{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Smart Tan News","provider_url":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com","title":"Three Ways to Hack Your Productivity - Smart Tan News","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"t97kCk45qJ\"><a href=\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/3-ways-hack-productivity\/\">Three Ways to Hack Your Productivity<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/index.php\/3-ways-hack-productivity\/embed\/#?secret=t97kCk45qJ\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Three Ways to Hack Your Productivity&#8221; &#8212; Smart Tan News\" data-secret=\"t97kCk45qJ\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/news.smarttan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Multitask-1-24-17.jpg","thumbnail_width":1600,"thumbnail_height":1000,"description":"By Ashley Laabs  There\u2019s a lot of great advice in the world, and most business owners would probably take it if they just had time in their day. Distractions and interruptions happen until, suddenly, another day has passed by without a single check off your to-do list \u2013 let alone that neglected pile of ideas you\u2019d like to implement someday.  We may never be robotic productivity machines, but these productivity hacks can bridge the gap between your goals and reality:  MAKE CLEARER GOALS  Hopefully you have some annual and monthly goals for your business, but do you have the daily and weekly goals in place to get you there? Often the problem with goals is that they aren\u2019t clear. If your goal is to revamp your pricing and include a new EFT program, that\u2019s not something you\u2019re going to do over a cup of coffee, so it won\u2019t do you much good to slap it on your afternoon tasks. Instead, break down the steps of your goal into digestible parts that you can devote an hour or two toward.  When you take the time to break down your goals, it\u2019s easy to find the more manageable tasks within it, each of which is much more appropriate in scope to be handled in a chunk of time. By focusing on clear goals, you\u2019ll spend less time overwhelmed with where to begin, and more time accomplishing great things.  BUDGET YOUR TIME  In order to maximize your productivity, you have to walk the line between planning and flexibility. A great way to make the most of your time is to budget your time like you would your money. If you overcommit your time with a list of tasks that take longer than you have in a day, you\u2019re likely to find yourself disappointed by the small dent you\u2019ve made in your to-do list. Essentially, you\u2019re setting yourself up to fail, which can have a very serious impact on your productivity and outlook over time.  Know about how long each task should take you, and pad in a little extra time just in case, especially in situations where there is a lot of prep work. You wouldn\u2019t spend part of your lease money on marketing materials, so don\u2019t spend your task time indulging your interruptions or distractions. If an employee needs you with a non-urgent matter, let them know when you will be available to speak with them. If something is on your mind, write it down on a separate piece of paper and return to your task at hand. Set a timer if you need help staying on track. At the same time, flexibility is necessary in a small business, so it will be necessary in your schedule too. Having open office hours to handle employee inquiries and general correspondence can help you take care of many small items at once, instead of allowing them to interrupt your workflow throughout the day.  EAT THE FROG  In the words of Mark Twain, \u201cEat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.\u201d Get the worst over with first to find yourself full of accomplishment and freedom.  There\u2019s probably at least one item on your plate that has been pushed off for days, weeks, even months. Whether it\u2019s taxes or creating a marketing plan, it\u2019s easy to find something else to do instead, all the while swallowing that lump of guilt and dread for that big thing you\u2019re not doing. At this point, hopefully you\u2019ve broken down the steps and estimated how long they are going to take, but now you need to do the hardest one first. Instead of spending your day calculating exactly how long you can put off your most daunting task, just get it over with! It\u2019s such a simple thing, but it will make a huge impact on what you get done and how you feel about it.  &nbsp;  &nbsp;"}