Everyone wants to get more done and spend less time time doing it.  There are also a billion different books, courses, and articles on how to maximize productivity.

And that's the problem.  There is so much information on how to be productive and so many methodologies that most people spend more time trying to figure out what to do to get more done than actually doing it.

I've spent a lot of time figuring these things out myself over the years and have come to find a few things that really work well for just about everyone.

One of those is maximizing your "Productivity Zones."

What is a productivity zone?  A productivity zone is the time or times where you are most focused and productive during the day.  

For example, for me, 6am-8am and 1pm-4pm daily are the times that I have found myself to be most alert, focused, and productive.  It may make sense as first thing in the morning I am refreshed and ready and things are quiet.  But after putting in a couple solid hours of work, my brain is ready for a break, so I go and do my fitness regiment.  This wakes me back up, feeds oxygen to my body, and gives me energy.  After my daily fitness time, I am ready to go again, so I can settle in and be highly productive from 1-4pm.

I found these productivity zones by observing myself over time and tracking when I was most productive.  And now, I make sure to schedule my most important tasks and meetings during these time blocks.  In fact, I actually block the times on my calendar to make sure others do not take those times.

If you can tap into your productivity zones, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish.  And that is the hack.  It is not just about scheduling time to do things, but scheduling the time during when you are most productive.  This will allow you to get substantially more done with the time you.

Everyone's productivity zones will be different, but ask yourself, "I am maximizing my productivity zones?" If not, do what you need to do to make sure you are.  You will be amazed at what happens!
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We have some of the most amazing listeners at the Misfit Entrepreneur.  Not just for their incredible support of the show, but because of their own knowledge, insight, and curiosity.  I am constantly amazed at the email we get and the ideas that people share.

And fairly often I get asked what solutions we use at the Misfit Entrepreneur and that I use personally to stay at the top of my game and succeed.  I thought I'd share a few of them with you.  If you are a long time listener, you probably know that when I find someone that I really like and use, I typically will reach out to see if they would like to be involved with the show.  Full disclosure, you will see links below to special offers for some of the tools I mention.

Best Solution to Learn Each and Every Day:  Read if For Me

Read it For Me is the best service I have found to learn from the best minds easily and quickly every day.  Read it For Me summarizes the best books with the best points that you can in 10  minutes by text, audio, and video.  Their library has every top book on success, business, leadership, etc. that would want to learn from and their app makes it easy to take on the go in the car, gym, wherever.  I get to read a new book and get new ideas everyday!  And Misfit Entrepreneur listeners can get a free year of services just by going to www.ReaditFor.Me/Misfit.

Best Solution for Implementing Good Daily Habits and Journaling:  The 5 Minute Journal 

You've probably heard before that taking even 10 mins each day to write down your thoughts and focus on planning for your success can make a huge different for you.  Most people have trouble doing this because they don't really have a process or want to take the time to create one.  That is where the 5 Minute Journal comes in.  They have take all of the headache out of it and put together a journal back by science to help you better succeed with just 5 minutes a day of effort.  Putting this in place can and will change your life!

www.5MinuteJournal.com

Best Solution for Outsourcing and Virtual Assistant Help:  123 Employee 

I have used 123 Employee across different businesses for a number of years now.  You get a whole team that works with you and they do a fantastic job.  They can do just about any task you'd want them to do in helping your run your business and they are very affordable.  If you are looking to expand your capabilities and grow your business on a budget, these guys are the best.

www.123Employee.com 

​Best Solution for Marketing Help:  GenM

GenM is awesome.  You have probably heard me talk about them before.  They have created an online service that matches you with students looking for marketing internships to get experience and fulfill credits to graduate.  GenM provides classes and coaching to the students so that they are well prepared to help you with your needs.  And the best part is, the students intern with you for 10 hours per week for FREE.  You just have a $49 monthly fee to GenM for the service.  Imagine getting 40 hours a month worth of marketing help for $49.  It's incredible.  If you are not taking advantage of this solution, you are missing out.

www.GenM.co/misfit 

Best Solution Email Marketing and Automation:  Benchmark Email

I found these guys after trying all the major players from Constant Contact to Mailchimp.  First, they give you more capability for your money than any other tool out there.  Everything is included from the start.  Second, their user interface is so easy to work with.  If you like the newsletters we send out and the capabilities in them, that is Benchmark.   Misfit Entrepreneur listeners get a free 2k Account just by signing up at the link below.

www.MisfitEntrepreneur.com/Benchmark

These tools have really helped not only me, but countless others in growing ourselves and our businesses.  Put them to work for you!