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36 ways to be more productive than you ever thought possible - using numbers

Here is a trick I play a lot when I need to get things done. I choose a number – I like 8 because to me it’s lucky.

Always start with a list

In my Moleskine diary, I make a list of a few tasks and use these goals to batch my activities. Then I power through them like a demon and only take a break when I have done that batch. It feels great and then I can brag to friends and Twitter folk about how I just completed 8 whatever-it-was.

Why cross out when you can highlight?

I then use a highlighter pen to highlight the tasks I have done. Using the higlighter just feels more positive than crossing it out. It’s a little celebration!

Now you can try it!

To help you lovely readers out I made a list of examples of some of the things I do – all using the number 8 (except for the big time consuming which use the number 3).

Email Management

  1. Responding to 8 emails
  2. Getting my inbox down by 36 emails

Content Planning

  1. Writing 8 ideas for blog headlines
  2. Finding 3 YouTube videos you can use to embed into 3 different blog posts, and write 2 – 3 lines of text to explain now they are relevant to my business
  3. Planning the topics for the next 8 email newsletters
  4. Writing a list of 8 questions for a series of interview blog posts – and send them to 3 people
  5. Writing the subheadling outline for my next talk – which is called 8 ways to increase engagement via Twitter

Sales Funnel

  1. Calling 8 people to follow up on enquiries
  2. Writing 3 proposals
  3. Sending 8 quotes by email
  4. Inviting 36 people to my next event

Productive Work

  1. Designing 3 homepage layouts
  2. Saving out 8 images the same size

Building relationships

  1. Connecting to 8 new people I have recently met at networking events via LinkedIn
  2. Setting up 3 meetings with strategic partners
  3. Tweeting to 8 clients
  4. Emailing a feedback questionnaire to 8 clients
  5. Retweeting 8 people
  6. Looking at LinkedIn and writing 8 recommendations
  7. Asking 8 people for recommendations on LinkedIn
  8. Planning 8 tips to share on Facebook

Team building

  1. Inviting 8 people to our next recruitment open day
  2. Sending interview questions to 3 people I want to interview for my next interview post
  3. Writing down 8 ideas for our next team building day and sending an email to the team to ask them which is their favourite

Content Creation / SEO

  1. Pinning 8 new images onto our Pinterest boards, each linking through to one of our blog posts where there is a visual element

Superhero Marketing

  1. Submitting a request to guest post on 8 other blogs
  2. Commenting on 3 other blogs
  3. Offering to speak at 3 industry events by emailing the organisers and outlining potential topics
  4. Reading 3 educational blog articles or ebooks to improve business or marketing skills

All you need to do:

Any three of the above ideas, choose your own number, and come back and comment below and tell me how you did!

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Comments

  1. martin allman

    What a great article, stumbled on this as you. Actually I think I was trying to pin who created the look of Zabu!

  2. Stéphanie

    Great idea!!
    To give it a try I will take 7, 21 and 3 is a little bit less than 8 and 36 but it’s 7 my lucky number.

  3. Sharon

    Awesome Keren
    I’m so going to use this because I get on top of myself…oh I must write a blog…what should it be about…let me research…oh oh oh
    I love how you get things done and that you have shared in another fantastic blog.
    Really enjoy reading them.
    Keep em coming.
    Sharon