3 Tips to Keep You on Track to Success

Let’s say you’ve got a goal and you’ve made a plan but you find yourself getting side-tracked. We’ve come up with 3 easy to follow tips to help you get back on the road to success, accomplishing your goals, and keep you making progress.

1) Start from the inside.

The first thing you should do every day is trick yourself into productivity.

By that I mean position your mindset by setting a productive tone for the day, everyday (remember: routine is the key to success.) Have a clear vision of what you’re trying to accomplish and peak your interest on the topic  to warm yourself up to it, whether that be by reading about other people’s successes, listening to podcasts, or watching how-to videos, start the day off in the right state of mind and you’ll have an easier time getting your goal accomplished.

2) Focus on follow-through.

Make plans, after all the last thing you want to do is leave your days up to chance, but make sure execution is the target.

Think about what you have to give up to get what you want and review your plans frequently. Better yet, remind yourself in every possible way, post reminders everywhere you go! Stick notes at your desk, on the fridge, in the bathroom, everywhere until you’re so sick of reading it you have no choice but to get it done.

3. Don’t burn yourself out.

When you set out to plan your day, be sure to pace yourself.

You should think about how much time a task will take as well as how much energy (physical, mental, and emotional energy) it will take to complete the task. Make sure you do not group draining tasks together. Instead, break down tasks whenever possible and pair energy depleting tasks with smaller tasks like reading emails.

Do you have any tips for staying on track? Leave us a comment!

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4 Essential Time Management Tips

Tired of feeling like there aren’t enough hours in a day? It’s a common complaint and yet we all get the same 24 hours, so where does the time go? Here’s our crash course in time management that’s just 4 essential tips to get you on the right track.

1. Start tracking.

This is the most important tip: figure out where your time is going.

We’re often too close to critique our own schedules and over/under estimating how long tasks take to complete. Getting a baseline for where you are will help you get a true representation of where you’re the most productive and help you prioritize better. Documenting what you’re doing will help you identify patterns and create systems that will help you make the most of your time. There are some really useful free time tracking apps that can simplify this process (but even just a timer over the course of a week will do) to help you see where most of your time is being spent.

2. What’s worth your time?

It’s needless to say that most of your time should be spent in the areas that produce the most results. When prioritizing your tasks think about what result you’d like to attain from it. After having tracked your time, you’ve got an idea of where you’re at and you can pin point when you’re the most productive and schedule your most important tasks for that time. Make sure to create a time plan (the night before or at the beginning of the day) and set time limits for each task to ensure you’re making the most of your day.

3. Schedule down time.

Unwanted constant interruptions throw you off and make you lose focus. Instead, plan for interruptions and block distractions. Commit to the task at hands and don’t stop to take calls, go on social media, read emails or anything else. Designate time for these tasks and schedule buffer time between tasks so you don’t end up feeling overwhelmed. (You’ll also end up looking forward to the downtime and can use this as encouragement to stay on course!)

4. Systems

Many small tasks appear to be different but can actually be categorized when looked at more closely. Instead of constantly making yourself wonder what’s next, set up systems to batch similar tasks together and streamline your activities. Eliminate non-essential tasks and delegate when possible.

 

Hopefully some of these tips are helpful for getting your head above water. Bonus tip: You’re picking up a new (good) habit and learning to effectively manage your time will require consistency and discipline.

 

Do you have any time management tips? Let us know!

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Motivation Quick Tip (2)

Motivation is key to keeping you at your best in business and in your daily life as well.
Today’s quick tip is for when you find yourself losing motivation or you feel like you’re in a rut. The idea is to take a few minutes to evaluate what actions you’ve been taking in your day to day life and asking yourself this: Do your actions match your values?  Is the item you’re dedicating the most time to aligned with the item at the top of your list of priorities? Taking a moment to reassess your actions and values can help you get away from repeating the same actions over and over and give you some perspective.

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Motivation Quick Tip (1)

For most people motivation comes and goes like any other feeling. It often gets the ball rolling but it’s difficult to finish a task without other factors in play. Continue reading »

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3 Reasons to Invest in Identity Design.

We’ve talked about the importance of branding on our blog before (see our previous post here) but today we thought we’d lay out some more specific reasons to consider investing in identity design and more definitively express the potential benefits to your business from the 3 most important intersections.

1. Support your sales force.

Your sales force represents your brand and pitches your services and products to potential consumers. With a strong brand identity the sales force is just backing your company’s message, not starting from scratch. Your company’s brand should not only build awareness for the company, but it should make it’s value clear, showcasing it’s competitive advantage and communicating your brand’s mission and values whenever possible so when your sales team comes in contact with a potential customer, the foundation is already laid out.

2. Develop the customer experience.

The actuality of living in a branded world means having to seize every opportunity to position your company in your customer’s mind. Ideally your customer would view your brand in the most compelling light. Creating a memorable logo will help manage consumer’s perception of the company making the products and services offered clear and making it easier to create and build customer loyalty. When done successfully a company can also communicate an understanding of their customers lifestyles and preferences.

3. Build brand equity.

“Brands are intangible assets and account for, on average 75% of the value of a company.“ -Blake Deutsch

Think: big picture. The company’s future success is dependent on it’s reputation. A strong brand will draw on recognition to power relationships with consumers and stakeholders. Upholding that reputation will insure the company’s value long term and build’s your company’s worth.

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Happy Mother’s Day

mothers-day

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Revamping Your Website: The Home Page

We wanted to build on our entry “4 Easy Steps to Revamping Your Website” and offer some ideas as to what content businesses should have on their home page. We should stress the importance of having a good home page since it is the customer’s first impression of you, your company, and your website.

Continue reading »

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Waiting For Spring: Illustration

Winter is quite lovely, but who isn’t looking forward to spring?

Illustration by Ayleen Cruz

Waiting for Spring

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

Love

Happy Valentine’s Day from Senci Design!

Illustration by Ayleen Cruz
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Eastern Bluebird: Illustration

Eastern Bluebird

Illustration by graphic artist Ayleen Cruz inspired by the Eastern Bluebird, the state bird of New York (and Missouri).

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