3 Ways to Compartmentalize Your Life to Increase Productivity

A few weeks ago my business partner and I launched our first Crafted Connections business matchmaking event in Orlando, FL. The tasks leading up to the event required a lot of detail on our part. Creating a matchmaking experience while personalizing the communication requires creativity. This business venture is an extension of what we already do in our individual businesses. Which means, we were leveraging the time needed to ensure a successful event while managing our individual businesses along with other projects in our lives.

We have different roles to carry out with different people. Sometimes balancing everything going on in your life can be both challenging and overwhelming. Often times, entrepreneurs can feel this pressure more than others. From maintaining a happy family, building healthy relationships, volunteering in community organizations, blogging, to running a startup my life requires me to be organized. Compartmentalizing my life helps ensure I’m productive.

Here are three ways to compartmentalize your life to increase productivity.

1. Work In Context

Working on tasks as they relate to each other helps keep things running smoothly without interruption. When you work in one context at a time you avoid having to switch gears often. For example, if you are sending out an email to a client or vendor go further and send all emails you need to while in your inbox. If you need to email your friend, team, or business associate then knock them all out at that time and avoid having to go back and forth between emails all day.

The same concept applies to phone calls. If you need to call a client or respond to a voicemail, you might as well make that call to schedule your next doctor visit.  Entrepreneurs usually don’t spend a lot of time on the phone rambling, so when you need to be on the phone get all the talking done you have to. I’m an introvert, so this approach works very well for me.

You can apply this to driving as well. Optimize your location and make it work for you. For example, if you find yourself in the downtown area of your city why not run all errands or make all required stops while there. Not only are you increasing productivity, you’re saving time and gas!

2. Exert Intense Focus On 1 Project for 1 Day

This is a big one in my life. Take one day and go hard on one project. Remove and restrict all distractions for that day. Use that day to complete only tasks associated with that project. Start early and finish late. You’ll be amazed at how much work can get done when you are laser focused on one thing.

Doing this allows your mind to not work as hard when it comes to retrieving data associated with this project. The pattern of neural activity is associated with one particular event. Your short term memory is filled with information as it relates to one event and that is the one thing you are working on. You are more decisive and creative when it comes to the overall picture. Not impulsive, but all of your senses work together for optimum performance because there are no distractions.  Check out this article on the human memory. It goes into great details about memory recall.

3. Temporarily Re-Prioritize Your Roles

Now this is a tricky one. Balancing the different roles you play in life isn’t always easy. Some people won’t understand why you do what you do and at times you may not feel appreciated for it. Being a parent and spouse requires your attention and will always be a priority. When you’re a business owner the success of your organization is also a priority. At times, you’ll need to prioritize your priorities. When your sales report requires your immediate attention you may need to re-prioritize your roles and make being a business owner the main priority for more hours during that day. If you’re behind in being prepared for a big client presentation next week, then spending time with the bestie to maintain a healthy friendship may need to move to second place on the list of priorities this week.

You will always be more than one thing in your life. It’s one of the things that make everyone special in their own way. Effectively managing the roles you play in life is important when you are an entrepreneur. At times doing several things at once is mandatory. But if you’re going to do them, then it’s important to do them well or you risk the chance of having to do more of it or repeat it.