KATHY ARCHER
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This is why pausing was good for nonprofit leaders and for me

18/10/2022

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Are you a nonprofit leader who loves learning but doesn't have much time? If so, podcasts are a great way to get snack-sized bites of wisdom during times when it's "ok" to multitask. There are many valuable podcasts for nonprofit leaders. If you have a favourite, comment below so we can all learn from each other!

Did you know that I produce a podcast? I do! However, it's been on hold for a few months, but guess what? The latest episode of the podcast is out 👏🏻

It's been seven months since I released the last podcast episode. I certainly did not expect to take that long of a pause. However:
  • It's been good!
  • And needed!
  • And I learn some lessons from the pause👇🏻

Lessons Learned:
The first lesson I learned is that things often take longer than expected. I, of course, thought it would only take a couple of months, but it did take a little bit longer 😉

There are four other lessons I take away from the extended pause that I share in this week's episode of the podcast.
🎙 To hear those four other lessons, tune in here.

Catch up on the faves
If you are new to my work or have yet to listen to other episodes, below are some that you might be interested in.

Podcast Episode Favourites

One of my favourite conversations was with Elizabeth Bishop
# 45 - How to regain your passion for your nonprofit work

One of the top listened-to episodes is
Episode # 42 - How to have brave board conversations with Heather Terrence

And another favourite of listeners is
Episode # 33 - Permission for Ambition with Anna Gordon

If you are having a crazy day, try this one:
Episode # 26 - Wellness Tips for Overloaded & Overwhelmed Women Leaders

The most listened-to series of episodes:
  • Episode # 1 - Fundamentals of Leadership
  • Episode # 2 - Managing Yours and Your Teams Workload
  • Episode # 3 - Managing Others
  • Episode # 4 - Managing yourself for increased composure

I'd also love to hear what you would like me to share in future podcast episodes. 
  • What do you want to learn more about from me? 
  • Whom do you think I should bring onto the podcast to interview? 
Comment below so I can add your ideas to my list of podcasts to produce. 

And in the meantime, happy listening!

p.s. Don't forget to share your favourite podcasts below
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4 easy steps to keep your nonprofit productive on projects over summer

14/7/2022

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Are you anxious about losing momentum over the summer on some key projects and initiatives that your team is working on? As employees move into summer mode, the ability to keep things rolling can be challenging and trying for leaders.

Fear not! Here are 5 ways to use summer to gain momentum rather than lose it.

I'm distracted before holiday time
When I am getting ready to go on vacation, the final working days are focused on tying up loose ends so that nothing unravels while I'm gone. My mind is on red flags and potential hotspots. I am not focused enough to be able to sit down and do the deep thinking that is often required on larger projects.

I'm trying to get caught up when I get back
Upon returning from vacation, the following days are dedicated to putting out any fires that arose, catching up on the office happenings and trying to clean out my inbox. Unfortunately, once again, I am not usually in the right frame of mind to be able to dig deep on a project.

The day or two before we leave on holiday and certainly the days after 
we come back are often considered write-offs for most people. Combine everyone's time off, and it seems like a lost few months.

Therefore when someone is away for a week, it feels like you've lost two weeks to focus on a project. Add to that the sunshine, ice cream cones and the kids being out of school as distractions, and it's even harder over summer to get anything done at the office. So it's easy to see how we can lose momentum in team projects as people alternate being away for summer vacation. 

A leader can choose to see summer differently
As the leader in charge, it can be disheartening for you to see a project come to a standstill. However, projects do not have to get derailed over the summer. When you step back and see the gift in this shift of office rhythm over summer, you can put it to good use!

Summer schedules can allow more focused project time
The truth is you can accomplish a lot over summer because there are fewer distractions in many ways. In summer, there are fewer people in the office, fewer meetings and generally a slower pace. Use this to your advantage to get ahead on some of the components of the project.



5 ways to use summer to gain momentum 
rather than lose it




1️⃣ First, break the project down between group
and individual tasks


A meeting between two people can be more effective than a large group meeting. 


👥 A duo can:
  • get ideas rolling
  • outline options 
  • create a starting point for the larger group to work from. 


🙋‍♀️ Individually, you can:
  • Review the material instead of waiting until the meeting and asking someone to explain it to you. 
  • Identify questions and email them to people so they can prepare their answers. 
  • Complete research
  • Prepare statistics
  •  Draft specific written portions of the work
 


2️⃣ Block off time to work on the project


Our role as leaders is often mentoring. Therefore, summer is an excellent time to show how to get things done despite the season. Typically our calendars are less scheduled in the summer. As a result, it's easy almost to get almost lazy as we go through days. 

📆 Schedule time into your calendar
When you block off a set time to work on a project in your agenda, it gives you the ability to focus during those 2 hours. 

🗣 Communicate your intentions
Tell those around you that you are unavailable and not to disrupt you. Treat the time you have identified as if it were a meeting with another person. This not only keeps others from chatting with you but adds in the layer of accountability. By clearly identifying to others that we are working on a project, you tend to feel more motivated to stay on task. After all, if you say you are working on it, you should have something to show for it after. 

🙋‍♀️ Get others to participate
Ask participants on the team also to identify a block of time or times when they are working alone on the project. Have them identify what precisely they will be doing during that time. Ensure they commit to their part by a specific date. 

✅ Keep everyone accountable
Hold each other accountable for what you say you will be working on. Set conversation times with others for the afternoon when it is easier to get derailed. Perhaps meet out at the picnic table or do a walking meeting. Getting outside will infuse creativity and innovation into your conversation and give you some time to enjoy all that summer has to offer.



3️⃣ Set realistic goals for summer



Start by looking at a calendar and people's schedules to determine how much time you have to work on the project over the summer period. 

  • Identify how many hours ⏳ you truly have to work on the project.
 
  • Consider what you can accomplish 🤔 with that amount of time
 
  • Write down your 📈 plans and targets. Be specific about:
  • The smaller project components
  • Who's responsible for which parts
  • Deadlines, due dates and targets


🖥 Put the summer plan and targets in a place everyone has access to. Having identified targets to work on keeps people motivate and on board.



4️⃣ Build in frequent review systems



Review is a critical component of goal achievement. It keeps people aware, engaged and interested. Listed below are some ways to develop a review system for your team.
  • Use online project management software such as Trello, Basecamp, Clickup or Asana to keep track of the parts of the project, persons responsible and deadlines. 
  • Use a Google or Microsoft document that all team members have access to, allowing you to keep track of what parts have been completed and what needs reviewing. 
  • Have weekly 10-minute conference calls for whoever is in attendance to update what is happening. Have them recorded so others can listen to them when they return from holidays to keep up to date. The key is these review sessions need to be very short and entirely on task. 


Get excited and lead your team to a productive summer
Please don't throw up your hands now and say it's useless to get anything done this summer. Instead, give yourself a knowing smile as you:
  1. Set the intention that you will get more done this summer.
  2. Get clear on what you are doing to do, when and who's responsible.
  3. Choose to lead productively through summer rather than give up.
  4. Make sure you and your team set a date for celebration to acknowledge the focused concentration over the summer!

What will you do to keep the momentum going in your summer project? Hit reply and let me know!


Is it time for you to work on you?
Is summer a time when you want to recommit to your learning journey, set your personal and professional goals, and get started on the next steps? You may be interested in this series of training in my membership site The Training Library 
  • COURSE: My Training and Growth Annual Analysis: 
  • WEBINAR: Create Your Quarterly Goal Setting & Planning Strategy
  • WEBINAR: Develop your personalized curriculum for Leadership Development
  • WEBINAR: Quarterly Review
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How to stop trying to do it all and START focusing on priorities

13/7/2018

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Do you find that most days you feel as though time is slipping away and you aren't getting done the projects you know are priorities? I am not talking about the emergencies that pop up. I'm talking about the things you really know you need to get at!
​
What often gets in the way of those priority but not crisis projects is when we try to do it all. 

In this training session, you’ll learn 3 shifts that you can make to stop trying to do it all and start focusing on priorities.
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Watch this session on YouTube here

LINKS from today's session
  • Join the CONFIDENT WOMEN LEADERS COMMUNITY here:
  • My top 7 Productivity Books GUIDE SHEET
  • Productivity Tips and Resources
  • Create your plan to get out of Survival Mode
​
Find MY BOOK - Mastering Confidence: Discover your leadership potential by awakening your inner guidance system
  • On AMAZON → http://amzn.to/2EuMmht
  • Get my book FREE on Audible → https://bit.ly/2wOoSEJ​
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3 Productivity Hacks Guaranteed to Boost Your Mood

28/6/2016

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I don’t know about you, but when I am less than productive, I am grouchy!

I get irritable when I get behind. Interruptions annoy the crap out of me. Not only do I get short with others, but I also beat myself up.
  • Another lost day Kathy!!!
  • You didn’t get to that again?
  • What is wrong with you?
  • Seriously Kathy! Is it that hard to stay focused? 

At times, it is in fact, very hard to stay focused! But it doesn't always have to be.
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Unproductive days = Bad mood
You too likely feel this level of irritation on less than productive days. You also know the consequence of how an unproductive day can spill into your evening. Being terse with your staff is certainly not optimal, but a cutting remark with your child can leave you feeling inept in the parenting department. Adding to the guilty parent syndrome is insomnia.  As you lay there ruminating through your list of undone tasks, the cycle begins again. The pressure increases the next day, to more, in less time.

Turn that frown upside down
This all too familiar cycle was the norm for me for years. The more determined I got in the last few years to meaningful work, the more necessary it became to be productive. Changing a few things has made an incredible difference for me. I still have less productive times, but they are fewer and farther between. I end most weeks ticking everything off of my weekly list.
​Planning + Prioritizing + Hacks = Productivity
The last couple of weeks I walked you through my method of weekly planning and prioritizing. This week, I’m giving you 3 productivity hacks that will help you take that weekly and daily to-do list and get them done. The result, you can shut off at the end of the day knowing you completed what you needed to. Being productive at work frees up your mind and your energy to shift into the rest of your life. Feeling upbeat when you come home at the end of your workday results in a much more enjoyable evening with your loved ones!
 ​The 3 Productivity Hacks Guaranteed to Boost Your Mood

1. Batch Similar Tasks
Batching refers to doing the same things at the same time. It also relates to completing similar types of activities back-to-back. 

You likely already know that multitasking is ineffective. That is because your brain can only do one thing, at a time. Multitasking is when you are trying to switch from one to another. The problem is, it takes your brain a bit to catch up. 

Remember Newton’s law: An object in motion stays in motion? The same happens with your brain. When you are focused on performance reviews and then switch to opening up an Excel spreadsheet with budgets on it, your brain is still moving in the direction of staff growth and development. It takes effort to stop that train of thought and switch to thinking about numbers. Don't work your brain so hard. Batch similar items together, so your brain is going in the same direction.

Another benefit of batching is reduced preparation and cleanup. If I am working on one project, I have files out, and binders flagged, There are a multitude of windows open on my computer. I won’t lie to you; it’s a mess. To shift to a different project, I either have to spend time cleaning it all up (only to pull it all out again tomorrow) or open folders, books, and tabs on top of the current mayhem. Starting something new before finishing the old adds to the clutter. Both of these options make a messier workspace. They also take up more time. Batching items together cuts down preparation time and minimizes clutter.

When you are working on a project, stick to it. Batch projects together to keep the brain focused, save time, and eliminate clutter. Here are some examples:
  • Return several phone calls one after the other. When you hang up the phone, jot down a couple of notes, about what needs to be completed as a result of that call. Then make the next call. When you finish 3 or 4 calls, go back to your jotted notes. Do the follow up on them such as entering appointments into your schedule, adding items to your to-do list or following up with an email all at once. 
  • Schedule all of your supervision meetings with within the same day or two. Develop a routine of prep, conversation and follow up, so it flows from one meeting to the next.
  • Set aside the chunks of time to do your monthly budgeting so that you can get it all done at once sitting or one or two days without having to switch projects.
  • When you’re working on compiling statistics, schedule that over the same period. Perhaps that’s over the course of the day or over to three days. Binders, spreadsheets, and stay concentrated on that task,
  • Schedule meetings on the same day. If you’re already out of the office, consider what else needs to get done on that day? Tend to all of your out of the office activities such as errands when you are already travelling.
​2. Make the best use of your productive times

First, figure out when your most productive times are
  • When is your energy highest?
  • When are you best able to focus? 
  • What time of day are you least likely to get interruptions? 
  • When do you have the most willpower to fend off distractions?
For most of us, this is in the morning. It may that 30 minutes before everyone else shows up. It could also be the hour after everyone comes in and then disperses. 9:30 – 10:30 am could be a golden hour for you. 

Second, know the tasks necessitating your peak focus
Typically, just like in school, the things that require that level of diligence are reading, writing and arithmetic. If you need to read over and digest a report, you’ll need high focus. Composing a letter, a review or proposal are duties that demand attentiveness. It goes without saying that for most of us, spreadsheets call forth a need for concentrated attention as well.

Finally, use your time wisely
Schedule the activities requiring intense concentration into the times that you are best able to focus. I think I say this in every blog post….don’t do email first thing! Save email as a before lunch activity when you are already a bit fried. Do your reading, writing, and arithmetic when you need peak energy, focus, and willpower.
​3. Minimize and eliminate interruptions
Create your environment, so you are least likely to be interrupted
  • Turn your phone off. Put do not disturb on. Leave your phone on the other side of the room or in a different room.
  • Shut the door. Put a note on the door; “Do Not Disturb.”
  • Put headphones on
  • Close all other programs and windows on your computer.
  • Tidy your desk closing files, books, etc.

Set your boundaries
Get clear that you’re unavailable and for how long. 
  • I’m going to set aside 9 – 10 am each morning for focus time
Communicate that to those around you
  • Correspond via an email to key staff or explain your intentions at a team meeting.  
  • Ask for their assistance. Not only can they ward off anyone headed in your direction, but also they can be available for emergencies. 
Return the favour for them when they need productive times. 

Reinforce your boundaries
Practice what you’ll say to people when they interrupt you. 
“I will time at 10:00 am. Right now I am focusing on these reports needing to be completed. If it’s important before then, Crystal can help you out.”

Be strict ---> with yourself
You are your own worst enemy. Your lack of focus comes more often from inside than outside. Focus requires an incredible amount of willpower. Read these blogs to discover more about staying focused.
Productivity results in elevated mood
If you don't want to find yourself with lingering grouchiness as you walk into your home, get productive. Follow the plan and prioritize method I've shared. Then add these hacks to your week. You'll find yourself not only more productive but much happier too!
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The 20-minute weekly planning habit

17/6/2016

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​Do you find each week you intend to get a lot done, but mournfully realize that when Friday hits you’ve barely touched your own to do list? Instead, you accomplished a lot of things that other people added to your to-do list. In the process of reacting to everyone else’s demands you didn’t get the assignments done, you wanted to. Miserably, you note that some of the unfinished items on your list were crucial tasks to move important projects forward that were truly important to you and your team. 

Trust me, you are not the only one who feels like this at the end of your week. 
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Too much reacting rather than responding
​Leaders spend more time acting on requests from others than completing their own priority tasks. The sense of urgency to solve everyone else's problems leaves a manager feeling as though they spend their days chasing fires and never getting anywhere. If you want to get off that hamster wheel and do more of your essential work, then you will need to be more intentional about what you are doing with your time rather than reactionary.

Critical to begin with planning
It is critical that you start each week by planning your week. Before you get caught up in chasing everybody else’s plans and agenda for you, you must reorient yourself to what are priorities for you. By setting aside time each week to lay out what you want your week to look like, you will have better control of what actually happens.  

​Get your head out of the sand
Weekly planning sessions allow you to pull your head out of the sand. While it is important to put your head down and get work done at times, a leader's critical function is to lift their head (and their organization’s head) up and get a bigger picture view repeatedly. Weekly planning time is this head up, expansive view of the bigger picture. This time allows the leader to put things into perspective for them and their organization. 
​Refocus
Weekly planning allows you to get projects, plans, and tasks into focus again. From this outlook, you can choose how to respond to your week rather than frantically reacting to whatever shows up in your inbox, at your door or on your desk. Creating a habit of weekly planning puts you back in control and moving forward, rather than running around and around.
​3 Steps to creating a weekly planning habit  

1) Schedule a weekly time slot into your agenda
First set aside time each week to do your planning. Schedule it into your agenda and stick to it. Depending on your level of responsibilities and your style, you will need 20 minutes to an hour. 
  • ​Find a time that works best for you. 
    • Some people prefer Sunday evenings others Monday mornings. Others will end their week setting up the upcoming week doing it last thing on Friday.
  • Set clear boundaries
    • Be fairly rigid with those around you that that is your time to plan. Even more importanly, gets strict with yourself. This is planning time and planning time only!
      • DO NOT let anyone or anything interrupt this time
      • Do NOT book anything else in that slot. 
2) ​Develop a list of action items for the week
A) Review annual goals
  • What is your program or company working on for the year?
  • What personal goals have you set for yourself as a leader?
Identify which tasks you might have to tackle this week that will move those goals forward.
Example:
  1. Your company is looking at reducing short-term disability, Perhaps you need to schedule a meeting with the working group for the short term disability strategy
  2. You are working on your conflict resolution skills. You may also have a chapter to read in a book you purchased on conflict.
Write those down as action items.
B) Review quarterly projects
Next look at the quarterly projects you have on the go where are you at with each of those? What needs to be done to move the project forward? Again add items to your to-do list.
  • If you are in the middle of planning your annual staff retreat you might have to research venues.
C) ​Review last week’s agenda
Look at the previous week’s agenda and identify items needing to be carried forward into this week.
  • Maybe you had a meeting with someone and were going to connect them to another person. Note the need to send a connecting email to the two on your to-do list. 
​D) Review your upcoming appointments
Finally look at the upcoming week. Review your agenda meetings that are coming up and conversations that need to happen. Once again continue adding to your to-do list.
  • If you have a staff meeting on Thursday, you may need to compile the agenda to send out to the attendees. 
Dealing with the big list of items
You should now have a list of things you want to tackle in the upcoming week. For some of you, this might feel a bit overwhelming. For others, it might be refreshing. One way to look at it is that you now have everything out of your brain and in one place. There will be less of a chance of forgetting things or having things lost in the shuffle. 

Dumping everything onto this list, from this big picture perspective is in itself, helpful. It creates a roadmap for your week. This plan also you to set boundaries with others when they are trying to take your time. You can align their request up, with what remains on your to-do list for the week. From there that you can make an informed choice rather of what to do than react to what’s thrown at you.


3) Creating your plan
From this list of action items, create your plan for the week.
  • Prioritize which things need to be completed first. I will provide more details on how to do this step in next week's blog.
  • Delegate certain items.
  • Group tasks together that you can get done in one sitting.
  • Notice which items you aren’t as important in the bigger scheme of things. They may get moved down to the bottom of the list only completing them if you have time.   
Make weekly planning your priority
Setting aside time to plan your week puts you on track to having a more productive week. Choose when you want to do this, then schedule planning time weekly into your agenda. During the identified time review your annual goals, quarterly projects, the previous week appointments and upcoming week’s schedule. From this analysis create a list of tasks you want to accomplish. Stay tuned next week, for how to then,  prioritize that list. 
QUESTION: While this all sounds great, I'd love to hear your objections to doing this each week. What might get in the way? How would you work around that? Make a comment below.

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Motivate You & Your Team

1/6/2016

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If you are struggling to get moving on a project or finding a lack of motivation in your team, you need to figure your the “why” behind the task. You need to discover your motive.
 
A motive is something that causes a person to act such as:
  • Fear
  • Money or
  • A swift kick in the butt
 
At work, those truly aren’t the best motives. Even money doesn’t work to encourage people.
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​What does work to get motivation?
Getting connected to why you need to do what you need to do is the strongest motivator there is. If we can’t understand the importance of what we are doing, connected to the bigger picture, there is nothing to pull us forward.
 
Many of you have heard the following parable. I think it’s worth repeating here:
A man came upon a construction site where three people were working. 
  • He asked the first, “What are you doing?” and the man replied: “I am laying bricks.”
  • He asked the second, “What are you doing?” and the man replied: “I am building a wall.”
  • As he approached the third, he heard him humming a tune as he worked, and asked, “What are you doing?” The man stood, looked up at the sky, and smiled, “I am building a cathedral!”
​What is your team's cathedral vision?
We need to connect the brick we are each laying at this moment to the cathedral we are building together. You need to do this for yourself and your team. They need to understand why they are doing the task in front of them. People want to know they are part of something bigger. They want to know their part matters to that larger vision.
 
Dig for your "Why" by writing
The way to connect everyone to that larger vision is to spend time excavating the “why.” Set aside 5 minutes to ponder the questions listed below. Write your answers. Yes, write them down. The act of writing will completely transform this exercise from a waste of time to saving incredible amounts of time. If you don’t believe me, I dare you to try it. Then, tell me below if I was right or wrong.
The questions to ponder
When you are struggling with a lack of motivation, write down the answer the following questions:
  • Why bother doing this?
  • What is important about this?
  • Why does it matter that we get this done now?
  • What is the change that will happen if we do this?
  • How is this project connected to what our team loves to do?
  • What is the incentive behind this?
  • If we do this, what happens next?
  • How does completing this project move us forward?
  • What is the driving force behind this initiative?
I swear if you take 5 minutes to write down the answers to these questions you will save yourself and your team hours of frustration. If you take 15 minutes to do this exercise with your team, look out! You’ll be in for some incredible insights.
 
Motivate by finding your "why"
When you are struggling with motivation, connect to the reason you are trying to do the work in front of you. What is the desire, urge, or inspiration to do the task? Why bother? Take time to write down answers to questions that help you to open up your thinking. Save yourself time and frustration by investing in connecting to your motive. You’ll spark that motivation in both you and your team.

Question:
When you actually wrote down the answers, what did you discover?
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Getting 'er Done (BIG Project Tips)

20/5/2016

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​Distractions and disruptions can mean disaster for big projects! 

Don’t let that happen to you. If you focus on the following three tips, you’ll find you can ditch distractions, diminish the disruptions and delight in what you can accomplish.
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I was afraid I wouldn't get it done
​I am working on finishing up my first book. I wrote it in between traveling, speaking, coaching, and teaching as well as my day-to-day tasks of running my business. The fear that I was going to be able to pull it off with such a full schedule prompted me to develop a completion strategy. 

To finish the book amidst potential derailment from everything else going on, I needed to be focused. That meant I had to hone in on the productivity strategies I teach. The book I am writing means too much to me, I could not let it linger on forever. I knew it was time to practice what I preach.
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To Do Lists Don't Work
I wish I had known more about this kind of productivity when I was in management. Back then trying to get through proposal writing, preparing for accredited reviews, completing a performance appraisal, or trying in vain to get through an overhaul of our orientation manual meant putting it on my to-do list. The problem was, just because it was on the top of my list didn't mean it was first to get done. My list didn’t help me stay focused. When someone else thought his or her demand of my time was more important, I tended to react to their petition. (read more about ditching ginormous to-do lists)

3 Tips to help complete BIG projects
If you have experienced similar challenges, here are some productivity hacks that will help you out immensely. 
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​1)    Set aside large chunks of time
Minimally you need to set aside one-hour blocks of time to work on projects. Preferably it should be 2 - 3 hours at a time. It is even better if you can set aside the whole day or two.  Block off the blocks of time in your agenda 

Schedule in the blocks as if they were an appointment. Commit to it just like you would commit to a meeting with a person.

Your brain needs time connect to the work and to sink into it. That takes longer periods of time than we usually give our minds. Deep work requires you to let go of everything else that you’ve been working on and shift your focus solely onto this task. 

When you want to do deep work, you are looking to get into the flow state.  Some people call “in the zone.” When you are in that place, you don’t notice time passing. When you shift to this state, you can be more creative. You have time to let thoughts flow, wander and generate.

2)    Eliminate distractions
Communicate clearly to everyone what you are doing. "I am shutting my door and going to work for 2 hours on this project." Emphasize, “Do not interrupt me!” Repeat your message again and again. Set the boundaries. When someone knocks on your door and asks if they can just ask you a quick question, stick to your guns. “I’ll be done at 11:30 and will be able to answer your question then. If you need assistance before then, please check with Jen.” Be firm. 

The truth is, it is easier to be firm with other people. It’s you that is your biggest enemy. You’re the one who’s the people pleaser. You’re the one who feels guilty if you don’t respond to someone’s request. You will have to work hard to strengthen your willpower and stay focused.  

Your biggest distraction will be your cell phone. Shut it off. Leave it on the other side of the room, or put it outside of your office. Do not having your phone sitting beside you. When your phone is within hands reach, you will automatically check it and get derailed. Commit instead, to checking it at regular intervals such as at the top of every hour or only mid-day and towards the end of the day. 

3)    Master the fundamentals 
There are three basics needs you must take into account when you’re trying to be extremely productive: Eat healthy, move often, sleep well.  

Eat healthy
I don’t need to tell you what eating healthy mean. I will inform you, however, that you should increase your intake of protein. Few people are eating enough protein daily. Protein is brainpower. It fuels your brain and strengthens your willpower. You will need it to get through the big projects.

Move often
Do not sit at your desk for 8 hours straight.  Get up and move your body every 20 minutes. Stretch often. Go for short walks.  Regular movement keeps your body from tightening up. The action also helps to keep the creative juices flowing.

Sleep well
It is critical that you get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night at of the best of times. Sleep is even more important when you’re trying to be productive. During the last hour of your day wind down without screens.  That means no computer, phone or TV. Go to bed early. Waking after a solid sleep gives you a fresh start to being productive.
Blocking off large chunks of time and communicating to your team what you are doing is the first component to completing big projects. Don't stop there, though. Stay focused on the project by eliminating the distractions. Remember, you are your worst enemy. Keep the phone and the guilt as far away from you as possible. Eat healthy, move your body and get a good nights sleep. Mastering the basics gives you the edge you need to dig deep and get er' done.

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Kathy is a leadership coach for women who want to strengthen their leadership and find balance in life. She mentors females as they rediscover their purpose, passion and persistence for life while dealing with office politics, jerk bosses and the challenges of family life. In her signature program Women with Grit: Leading with Courage & Confidence, Kathy gives her ladies the hope and inspiration they need along with a kick in the pants to make positive change in their lives. ​​​
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    Kathy Archer

    Women leaders often hit a point where they find themselves in over their heads and wondering if they have what it takes to lead.
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    ​In my online courses and coaching I teach them inner and outer tools to restore their lost confidence so they can move from surviving to thriving in both leadership and life.

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