The other day, I was catching a ride home from our holiday party (some of my fam stayed to play games), and while talking to my sister-in-law, I realized that this is the start of a new decade, not just a new year. When you’re super busy and have a daily list of at least 25 to-do items a day, it can be really easy to overlook simple facts, like what a year like 2020 is.
The 2010s were life-changing for me in big ways. My family expanded from four to five, we adopted three dogs, and I started Pikko’s House, taking the terrifying plunge into working for myself after over a decade of thinking that a 9-to-5 job was The Only Way. I still have to round up all my stats for a post to come, but I don’t need stats to know that I’m very proud of what I’ve built in six years, and I look forward to the next year and the next decade with big dreams and endless possibilities.
One of the biggest areas of progress for me in 2019 was optimizing my productivity. With time trackers, daily planners, monthly goals, and spreadsheets, I’ve studied my data on myself and figured out when I work best, how I work best, and what it takes to get me to put the pedal to the metal.
If I had to give any one piece of advice regarding productivity, it would be that: studying yourself. Being your own boss means you need to hold yourself accountable.
But to hold yourself accountable, you have to understand what makes you tick. You need to figure out what’s stressing you out the most to see if you can alleviate that. You need to figure out your peak brain times. You need to structure your day so that things fit into place.
And you need to know what to do in case nothing goes to plan. And to know all these things, you need to look at how you work.
Happy New Year 2020!!