1. Use email filtering: Many emails such as Outlook, Gmail, and Yahoo have a built in filter option to filter out junk mail, promotions and any other non-actionable emails. You can also unsubscribe from emails to reduce the number of emails you receive, creating less distractions. Chances are the latest promotion for your favorite store isn’t going to move your real estate business along :)
2. What is your end goal? This is important to think about when trying to plan out your day, week, month and year. Know what you’re working towards so that you understand which tasks need to be prioritized in order to get you closer to that goal. Do you want to add 50 doors to your real estate portfolio by the end of the year? Or maybe you want to get RE Pro status? Whatever it is, write it down.
3. Be honest and realistic with yourself: Through the highs and lows, always remember what your goal is and why that goal is important. Don’t set unrealistic expectations for yourself and then beat yourself up for not reaching those goals. If you don’t own a property yet, setting a goal to have 50 doors in the next few months probably isn’t realistic. Be honest with where you are, how much time you have to dedicate, etc.It’s okay to set the bar high, but there’s a difference between high and unrealistic.
4. Have minimums and maximums when setting goals: Here are some examples - Review MLS listings (min. Of 5, max of 12), Call potential clients (min of 3, max of 10), analyze new deals (min of 1, max of 3). This helps make sure you aren't focusing all of your time on just 1 activity and are moving your business forward in many ways.
5. Organize your goals and to do lists: Know what tasks need to get done first as well as everything else on your list. Make sure if you walk away from your desk, this list is still at your fingertips. Use apps like Trello, Monday.com, Asana, Google Tasks, Outlook Planner for this.
6. Use automation whenever possible: There are so many ways to use automation these days. For example, if you’re a landlord, do you have an automated system for tenants to pay rent or submit a service request? There are both free and paid softwares that can help you automate mundane tasks and free up your time to focus on your goals and grow your business..
7. Find ways to mute distractions: Whenever you need to focus on one task, close down your email, put your phone on do not disturb, turn off notifications and set a timer for exactly how long you have to spend on the task at hand and ignore all distractions until the time is up or your task is completed.
8. Utilize time blocking: If you aren't sure how you currently spend your time or don't ever seem to have enough time in the day, try a time blocking exercise for at least 3 days where you write down everything you did throughout the day - 6:00-6:15: Ate breakfast, 6:15-6:35: reviewed MLS listings, etc. From there you can find where your wasted time is going and can start utilizing that time to work towards your goals instead.
9. Relax and recharge: This might be one of the most important tips of all. If we don’t take time to relax and recharge, we risk developing burnout. Remember that relaxing is not “wasted time”. It recharges you to help boost focus, creativity and improve your mood. Do things like take a walk, drink tea, read a book, watch an episode of your favorite show (but not the entire series), spend time outside, cook yourself a healthy meal. It looks different for everyone but is vital for each and every one of us to increase our overall productivity.

What other tips do you have to share?