If staying on task, completing your checklist, or managing your time between clients is a struggle for you, don’t worry. You are far from alone! Many people find their days at work bombarded with emails, meetings, and additional tasks leading them astray from the task at hand.

Distractions are unavoidable. Ultimately, finding what works best for you in managing these is the key to consistency. But in case you are out of ideas or want to try something new, we rounded up some of the best ways to stay on track and make your work days more productive.  Take a look and see if there are some you haven’t tried yet1

Unplug to Plug-In

Try unplugging from social media and phone notifications for certain periods of time while at work. Often times, we can limit our distractions and temptations to pick up our phone, re-check social media, or get lost in hundreds of updated facebook posts. Although we think we are capable of checking one our email or social media quickly, often times we catch ourselves sucked in and wasting way more time than originally planned.

Statistics show people in today’s world spend upwards of five hours a day on their phones which is double the amount most think they spend staring at their device. Five hours that could be spent completing a task on your checklist or finishing a project early. Either way, unplugging is key to minimizing the distractions when you try to become consistently more productive.

Separate Your Tasks

By separating related tasks into certain time slots, your day will feel much less scattered and will result in accomplishing more in your day. If you need to check back in with clients and also send out a newsletter to your email list, do both back-to-back. Since you are already working on emails and the task at hand is still fresh, it will be easier to move on to.

Constantly changing direction and switching back and forth between unrelated tasks not only wastes time but it also clouds your brain with stress. Stick to related tasks and once they are complete, mark them off and move to the next to-do.

Write Down Your Goals

In order to keep yourself motivated write down short-term and long-term goals to hold yourself accountable and to remind yourself daily to be as productive as possible to reach those goals. For example, as a real estate professional your goals could be something along the lines of connecting with 5 new people in the industry per week and reaching out to 10 potential or former clients per month. These goals are realistic deadlines that can be met successfully and will help keep you career-focused and motivated to succeed at your tasks.

As humans, we are usually results driven in our approach. Once you see yourself reaching goals and your hard work paying off it will only encourage you to continue.

Track Your Time

On average, research shows only around 17% of people are able to accurately estimate the amount of time it takes to complete a task. We all get in the habit of thinking we have more time than we do in a day but then spend longer than anticipated completing one item on our checklist and soon enough it is bedtime and we only accomplish one thing out of our list of ten things to do that day. No worries, you are not alone in this.

In order to help manage your time, set aside blocks of time to work on specific tasks. Set your timer or download an app such as Rescue Time to help keep you on schedule throughout the day.

Work for Objectives

While scheduling is important to help you distribute your time wisely throughout the day, setting daily objectives is also a great way to track your productivity for the day. If your objective for the day is to make 10 calls to prospective clients you are likely to complete the task based on the fact that you assigned yourself a specific number.

By organizing your to-do list by small individual tasks with achievable and realistic quotas, your day will seem less daunting.

Creating a Morning Routine

Successful luxury real estate professionals have a solid morning routine to put them in a positive headspace for the day. Because agents are consistently on the go investing so much energy into clients and growing their network, they can often forget to take time to be still and plan, strategize, and meditate on their successes, failures, and what next steps to take.

Take time in the morning while enjoying coffee to listen to a related podcast or to even write a list of motivations for the day. It will help mentally prepare you for the day so you can use your energy wisely for your clients.

Prioritize

Along with setting goals and objections and being more time sensitive, ultimately a luxury real estate professional thrives and succeeds when their clients are well communicated to and are taken care of. Prioritize your daily tasks by becoming aware of who really needs your attention first and tackling that situation head on. It’s normal to lose steam by the end of the day, so be sure to hit the ground running early in the day and reach out to those almost closed deals or reignite the flame on a high-investment property.

Whatever may be on the agenda for the day, remember that your job cannot succeed without your clients, so catering to them should always be a top priority in each day.

Find Your Inspiration

Uninspired people rarely succeed. Take time in your day to refocus on your career. Podcasts or informative videos/talks are great ways to not only regain inspiration but to also learn something new at the same time. Find successful industry professionals and look at their social media, read their blog, or listen to their interviews to help motivate you to get back on track and keep pushing forward. Sometimes inspiration can even come from a hike outdoors or spending time with family. Do what fuels your spirit and if you don’t know what that is, then take time to figure that out!

Quit Multitasking

While many think they are accomplishing more by doing multiple tasks at once, chances are, you are slowing yourself down and not giving each task the full attention it deserves. As a real estate professional, much of your time is spent communicating with clients, partners, or potential buyers and sellers. Be sure to give each client, meeting, or phone call your full attention. Not only will it make your day less scattered, it will also result in more success as you are exerting all of your energy into one objective.

As mentioned above, prioritizing and combining related tasks can help keep your mind from wandering and stopping and starting too many things at once.

Take a Break

Don’t be afraid to grab a breather. Maybe you need a fresh cup of coffee or a walk around the office or some fresh air on your lunch break to get the blood flowing. Be sure to take time away from phone calls and staring at your computer screen. Short breaks throughout the day can increase focus and productivity and is a great way to re-energize as you start to feel a bit sluggish late in the day.

Productivity and motivation differs from person to person but these tips are everyday tips that are useful in any career or industry. Test which tips work best for you implementing them into your daily routine for a more productive and inspired day.