Know Your Bandwidth

byrcharinhp99

3.6K followers

Updated 3 months ago

Hey friends! I wanted to share some tips I've learned over the last two years about working smarter, not harder as an entrepreneur. I know when you first start a business, it can be tempting to grind 24/7 to try and make it work. But trust me, that strategy will burn you out fast!

I've definitely had times where I was hustling non-stop, working crazy hours, never taking breaks. And I ended up completely drained, unmotivated, and feeling like a failure. It was not fun! So, through trial and error (lots of error lol), I've figured out some keyways to work smarter and actually get MORE done in less time.

See, the thing people often don't tell you is that quality beats quantity. It's way better to deeply focus on your most important tasks for a few hours at full energy than slog through a 12 hour workday while exhausted. You'll be way more productive and creative with targeted effort.

Graduate School Burnout (True Story)

Have you ever done something out of your comfort zone and wondered “How the heck did this happen?” If so, join the club. I decided to go back to school just to have some fun because I was bored being just an “ordinary” person. I wanted to be somebody important so that I could make a difference.

For me, education was a huge driving force. Even though I had whole wall of certificates, something within me wanted much more. As a result, after an Associate’s of science degree, I wanted more. So, I got back on the academic bandwagon and got my bachelor’s degree. There was no stopping me now.

So, guess what? You got it! I kept going. But guess what? The higher you go, the more intense it gets. Long story short, ¾ of the way through my master’s degree, I was completely burned out. Talking about burning bridges, I lost more relationships than you could ever imagine. Friends and family members were upset to the max and I ended up divorcing my closest connections. Burnout is real folks.

Did you know that overworking your brain is counterproductive?

Let me provide you with a few tips to keep you on track and help you optimize your productivity. You not only lose friendships, but you also lose your perspective on life. The moral of the story is to live one day, one lesson, one post at a time. Rome was not built in a day.

Here is more on that topic:

Tip #1

Keep your to-do list short and sweet. I try to focus on 3-5 big priorities each day that really move the needle on my business. Getting those key things done is a huge win! Anything else I finish is just a bonus. I've found when my daily list is too long and overwhelming, I end up bouncing around tasks and not finishing much.

Tip #2

Give yourself PERMISSION to take real breaks! This has been a game changer for me. I'm talking 30-60 minute breaks where you step away completely. Go for a walk, grab some food, take a cat nap (my fav lol). By giving your mind time to recharge, you'll have way more energy to tackle work afterwards. No marathon work sessions needed!

Tip #3

And the last big one - Do NOT be afraid to say no! Know your strengths and limitations. I used to want to help everyone who asked and commit to every opportunity. Major mistake. Now I carefully guard my time and only say yes to things deeply aligned with my bigger goals. The rest gets a polite "Sorry, I can't take that on right now, but best of luck!" This has freed up so much bandwidth. Let’s dive in deeper to safeguard our affiliate marketing experience. Let’s do this!

Keep Your Focus on Your Productivity

It was just another busy Monday morning and Sal was already feeling overwhelmed. As he sipped his morning coffee and scrolled through his endless inbox, Slack messages started popping up from coworkers. His phone was dinged with text messages and social media notifications. The chaos of the modern workplace threatened to derail his productivity for the day.

But Sal knew that the key to success was keeping his focus. He took a deep breath and silenced the distracting notification sounds. Prioritizing his long-term goals over short-term urges, he set his phone aside to eliminate temptations to get sucked into pointless social media debates.

Sal realized that he needed to stay in charge of his own locus of control. Rather than allowing external forces to direct his actions, he needed to keep his autonomy and self-discipline.

Don’t Assume You Know It All

As Sal dug into the project he was working on, he tried to avoid assuming he already knew everything. He knew that overconfidence could lead to mistakes, so he tried to approach his work with openness, curiosity, and humility. When doubts or questions popped up, Sal made sure not to just plow ahead based on assumptions. Instead, he did additional research and asked coworkers or experts to validate his approach. By acknowledging that he didn’t have all the answers, Sam set himself up for growth and learning.

Embrace Your Mistakes

Despite his best efforts, Sal hit a roadblock later that afternoon. He had made an incorrect assumption that led his project down the wrong path. Though initially frustrated with himself, Sal tapped into emotional intelligence to maintain perspective. He knew that mistakes were part of the learning process rather than marks of failure or inadequacy. By embracing his mistakes and viewing them as data points for improvement, he was able to quickly reorient himself and get back on a productive track.

Do Only 1 or 2 Social Media Posts

Needing a quick mental break, Sal switched over to his personal Facebook page. Though tempted to get sucked into political arguments and endless scrolling, he maintained discipline. Sal told himself, “Just one or two posts to see what my friends and family are up to”.

By limiting his social media usage, he avoided going down an unnecessary rabbit hole that would severely diminish his productivity. After a few minutes, Sal easily pulled himself away to refocus on work, having satisfied his curiosity without letting things spin out of control.

Tunnel Vision

Late in the afternoon, Sal realized his productivity was starting to slip again. In his intense focus on doing one task after another, he had developed a bit of tunnel vision. He had blocked out everything except the narrow path to finish his project.

Sal decided it was time to open his aperture again, both metaphorically and literally. He stood up from his desk, walked around his office, went outside for some fresh air, had a friendly chat with a coworker, and did some stretches and breathing exercises. By giving his eyes and mind a break from the screen and the single-minded focus, Sal refreshed his concentration for another bout of productive time.

Avoid Entanglement on Social Media

After work, Sal was looking forward to going home and relaxing. As he pulled out his phone to text his wife, he was tempted once again to take a quick scroll through social media. But he caught himself, realizing disengagement was better than getting pulled into another pointless debate.

By avoiding unnecessary entanglements, Sal maintained his locus of control and positive mindset. The discipline of focusing only on adding value kept him free of frustration and outrage. Sal smiled as he texted his wife and put the phone away, feeling proud of his productivity wins for the day.

Manage Any Type of Distractions

The key lessons Sal was learning came down to managing distractions and discipline. By focusing his locus of control inward, rather than allowing external forces direct his productivity and purpose, Sam took charge of his fulfillment at work and home.

Whether distractions took the form of notifications and alerts, assumptions and overconfidence, tunnel vision or pointless social media debates, Sal realized they all posed risks to his productivity.

But rather than feeling overwhelmed, he embraced simple solutions: silencing notifications, asking questions, taking breaks, limiting posts. By disciplining his reactions and responses, he maintained optimal productivity and learning.

Sal's story demonstrates key lessons for avoiding common pitfalls in the modern workplace. By keeping your focus, locus of control and discipline, while leveraging emotional intelligence, you too can achieve high productivity and purpose. Tune out distractions, embrace humility, take mental breaks, and avoid unnecessary entanglements online. Do these simple things and you will be amazed at what you can accomplish!

Bottom line friends - we all have the same 24 hours in a day. It's HOW you use them that counts. Slow down, identify your most critical priorities, give yourself permission to recharge often, and don't be afraid to set boundaries. You CAN build the business of your dreams without running yourself to the ground.

Wishing you lots of luck on your journey ahead. Stay smart out there :)

The Rachele