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In honor of back to school (maybe it’s all of the email campaigns we’ve been writing for our clients), we’re looking at how we approach going back into work. Not that we’ve been slowing down much (or not working), but I will say that things have felt intentionally…lighter during these sun-soaked months. And with fall right around the corner, I can already feel the need/desire/expectation to goal-set, get ready and ramp things up before the end of the year. So, this fall we’re going back to work, but with a twist. Back to work…*YOUR* way. Because who says you have to do all of the things because everyone else is? We’re breaking down our favorite productivity hacks that keep the studio going like a well run newsroom.
I hope you find these productivity hacks insightful and in no way restrictive or as a “do this, not that,” approach. The biggest piece of advice when it comes to working your way is figuring out what works best for you (and your team, if applicable) and not everyone else.
Let’s begin.
1. Treat your time like it’s sacred.
You hear me right. Sacred. Time can easily get lost amongst the meetings, task lists and client asks. If there’s one thing that’s going to make you feel more productive in your business (and in your personal life), it’s being mindful of where and how you spend your time.
In terms of your business, here’s a few areas to put this productivity hack to use:
- Take note of when you’re most efficient during the day. Is it the morning? Afternoon? Acknowledge and plan your most work tasks around those productive blocks.
- Block off working hours in your calendar where you don’t take any calls or book appointments. Those time blocks are your sacred hours to spend your most productive time on specific areas of your business.
- Consider how you spend your time on the weekends just as important as how you spend your time during the weekdays. Here in the studio, we look at weekends as an opportunity to rest and recharge your way. Your time is precious on the weekends, so choose wisely! We love a good social outing just as much as the next person, but the last thing you want to do is to feel as if you’ve overcommitted to a weekend full of BBQs, brunches, and baby showers without any “you” time to reset for the Monday ahead.
For me, I know I can get lost in a copywriting project and completely lose track of time. That’s happened to me one too many times! It’s one thing when you’re in the flow and things are moving and grooving, but it’s another when you feel as if you’ve wasted time and have no finished work to account for all of those hours (or even days!) spent on that project.
If you’re thinking, “Oh yes…that has happened to me!” First of all, know that it’s ok and completely normal.
“Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” — Parkinson’s Law
It’s funny how when we give ourselves more time to complete a task, we will take up all of that time. Now, what if we gave ourselves a shorter amount of time to complete that same task?
This is the exact approach I started implementing in the day-to-day workings of my business.
I started giving myself an allotment of time to spend on a specific task. For instance, if it was time to dive into a client’s copywriting project, I’d give myself an hour to do research and to begin putting together the puzzle pieces of the first draft. If I made a lot of progress and was feeling good, I’d give myself another hour.
I found myself not only getting ahead of projects but also feeling like this productivity hack was a game changer for how I approached work.
- I no longer felt anxious or pressure as I approached a deadline because I was already way ahead on the project.
- It freed up time for me to focus on other areas of my business.
- I felt so much more laser-focused on the tasks that needed to be done and talk about rewarding to get to cross those tasks off my to-dos.
2. Dip your toe in the land of automation.
I only started implementing automation into various parts of the studio about a year ago (thanks to our Studio Manager, Lauren) and I’ll never be able to go back to the way things were before.
Seriously. This is one of my favorite productivity hacks. With the help of Lauren’s operational expertise, she was able to help me spotlight a few areas in our business that could be automated and free up more time for ourselves—all thanks to Zapier, a program that easily lets you set up automations across apps. Sure, some of these tasks may only take a few minutes, but they really add up over time, and remember my note above about time being a precious resource?
Here’s a few ways we’ve been able to use automation in the studio that have saved us so much time:
- When someone fills out our contact form, instead of me or another one of my team members writing back to them to let them know we’ll be reviewing their answers and circling back, we’ve set up an automation that immediately responds to them when they hit submit with an email template we’ve created. So instead of spending a few minutes to locate their inquiry and typing up a response, we don’t have to spend any time at all.
- When someone purchases a product from the Lāer Library, we can automatically add them to an email sequence in Flodesk. Again, time that would need to be spent snagging the email and manually inputting it into Flodesk, takes us no time at all.
- We’re able to connect Honeybook and ClickUp so when we receive a new project inquiry, we can have it create a new task in ClickUp and assign it to the appropriate team member. This has probably been one of the biggest game changers for our studio.
Ok, let’s explore the next productivity hack.
3. Let’s talk templates.
As copywriters, we’re big fans of templates. Whenever we kick off a project and get into the writing zone, the last thing we want to do is to spend sacred creative writing time on putting together the structure of a document.
Similar to keeping your time precious and setting up automations, templates play a huge role in making both of those aspects work. I started making templates way back when I was a studio team of one and I realized how long it was taking me to set up one client project. Now, creating templates doesn’t stop at our projects. Since adopting this productivity hack, I’ve been creating templates for pretty much everything.
Including…
- Client Contracts
- Questionnaires
- Emails
- Proposals
Investing in a customer relationship management program was one of the first investments I made in my business. I joined Honeybook and it’s been my trusted business partner, if you will, since the early days of the studio. I love that we can add in our brand colors and imagery so it seamlessly integrates into every aspect of our business from our website and emails, to contracts, proposals, and even scheduling. Plus, their support team feels like an extension of ours since they’re so easy to communicate with and are readily available.
This might sound funny, but whenever I’m using Honeybook, I love how it makes me feel.
Organized.
Efficient.
Productive.
It’s a good feeling as a business owner. So if you’re looking into bringing a CRM into your business, sure, I’d keep in mind what it can do for you and your business but also ask yourself how you want to feel when using it?
“For me, layouts, style and ease of use are big for me. I don’t want to be virtually living in a program that doesn’t make me feel good.”
Ok, let’s move onto the next productivity hack.
4. Say no…but, really.
When I first started my business, I was saying “yes” to a lot of things. Things I thought I would like doing, would grow my business, community or take me closer to my goals.
What I quickly found out?
Saying “yes” to everything was not the way to intentionally grow my business. I quickly dabbled in the realm of burnout (where no one likes to be) and I actually felt further away from my goals. I had sped up thinking that was the way for me to grow when what I really needed was to slow down and take stock of what I really wanted. And then (only then!), would I make a yes or no decision to do something that actually lit me up.
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying at some point,…”if it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no,”—coined by the entrepreneur and author, David Sivers.
I think this phrase can be applied to both business and life decisions, but in the realm of productivity hacks, I invite you to keep this phrase in mind when you’re confronted with a task you need to complete.
- How do you feel about managing this task or project?
- Does it light you up?
- It is a hell yes? Will it help you get closer to your larger goal?
- Do you find yourself filling up your time with other tasks to avoid that particular to-do?
Taking stock of how you feel when approaching a particular task can give you insight into areas where your time is better spent in your business. Now of course, as business owners, sometimes we don’t have a choice in terms of what we need to do to get things done, but it’s essential to understand what you enjoy doing, which can help shed light on areas where you can potentially outsource when the time comes.
Now, onto one of our team’s favorite productivity hacks.
5. Take Creative Breaks
As creatives who are in constant search of fresh ideas, inspiration and stories, taking creative breaks are necessary to feed the side that needs to show up in our studio almost every day. I’ve found that if it’s been a while since I’ve stepped away from the studio and completely shut off from my work, my creative flow is a lot more difficult to come by, and I tend edge closer and closer to writer’s block.
“There’s massive power in knowing when to step away from work, so you can refresh your mind, thoughts, and find inspiration elsewhere.”
Whenever I feel this inkling approaching, I know it’s time for me to take a step away. For me, taking creative breaks have no right or wrong and they come in many shapes and sizes. What’s more important is acknowledging the desire to take one and to actually take action.
Here’s some I’ve done recently that been the exact remedy I needed to dive back into work refreshed:
- My husband and I took a trip to Italy. Although I was working while there, I took longer weekends to switch off and explore. You can read all about my experience in the land of pizza and pasta here.
- A friend and I tried a new restaurant here in Portland that’s been garnering a lot of attention and rave reviews. We went mid-week which is unlike my normal mid-week routine, but I was excited to try something new and to switch things up a bit!
- I started incorporating journaling into my morning routine once again. This is something I do on and off, there’s no structure or restrictions, but I’ve found whenever I do sit down to jot down thoughts, feelings and reflections, I suddenly feel much lighter diving into work.
- I’ve been looking into signing up for a pottery making class to try something new that’s creative but also away from a screen.
Again, there’s no this or that when it comes to taking a creative break—it can seriously be anything! As long as it lights you up or fuels you in a different way so when you return back to work, you feel a renewed sense of work.
Working…your way, of course.
And there you have it. Our favorite productivity hacks that help us fuel our work in the best possible ways. I hope this blog post was inspiring and welcomed new ideas for you to work with more intention and most importantly, less stress.
Because having a business should be fun, fulfilling and most importantly, freeing. Don’t you agree?
About those resources we shared.
There were a lot of program name drops above. I’ve rounded out all of the programs I mentioned above along with handy dandy links should you choose to give them a try yourself.
*Please note, some of these program mentions contain affiliate links, meaning we’ll earn a small commission if you purchase through these links.
- For automations > Zapier
- For emails > Flodesk; take 50% off for a year’s subscription.
- For project management > Honeybook: give it a try for $1/month for 8 months.
- For templates >
- Website: Take 15% off Tonic Site Shop’s templates with code: LAER
- Client Communication: Take the first step in asking for feedback and infusing your client’s words in your messaging, the *right* way, with our Tailored Testimonial Bundle.
