has become all about efficiency and hustle. I can barely wash my hair 3 days a week and find a clean dress in the mornings let alone have perfectly curled hair, meal prep, workout at 5a and make hot yoga 6 time per week. To the ladies that manage it all – bless you, but for me, there isn’t enough coffee in the world that can turn me into June Cleaver. (If you don’t know who June is… well, then that’s another post topic entirely!)
Here is what I have learned. I’m not perfect (you should see my laundry right now). I most certainly don’t have life figured out (I just discovered tide pods a few weeks ago) and I’ve learned I love wine (still). I’ve come to understand that I do best with less. A smaller focus yields a better result and being effective means being selective.
Therefore, I wanted to share 5 tips to boost your productivity (as it has mine)
5 Tips To Boost Your Productivity
- Podcasts: Do you know that we spend about 6 weeks per year in the car (or train) driving to work? Did you know most of us listen to the same radio stations during that time? Make a change; there are a multitude of mini podcasts available that cover literally any topic you can imagine. The one that I really enjoy listening to when I have a short commute is Smart Passive Income. It’s an awesome podcast discussing entrepreneurial ideas and has fabulous resources. Fill up that time with something productive. This podcasts is full of interesting business concepts and are sometimes even funny!
- Evernote App: This is an incredible app that I’ve only recently discovered! Now, I use the app for almost everything! It is capable of saving audio and text notes, setting reminders, uploading attachments, and organizing photos and more. It also allows you to sync it across multiple devices. In addition, you can also find articles or clip items from the web and store them for the future. It saves time and resources.
- StayFocused: StayFocused is an unpaid extension for Chrome that will limit the amount of time that you can spend on websites that are deemed as time wasters, like Facebook. The tool can be customized to fit whatever you need. You are able to choose which websites to block, pick specific pages to be blocked, and how long to block them for. This is especially great when you tend to get side-tracked and before you know it you it the whole day is gone! I do this way more than I can care to admit with Instagram and Facebook. It’s just so easy to go down the rabbit hole seeing everyone’s lives (fascinating or making questionable life choices).
- IFTTT, standing for If This Then That, lets you craft “recipes” that allow for various apps and services to connect and work together. So for instance, you can say If (it is going to rain tomorrow) then (email myself a reminder to grab an umbrella). The recipe does endless combinations and really is a cool productivity app.
- Do Not Disturb Time: I have kept a journal since I was a little kid. We’re talking like 5 years old. I write in my journal pretty regularly. It has everything in there from positive memories to sad times, confused teenage years to goals/dreams. It’s an outlet I utilize because it makes me feel good. For some, it could be cooking or yoga or maybe even painting your nails. Whatever it is that constitutes you’re own personal do not disturb time, use it! If not daily or weekly, at least monthly. If you have something that makes you just simply feel good, that in and of itself will make you more productive.
Photos by: HBJ Photography
Whatever apps, tools or life hacks you might know about – do share! How ever many cool gadgets you use, simplify them so you can become the very best version of yourself…. the effective, tide pod loving, June Cleaver version of yourself. 😉
until next month, gals!
XX,
Chelsey