6 productivity essentials for every entrepreneur.

When I first started my business, I was pretty darn clueless.

I had left the predictability of a 10-year corporate career for a world that was completely foreign territory to me. Sure, I had seen what it “looked like” to be an entrepreneur; after all, I followed lots of them on Instagram. But I didn’t know what it was actually like to live it, breathe it, and be it.

And while it was certainly exciting to have the freedom to create my own schedule, to wake up a little later, and to join a community of people doing similar work, I quickly realized that stability and structure were essential to my sanity and productivity, and it was my job to create that environment for myself.

You see, I’m a creature of routine. I like to wake up with a plan because when I have a plan, I’m way more clear-headed, focused, and motivated. Lack of planning makes me feel like I’m floating in outer space. No bueno.

As I began learning this about myself, I started to seek out advice from fellow entrepreneurs, friends, and the successful people I admire. I was curious what made them all so epically productive and on point, and I found that the secret sauce to all of that is discipline.

The kind of discipline that has you more committed to your craft than the itch to check your Instagram feed, emails, and text messages.

While it’s certainly been a journey optimizing my workday, the past 3 years have allowed me to discover the apps, resources, and habits that work wonders, and I’m sharing them with you today!

1. Workspace Options. If you’ve been following along with me on Instagram, you know I’ve created a sweet work nook for myself. Being someone who works from home a lot, it’s absolutely essential to have a designated workspace. Sitting on my couch just doesn’t conjure the same energy. On days when I’m feeling a little stagnant and I’ve been in my apartment for too many days in a row, I like to grab a spot at a café or a co-working space. There is an amazing app called Croissant that allows you to spend up to 8 hours per month at various co-working spaces in New York City, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington DC. The best part? It’s only $19 per month.
2. Productivity Habits. Like I mentioned, becoming an entrepreneur who can produce great work in the most efficient amount of time possible is a MUST. And it’s something I’ve been trying to master since January. So far, I’ve found the Productivity Planner to be a major help. I’ve pulled two great tips from this book that work wonders for me. One is putting my phone on airplane mode and setting a timer for 25 minutes of focused, uninterrupted work. The other tool I use is Freedom which is an app you can put on your computer to block social media sites for a certain period of time. This one has been huge because in the moments I feel pulled to procrastinate, I remember that I can’t distract with social, and it forces me to refocus and recommit to my work. One the 25 minutes is up, I take a 5-10 minute break and then start the timer again. Game changer.
3. Task Management. To-do lists are my thing. If I don’t write something down, I usually forget about it. So on my desk, you’ll find a notebook that has everything I need to get done for the week neatly written out with check boxes and all. However, when I get really busy with a million tasks to remember, I’ve found that my written to-do list doesn’t always work. That’s why I use Asana, a project management platform, to manage various project categories like: “copywriting projects,” “photography projects,” and “emails to answer.” When there are lots of moving pieces and deadlines to keep track of, this is the best way to keep it all together without letting anything fall through the cracks.
4. Communications. When I left my full-time job, I sorely missed Microsoft Outlook. Gmail just wasn’t cutting it from an organizational perspective, so I used MacMail to aggregate all of my email accounts into one place. Since this platform has some serious bugs and limitations, I switched over to Postbox and love it. It’s much easier to keep my inbox clean and my folders organized. I really wish someone told me about this sooner! If you’re looking for a new email client, use this one.
5. Social Media Planning. While I’m all about keeping it real on Instagram, if you want to create a brand that people want to follow, the look of your feed has to be somewhat professional and consistent. Since I’m a visual person, I like planning out my posts a bit and being intentional about the kind of photo I should post next in order to keep my feed look balanced, clean, and current. I discovered a great app to help with Instagram layout and planning called Planoly. I use it to map out the visual layout for my feed, but you can also schedule posts through it as well. Definitely, check it out if you want to up your Insta game!
6. Go-To Spotify Playlists. For me, music is an instant source of inspiration, and that inspiration is always needed when you’re a writer. You see, I spend 70-80% of my time copywriting, and I find that getting started early in the morning between 8-9am is absolutely essential for me to produce my best work. Staying in that energy of creation and focus is made much easier when you have inspirational acoustics playing in the background. There’s something about it that activates my heart and allows me to channel someone’s message in the best way possible. Yep, I said channel. That’s because copywriting is a spiritual experience for me (I’ll write a post on that later!). But music gives me direct access to that part of myself, and it fuels me to finish up strong. My favorite playlists on Spotify are under the Genres & Moods section, and are called “Chill Out Brain,” “Deep Focus,” and “Acoustic Concentration.” Check them out if you need to get in the zone!

Now, I’d love to hear from you! What are your must-haves for a great workday? What keeps you staying focused, productive, and inspired? Or if you’ve been struggling, which one of the tips above are you going to give a whirl? Please share it all with me in the comments below.