Productivity

3 Things To Incorporate in Your Morning Routine This Year

/ riainthecity / 2 Comments

Kickstarting your year!

I will be the first to admit that going back to work after Christmas break is one of the hardest things we are all made to do every year! Can we just have one more week please? But you know, you got to do what you got to do.

Mornings are hard as is, so having a daily ritual or routine really helps. Here are 3 things that I do to make my mornings a little easier & better –

1. Get some breakfast in you! 

A full belly is a happy belly! So don’t skip breakfast. Even if you grab breakfast outside, that’s totally fine… I am not judging!

2. Wake up a little earlier than usual and take a warm bath 

cozy bath

Take a bath in the morning. I am serious. It is the best thing you can do for yourself. You obviously don’t have to do it every single day!
Also is this bath tub goals or what?

3. Make a To Do List 

Work like a boss! make a list

Easier said than done. Make a To Do List the night before and prioritize your tasks, so you know what exactly you need to get done during the day! Be realistic with your goals and see wonders happen.

Alright everyone! Have a wonderful first week back at work!

Morning Musings – On Productivity & How to Get Shit Done!

/ riainthecity / 3 Comments

xjski_seizy-oli-dale

Here are three things I learnt this year that have helped me become a more productive person – still a work in progress.

  1. If it doesn’t fit on a post it note it is too much stuff! 
    Earlier this year, I sat down with Hana Abaza, former VP of Marketing at Uberflip and chatted with her about all things marketing and her best time saving skill.
    She told me that each morning when she gets to work, she writes down all her daily tasks on a post it not and if it doesn’t fit on a post it note it is too much stuff.
    Tasks can’t be things like “send email to Alan” but rather substantial tasks that can be broken down into subtasks.
    I’ve been using this neat little tip for almost 6 months now and I have to say it really works!

  2. Plan your day the night before
    When I first started my career I did everything as and when I remembered them. Either that or I made a giant to do list with no deadlines in mind. Hey! I am just being honest!
    But since discovering Intelligent Change Productivity Planners, I have started planning not just what I want to accomplish during the week but also on a daily basis. At the end of the day I get to rate myself on how productive I think I was. I have to say gamifying it really helps!
    intelligent-changeTo be honest, I don’t think you need a fancy planner to get shit done but this one seems to work for me. If you don’t feel like spending the $$$, you can write out your weekly tasks and daily tasks on a blank journal.
    The important thing is to identify your tasks in varying degrees of importance and time yourself on how long it takes you to finish a task as compared to how long you thought it would take.
    Oh and plan your day the night before if possible!

  3. Make a To Don’t List 
    Yup! Make a list, on a post it note, where you write down what you don’t want to do that day. For instance if you don’t want to use social media during the day or certain hours, write it down and stick it on your screen. Other examples include stuff like not replying to emails as soon as they come or anything that takes you away from your work.

At the end of the day you know yourself best. What works for me, may not work for you, so use these tips at your own discretion! 🙂 Have a wonderful week!

Update: #goals, tattoos, MARKET and more

/ riainthecity / Leave a comment

January whizzed by and February is threatening to do the same. It has been a busy albeit a productive year thus far!

Launched MARKET – Powered by RIGHTSLEEVE and got to chat with some brilliant marketing minds in Toronto. This will be a quarterly series and promises to be good. If you don’t know what I am talking about, click —> HERE <—
The feedback has been amazing so far and I am eternally grateful for that 🙂

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All of my other goals that I had set up in January have gone down the crapper just due to the fact that I have been busy. SILLY RIA! This is why you set goals, remember. I know, I know. I ought to be more realistic. So starting this week here are my rejigged goals;

1. Do yoga once a week – So everything on top of that will be gravy!
2. Eat one home cooked meal a week.
3. Read one book a month – I tend to read a lot faster in the summer but start of the year is brutal for a reader.
4. Blog Once a Month – I think I can do it 😉
5. Relax

What am I reading right now?

Still trying to finish “The Sun Also Rises” by Hemingway but also started reading an excellent book titled “Everybody Writes” by Ann Handley, which is about content marketing and for those of you who know me personally, know that I live and breathe marketing.

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I don’t like sharing photos of my kindle because book pics look like crap on it. So here is one I found on Craft of Marketing.

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Here is a picture of my beautiful copy of The Sun Also Rises. I had to travel to Montreal to get my hands on this copy. True Story.

Achievement Unlocked 

Spoke at a Women in Tech event a week ago and I know this may not be a big deal for some but hey it was pretty fun for me so yay! go me! LOL
The most interesting part of the evening was that it made me more aware of my own privilege, which is awesome! Go mum! Go dad! and thank you for everything you have given me and done for me!

Local Products I am loving at the moment

I am going to give Inkbox, an organic tattoo, a whirl! Going to try it out this week and let you know how it goes! Check out their website for more! If you are so inclined, you can use the code #RSxMARKET for 15% off. I don’t get a cut from it but I just have a discount code so use it if you want!

What are you up to!?