News Flash! Productivity starts with you. The ball is in your court. It is up to you to get your to do list accomplished and maximize your time each day. Everyone is busy and being busy is not an excuse. There are people out there with less time who are more successful than you. Harsh, but true. Success certainly is relative, but when it comes to productivity, your time is valuable. Believe that.

1. Delegate: This is going to eliminate so much of your busy work. If there are things that you are doing that feel like a waste of your time, stop doing them! It really is that simple. Be okay with handing off certain tasks to others. It will allow you to free up time in your schedule to do what you love and to be more productive with the time you have each day. If you struggle with entrusting others to effectively execute your vision and ideas, take the time to find someone who know you can trust, your confidant. Every person, brand and business needs one!

2. Express Gratitude: When you are thankful for the opportunities that are in front of you, you will be motivated to do more for others. Create the space to be grateful and see what a gift you give to yourself in return. If you begin each day with an attitude of gratitude, you will be amazed at how your worldview changes. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by what you have to do, you will be excited about them and look for more ways to help yourself and others, in return becoming more productive.

3. Create a To Do List: This might be the most important piece. It is impossible to operate at your best when you don’t have something or someone guiding your day to day. Not all of us have access to a personal assistant, so create your own! Get a planner, grab a notebook and get writing. When you write everything down, you are more likely to get it done!

4. Effectively Caffinate: Caffeine truly does play an essential role in how our brains operate and function. We don’t need studies and statistics to convince us that caffeine helps us stay more alert and focused. Don’t shy away from what helps you operate at your best. If it’s a cup of coffee or two a day, find a way to get your fix. Everyone knows the feeling of being under or over caffeinated. Find the balance that works for you. For us, it’s a start to our morning with coffee and a mid-afternoon pick me up! We switch to wine or G&T’s after 5.

5. Wake Up Earlier: If you feel like there simply aren’t enough hours in the day, set your alarm for one hour earlier and commit that hour to getting your most important tasks done. You might just surprise yourself at how much you can get done in that time. If you aren’t a morning person, get to bed an hour earlier and set that coffee pot to automatically brew. Whether you are a morning person or not, there is something about getting an early start that boosts productivity.