5 Ways to Stay Productive - No Matter What!

When you're working on your online marketing business, it's very important to stay productive. The more you can focus on the task at hand and complete everything that you need to do in a given time frame, the more likely you'll reach your Internet marketing goals. Whether you're researching a new niche, setting up your own website, spending time blogging or making connections on social media, the following tips will make it easier for you to stay productive.

Use a timer.

There's no better way to manage your time than to get a clear picture of how you're actually using that time. Every minute that you spend on your work should be accounted for. Without a timer it's easy to sit down to do work and find yourself frittering away the minutes and hours chasing links, chatting on social media or checking your email a half dozen times. There are a variety of options available for online time tracking. Once you find one that works for you, estimate the amount of time that you'll need to complete a certain task and then hold yourself to that time. Make sure your timer can be seen as you're working so you can stay on task.

Try the Pomodoro technique.

Expanding on the last point, you can use your timer to employ the Pomodoro technique. The technique, which was developed in the 1980s by Francesco Cirillo, is a way to break down larger tasks into smaller components so you'll stay productive. Set a timer and work on one task for 25 minutes. Once that time is up, take a short break for five minutes. After every 25 minute work time, take a longer break. This is a great way to stay focused and it helps your brain relax in between work sessions so you can actually end up working longer.

Work in a brand new location.

If you find that it's difficult to stay focused at your desk or other work location, try somewhere new! Spend time at your local library. Visit the coffee shop. See if there are co-working opportunities in your local area that you can use to get out and about. Sometimes all you need to refresh and refocus is a new change of scenery. Make it a point to work in a new location at least once a month.

Be accountable to someone else.

Working on projects on your own makes it easy to procrastinate and put things off. One of the best ways to get yourself refocused is to have to answer to someone else. Consider finding an accountability partner who you can report to on a daily basis. Make it a point to let them know what you'll be accomplishing on a weekly or daily basis and then report to them about your progress. Knowing you'll have to fess up to someone else when you've dropped the ball can keep you more focused.

Begin with the end in mind.

If you find it difficult to work through tasks that you find boring or pointless, think about the end goal. Clearly visualize what you'll achieve when you're successful with your Internet marketing business. What will it feel like to achieve your goal? What sort of income do you expect? What kind of lifestyle will you lead? By keeping this in mind, you can push through those boring tasks and stay productive.