Do you want to know my daily productivity hacks for entrepreneurs selling online? I’ve been in the online space for over ten years. My 7-figure eCommerce stores are on a platform called Zazzle. No matter which eCommerce platform you use, you probably would love to know effective productivity hacks to help you grow your online business. Over the years, I have perfected what works for me in my daily routine. I use 10 productivity hacks that have been the key to my success. These productivity hacks help me get the important things done as an entrepreneur while avoiding overwhelm and burnout.
Productivity Hacks for Entrepreneurs with an eCommerce Store
Are you an online entrepreneur like me? Do you earn your living from an eCommerce store using your computer, working from home? Are there loved ones you take care of while you are at home? Maybe your online business is your side hustle while you work at your “real” job. Either way, it can be tough to get the time to work effectively online on your eCommerce business.
The distractions at home can make a day go by super quickly without leaving time for your business. That is why, when you do have time you want to be as productive as possible. In this article, I am sharing with you the daily productivity hacks that have helped me run my multi-million dollar eCommerce company effectively for the past 7 years without overwhelm or burnout.
Daily Productivity Hacks for Online Entrepreneurs
This article is Part 4 in the 5-part series on goal setting and goal planning. You can plan and goal set as much as you want, but if you can not carry out your plans and do the work, then you will not achieve your goals. That is why this is such an important article.
Here is my list of productivity hacks that I use. Below the list, you will find descriptions and helpful hints for each productivity hack.
Daily Productivity Hacks for Entrepreneurs Selling Online
- Start with gratitude
- Set your “BIG 3”
- “Eat the frog” for important stuff
- “Pomodoro it” for the must-do tasks
- Feed your mind
- Honor your body
- Double up on tasks
- Work hard, play hard
- End with 3 gratitudes
- Keep a bedside notebook
1. Start with Gratitude
Start each day by taking time to be grateful. This exercise helps focus you on what you already have rather than what you still need to do and what you are missing. As soon as you wake up, start listing what you are grateful for. Keep listing things off while you shower and get ready. By the time you are ready to start your day, you will be feeling incredible.
Doing your gratitude first thing in the morning improves your outlook and creates a positive mindset that you carry with you throughout the day. You will now tackle your day with excitement and anticipation.
Simply say “I am grateful for……, because ……” filling in the blanks. You can be grateful for your health, your relationships with family and friends, the internet and the eCommerce site you make money on, your computer, and your internet connection. It can be as detailed or as general as you wish, as long as you also say why. For example; “I am grateful for my internet connection and Zazzle because I can work from home and make money doing what I love”
Say your gratitude every morning for a week and notice how you feel. You may find it relaxing compared to how you used to feel as you started your day.
2. Set your “BIG 3”
Before I used the “BIG 3” productivity technique, I had a huge “TO DO LIST” that I would stack into one day. I AWAYS overestimated how much I could accomplish in one day. The items kept getting moved to the next day and by the end of the week, I felt like I never got the important things done.
Now I assess which are the “BIG 3” of my tasks that need to be done each day. The “BIG 3” are the 3 action items that will have the biggest impact on growing my business kid I get them accomplished. They may also be the ones that need to be done that day without exception. For each day of the week, I list only the “BIG 3” items per day on my “TO DO LIST”. I focus on these “BIG 3” items each day first. If I get them done I can tackle more. But now, if more things come up, I don’t feel overwhelmed because I have already completed my “BIG 3”.
Do you feel overwhelmed with your big “TO DO LIST”? Would this “BIG 3” technique help you get things done and not feel like you were always behind?
3. Eat the frog for the important stuff
Do you notice there are important things on your “TO DO LIST”, that you keep putting off? You know they would really help your business, but they seem harder to do or will take longer than you have time for. More than likely you could do them if you just said “Today is the day!” The “Eat the Frog” productivity technique can help you get these important tasks completed.
The productivity technique is from Brian Tracy’s best-selling book, “Eat That Frog”, which teaches you to get your biggest, most important task done first in the day before all else. If you follow this approach, you will avoid procrastinating all day and avoid feeling guilty that you did not accomplish your important task.
I choose one important task a day to do first that I don’t want to do but know will make a huge difference in my business. Once you do this routinely, you will feel less anxious to do your important task first and start wanting to get it done. Why? The success you achieve makes you feel so much better than when you are in a state of guilty procrastination.
What’s the most important task that you are going to accomplish today using this technique?
4.” Pomodoro it” for the must-do tasks
The Pomodoro Technique is a simple and effective way to manage your time. Work with the time you have rather than against it. This is terrific for you as an online entrepreneur because your schedule may change during the day. But once you know you have a chunk of free time, then you can use the Pomodoro technique to make the most of it. Break the work time you have into 25-minute chunks separated by five-minute breaks. These intervals are referred to as Pomodoros.
Taking a break for 5 minutes gives you renewed energy and focus to be more productive instead of if you worked straight through the whole hour.
Try it and let me know if it works for you.
5. Feed Your Mind
As an online entrepreneur, you are the most important asset of your company. If you do not continue to improve your skills and keep up with the latest trends online, your business will suffer. Make a point of doing something every day that feeds your mind. It will help your productivity in so many ways.
When you continue to educate yourself you continue to grow. Schedule a time every day to do something to broaden your knowledge base and or skill set. Take an online course that helps you improve your business. Connect with your peers and learn about the latest developments in your field. Learn or improve your skills for sheer enjoyment so your mind gets a break from the constant stress of running your own online business.
What would be the most enjoyable activity that you would choose to do daily for 30 minutes to an hour to feed your mind?
6. Honor your body
Running your eCommerce business from home on your laptop results in many hours of inactivity, sitting in front of a computer screen. It can also get extremely busy and result in you not taking care to eat healthy meals during the day. You can keep this up for a short time, but soon you will see weight gain and feel quite sluggish. Your productivity will definitely be affected. However, the most important consequence is your personal health. Without your health, you will not be able to run your business and generate income.
Honor your body by planning 30 minutes to an hour of exercise daily and eating healthy meals. Put your time for exercise right in your calendar and stick to it. You can go for a walk, go to the gym, ride your bike, or do yoga. Exercising is beneficial not just for the health of your body but for the health of your mind. It reduces stress, gives you a chance to gain perspective, and makes you feel good because of the endorphins. Pair your exercise with a healthy eating plan and you will be taking good care of your body.
What’s your favorite way to exercise?
7. Double Up on Tasks
As you know, there are always things that need to get done but only so many hours in a day. You probably also have other responsibilities besides your online eCommerce store. Maybe you have a day job, or are looking after family or loved one, or running a household, or all of these and more. I am running 2 online businesses, taking care of my family, and running a household. What I have found helpful is to double up on tasks.
When I am going on my daily walk I am listening to a podcast to learn about online marketing. I schedule similar “BIG 3” tasks together on the same day. I “Eat the Frog” and use the Promodoro technique to keep me on time and get it done as fast as possible. This doubling-up technique of tasks and productivity hacks also works with non-business tasks. The end result is that you get 2 or more things accomplished in the same block of time.
What could you double up on in your busy life?
8. Work hard, play hard
Working hard (effectively) is important so that your business grows and continues to generate income for you. But if you don’t take a break, then you will burn out. You can take small breaks throughout the day, giving your hands and eyes a break from being on the computer. Exercise, meet up with a friend, read a book, or watch your favorite TV show. You decide. Pick something that gives you a break and recharges you so that you can come back to work refreshed and productive.
When I was in Mallorca, Spain visiting Jen, I worked in the mornings and then took the afternoons off to explore the island. On one of the days, I went out on a harbor cruise in Palma, which was amazing. The weather was perfect for checking out all the mega yachts in the Bay of Palma and enjoying the views of the cathedral and other landmarks.
You can watch the video by clicking on the link below.
Did you like the video? Do you want to experience this boat ride and have access to me for 5 days to help you grow your online eCommerce POD business? Check the next section for more information.
Whether you do a big outing like I did or meet up with a friend for a cup of coffee, both are equally good productivity hacks because they give you a break and let you recharge. Have fun with it and schedule it. Make sure you have fun playing. Life is not all about work.
What do you have planned each day of next week to give you a break?
Mallorca, Spain Retreat – work hard – play hard
Get 1 on 1 access to me for 5 days and be part of an amazing experience at my mentoring retreat in June 2019. Join me in Mallorca, Spain. We will work hard and play hard. Plus you will receive private mentoring after the retreat to make sure you continue to grow your online eCommerce business.
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Click here for more information about the June 2019 Mallorca Retreat.
9. End with 3 gratitudes
Every day before you go to bed, end your day with gratitude. These gratitudes are slightly different than the morning gratitudes. In the evening, it’s time to review your day and choose the top 3 things that happened during the day that you are grateful for.
This exercise will help you focus on the good from the day and allow you to celebrate your progress. The 3 things can be large or small accomplishments. The magnitude does not matter. What is important is recalling the events and allowing you to revel in your sense of accomplishment for some time before retiring for the night. This is a great productivity hack because it helps you define and acknowledge your successes and takes away the stress, resulting in a good night’s sleep.
10. Keep a bedside notebook
If there are lingering TO DOs on your mind at this point in the evening, clear them from your mind by writing them in a notebook that you keep by your bedside. You will be relieved because your thoughts are recorded. No need to keep your mind busy with these during the night. Instead, you will awake refreshed to start your next day fresh and prepared with all the productivity hacks for entrepreneurs you now routinely use to be amazing at your online business.
What you learned
Use these daily productivity hacks to help you be your best as a successful online entrepreneur:
- Start with gratitude
- Set your “BIG 3”
- “Eat the frog” for important stuff
- “Pomodoro it” for the must-do tasks
- Feed your mind
- Honor your body
- Double up on tasks
- Work hard, play hard
- End with gratitude
- Keep a bedside notebook
Make your dreams a reality
Next week’s article, is the final installment of this 5 part goal-setting and planning series of articles. Part 5 will give you the steps to make your dreams a reality. I can’t wait for you to come back to read the article on January 30, 2019. See you then.
About the author
Elke Clarke is the author of the upcoming book Creative Online Millionaire. She is a mentor, teacher, coach and 7-figure online entrepreneur. She is the creator of The 5 Step Profit Plan Program™, the program Elke has used to generate over 10 million in sales of Zazzle products. This is the same program that her students have used to reach and surpass their own Zazzle earnings goals. To enroll in Elke Clarke’s Zazzle program click this link.
Free Live Masterclass January 25, 2019
If you have been on Zazzle for a while and are struggling or are brand new to Zazzle and want to start out right to see results quicker, then I have fabulous free training for you.
The title is “5 Mistakes That Are Killing Your Zazzle Sales and How to Fix Them.”
Attend my free LIVE Masterclass on January 25, 2019, at 11:30 a.m. EST.
This will be the only date in January. Make sure to attend live.
Click HERE to reserve your spot.
See you there.
