It's Wednesday, and if you are like me, you are probably struggling to get through the rest of the week! This post is for all my boss babes out there that work from home or work on a pretty flexible schedule and have the freedom and curse (you guys know what I mean) to create your own schedule.

Here are my top tips (from experience) for ensuring your day is productive and focused.

1. Wake up on the right side of the bed

Have you ever woke up and immediately felt like absolute CRAP? Don't dwell on the thought that you feel like you've just been hit by a bus, instead maybe try thinking about how you will feel once you have some coffee or tea in your system. Look forward to that rush of motivation you're going to feel. Look forward to EVERYTHING you are going to accomplish today. Have gratitude that you have woken up, and have the opportunity to experience new things. Don't check your e-mail first thing, don't think about all of the things that are piling up. You never know what kind of adventures the day will hold but it is for sure that your energy in the morning will set the tone for the rest of your day.

2. do something for your health

You cannot possibly be serving others and following your purpose if you aren't taking care of yourself in the process. Make sure you reserve this time every morning. Eat a light breakfast, brew your coffee, go on a walk, soak up some Vitamin D, if you are into it, meditate. If you've never meditated, this is something you should start doing, NOW. There are so many benefits from meditation, if you don't know where to begin, let me help you! My biggest obstacle in having extremely productive and focused days is simply my anxiety and depression. I was scared of the entire world. Since adapting meditation into my daily life, my stress levels have went from 100 to 0. I have meditated pretty consistently for the past 10 months and I would hate to see where my life would be without it. There are a lot of different forms of meditation, you just have to find what works for you. Being mindful has helped me live a more intentional type of lifestyle. It becomes so easy to find purpose in every single little moment/detail which leads to a higher success rate in meeting my goals.

3. clean your workspace/home

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to become distracted if you're trying to work and all you can think about is all of the chores that need to be done? The dishes, the dog/cat hair in the floor, your cluttered desk piled with all of these things that need to be done? Well, I can't tell you how good it feels to sit down and work after you have done absolutely everything you need to do. If you are cleaning with purpose, and that purpose would be to have a less stressed work day, you can get it done super fast. Do the dishes, vacuum or mop, pick up the clutter, and if you have other big cleaning jobs waiting, pick a time of the day that you will do it after you've finished some of your work. It will feel good to know you have a plan.

4. Do something for inspiration/education/entertainment

This is a big, important step. It's easy to get comfortable with where you are, especially if you are doing well. But what is the point in doing well if you aren't growing? Eventually you will just be burnt out and ready for a new chapter. Make time for inspiration everyday. You can listen to a podcast, watch a youtube video, paint, take a small workshop online... do something that inspires and teaches you but also makes you happy. It's so refreshing and motivating if you are learning something new that you can use in your workflow or everyday life.

5. HUSTLE, HUSTLE, HUSTLE

After you've completed all of these steps, you are READY for a successful day. You can even take it a step further (which is what I personally do) and while I am listening to my favorite podcast or making some coffee, I will list in detail, the things I WILL get done today. An organized to-do list is a necessity for me, or everything just runs together and is crazy overwhelming. Some days, it may be impossible to get everything finished, but you will know where to start tomorrow :) Also, it just feels really good when you can check something off the list. You'll look back at the end of the day, and see all that you have finished and will be so excited to do it again tomorrow!

I know this sounds like a lot of steps to take in the morning, but I wake up around 7:30 AM everyday and my workday begins about 9.

a few extra little tips and tricks

If you are working towards a goal, you can actually attract it to come your way, dream about it all of the time, think of how you will feel when you reach that goal, think of what your life will be like when you reach that goal, think of the steps you need to take in order to make that happen, and leave the rest to the universe ;)
My friend mentioned this time management thing called "Pomodoro Technique". I tried it out on a day that I just COULD NOT focus. It was really beneficial and actually gives you something to look forward to while working. All you do is set a timer for 25 minutes, work HARD on checking things off of your to-do's during that time, and take a 3-4 minute break (stretch, snack, do a puzzle....etc.) at the end of 25 minutes. Do that about 4 times, and instead of a 3-4 minute break, take a 30 :)
It's also important to have a healthy work-life balance. You can set your own hours, do it and stick to them! If you value yourself, the clients/work you actually WANT, will value you too :)
If you find yourself with absolutely nothing to do, find something to do, find ways to grow your business or new marketing tools, you get out of your business what you put into it and doing the bare minimum will land you in that extra comfortable spot you don't want to be in later.

I have a crazy passion for small business and personal growth. So, if you have any tips and tricks on being successful - send them my way! I would love to chat about it! Oh, and if you implement any of this into your daily life, let me know! I would love to know if I am helping :)

Thanks for reading :)

NOW GET OUT THERE AND BUILD YOUR EMPIRE!!!!

p.s. I chose to blog this shoot with this information because we shot this at sunrise on an extremely foggy morning and who could ever look more gorgeous that early than Addison? :)