10 Productivity Booster Tips for Nurse Entrepreneurs
We are all juggling multiple balls in the air, especially at this time of year. Would you like ways to become more efficient and productive to get done what you need to do so then you can spend more time doing what you want to do? Here is a collection of some of my favorite and often used productivity tips.
- Start – Newton’s law of motion states a body in motion wants to stay in motion. Do something; literally. The magic is in the doing.
- End each day by preparing for the next – you achieve better sleep knowing that you have tomorrow covered and will be productive right out the gate.
- Keep meetings to a limited time – By setting a limit, it manages expectations, and it forces everyone to be more efficient.
- Prime Time – Understand when it is your prime time and schedule your most dreaded task for when you are feeling your best. For example, I’m a morning person so scheduling something grueling in the evening isn’t going to work well for me.
- No is a complete sentence – I don’t remember where I first heard this, but I had an epiphany when I did and even more so when I used it the first time. It can prevent burnout and being over-extended. Saying no allows you to stick to your agenda.
- Check emails and social media at designated times – Email and social media doesn’t need to be a constant interruption. Remember, if you aren’t working your plan, you’re working someone else’s.
- Delegate – give other people the opportunity for growth and development. You are not the only one that can do something. If you don’t delegate, you are hamstringing your own growth.
- Forget Multitasking – it’s a myth anyway. It’s has been proven that in reality it is “switch tasking”. Trying to do too many things at one time decreases efficiency and performance. My husband is a programmer and famous for saying to me that he is “single threaded” whenever I try to get him to do a couple of things at the same time. I’m trying to rewire myself to complete one thing before starting the next.
- Digital Detox – I know this is a tough one for us, but it is really important to make it part of your routine to go off the grid. It’s really important to not be tethered by any devices. You need to remove yourself from all distractions and allow you brain the space to be in the moment and be restored. Trust me, you’ll become more creative and productive.
- Give up Perfection –As nurses, many times we feel the pressure to be perfect. In business, nothing is perfect and striving for perfection can get us stuck, mired and fearful. Years ago, I worked with programmers, who continually wanted to tweak our software before delivering it to our customer. I always told them, “Good on time is better than great late.” I find myself saying the same to many nurse entrepreneurs. Move your business forward, strive for service excellence not perfection.
© 2016 -2022 Michelle Podlesni All Rights Reserved.
Michelle Podlesni RN, CEO, USN Veteran, serial entrepreneur, accomplished businesswoman, bestselling author and consultant. Founder of Unconventional Nurse® and President of the National Nurses in Business Association. The NNBA is a professional nursing organization for nurses transitioning from traditional nursing to business ownership providing business information customized for nurses, insight into healthcare industry trends, mentoring, and continued education in professional growth and career development.
