So many of us look for tips and tools to increase productivity in our day.

Here are a few tips I’ve learned over the past few years:

1. Have MORE than your “why”.  So many people tell me their ‘why’ but still remain to stagnate in a job they hate or don’t do what they say they want to do, or bail when the first sign of adversity hits.

Even if they have that ‘why’.

Here’s why.

The ‘why’ needs MULTIPLE inspiration points.

See, the difference between being MOTIVATED to do something, and being INSPIRED to do it are completely different.

Motivation is when you’re pushed.

Which is why going to a Tony Robbins event or something like that totally gets you pumped up and feel like nothing can stop you.

Tony’s pushing you.  The people around you push and encourage you.  The whole environment pushes you.

Heck, even when I do my little 8 person mastermind, people are pumped.  (Not that I’m anything like Tony)

But then most of us lose the motivation when we’re thrown back into the ‘real’ world.

I’ve experienced it many times myself.

Attending multiple big AND small events I’ve just sat around for years with the ‘knowledge’ but not the action.

It’s the reason I invest in myself each month with coaches who just call me out and support what I’m doing.

But we need our own inspiration points and triggers if we want to increase productivity

Personally, I have inspiration triggers posted on my wall right in front of me, over my computer monitors so I see them every day.

They remind me of my ‘why’ – what it’s all for.

I even have little ‘reminders’ like “stop buying shit” which is really saying “you already HAVE enough knowledge/programs/etc to get where you want to go – JUST DO IT.”

Other ‘reminder inspiration triggers’ on my wall are questions such as “what are you willing to trade your life for?”

Which relates back to my ‘why’.

Can you see how these EXTRA inspiration triggers help with ‘productivity?’

The NEXT biggest ‘secret’ I can share about productivity is this…

HABITS and SCHEDULES.

I won’t get into a whole explanation about this because you probably know what I’m saying.

EVERY successful entrepreneur, who is productive, have success rituals and habits they do daily.

They also schedule their day around their FLOW zones.

Screw the 5 am club if you’re not a 5 am’er…

Just because you see someone else doing something, and it doesn’t resonate with you…adjust that success habit to fit YOUR flow zone.

That’s a big one.

Let’s take the “5 am” club

I’ve seen many people “swear” to do this every new ‘change’ point in the year…only to fall off again.

Why?

Because they’re FORCING their body to do something that is totally unnatural for their biological clock.

Sure, you CAN force yourself to get up at 5am…but if you’re just sitting around doing nothing because you’re bio-clock doesn’t kick in until 10 am – who gives a shit?  Just because you say “I did it…I got UP at 5 am?”

I’m just giving you an example here.

That’s the reason so many people give up with their ‘productivity’.

Because they really force themselves to do things that do NOT flow with their natural bio-state.

Listen, I’m NOT saying make things EASY.

That’s the wrong approach as well.  We DO have to challenge ourselves – move out of our comfort zone…we both GET that…

However, I AM saying that when you understand WHEN you rock and when you DON’T, you fit those surges of productivity INTO those slots.

Get it?

This is why doing a bit of inner reflection will help you.

It not only allows you to let go of the stigma you might “think” you need to be productive…

And gives you back the decisive power of WHEN you’re going to be productive.

Just because your seminar dude said you need to be at the office at 9 am and do 500 cold calls a day doesn’t mean you need to if you sound like you just woke up, are in a pissy mood, or have no inspiration to do what you need to do.

It’s JUST a waste of time.

I even talk about how much of our lives we can sacrifice if we’re not careful in this post

Which brings me to the last point on productivity

Colleagues and coaches.

If you don’t have people in your life that totally support you, CHANGE the people in your life.

If you don’t have people in your life that you are PAYING to tell you shit you need to hear, GO FIND THEM.

Ask any successful person if they have coaches in their life.  I don’t care if it’s football or farming.  All of those peeps have someone they’re paying to tell ‘em what they need to do.

Because we lose sight ALL the time – just because we’re too far in the forest to see the trees most of the time.

When it comes to making the right business decisions, we really have only 3.

Here they are.

1. Do nothing
2. Do the same thing
3. Take a leap of faith

The first one really won’t apply to most people reading this. Because you’re an entrepreneur – perhaps a business owner, I’m guessing you’re doing SOME thing!

The “do nothing” is there for people who tell me they ‘wish’ they could start a business at a later time, when the time is right.

When all the stars align and there’s no chance of making a mistake – these peeps will ‘give it a shot’.

In other words – they aren’t entrepreneurs.

They’re wanna-preneurs.

With that out of the way, let’s look at the second one.

This is one of the business decisions where most of my clients fit; at the beginning of our relationship.

And it’s normal.

I even fit into this category multiple times throughout my journey. Until my coach kicks me in the ass.

Here’s where the classic “Do the same thing – get the same results” cliche comes in.

Most of us don’t like change. We are scared to fail.

So we’re stuck in this loop.

We’re unhappy with our business, our lives…yet we’re unwilling to do anything different about it.

As Einstein politely said…’doing the same thing, but expecting different results is the definition of insanity’.

The bottom line is – you MUST change what you’re doing to go beyond where you are right now.

I’m preaching to the choir here, I know, but this is for the dude sitting beside you.

On the other hand, if you’re crushing it right now – DO MORE OF THAT!

Contrary to popular motivation and coaching stuff, there’s really no need to keep adding MORE CRAP if what you’re doing right now is absolutely working.

Here’s the Catch

Sometimes we THINK we’re crushing it. But we’re really not.

So we continue to do the same thing – yet we’re not getting any further.

Here’s an example.

I ran a Facebook ad campaign. The first week I spent $171.61 in ads. My cost per acquisition was $14.30.

I still made money, because I sold products on the back end.

But I didn’t stop there.

The second week, I paid $66.63 for ad spend. This time, me CPA (cost per acquisition) was $16.66.

So I spent LESS in ads, but the lead cost me more.

Hmm, the tweak taught me some lessons.

Those ARE expensive leads. But like I said, I made up for them on the back end with product sales.

So am I crushing it? Even though I’m making money on the back end?

No. Because it’s STILL not the best I can do.

And this is the leap of faith thingy I’m talking about.

But I’m jumping ahead.

Let’s stick with this for a moment.

This week I ran Facebook ads again. The total ad cost was $69.98 and CPA was $7.78.

In my math world, that’s kinda/almost half of what I spent the first two weeks on my lead acquisition.

Dang man! That’s pretty awesome.

Can you see where I’m going with this?

Week one and two I was OK with the results because I made money on the back end.

So if I just kept doing the same thing, my CPA would probably be the same thing this week at 14-16$ each.

So I tweaked and tested.

Which brings me to the last point.

The sandbox where most are terrified to play.

Taking a leap of faith.

Of the three options, this is the ONLY one that will get you further in your business.

It will bring down your lead cost. You’ll be more productive. Expenses will be cut. You will have more customers…whatever.

But you MUST take that leap.

You have to jump without a safety net.

When people ask me “is this gonna work?”

My answer is always the same; “I think so, but let’s test it and see.”

That stops the uncommitted people right there.

So in reality, they loop back to the first choice. Doing nothing.

And when we do nothing, we GET NOTHING.

Taking a leap of faith WILL get you results.

They may not always be the positive results of mo money, mo money, mo money…

But even the negative results, like spending $16.66 for a lead push you in the right direction.

You with me?

If you want to chat about your business and put a real strategic plan in place on my dime, go here > but PLEASE only apply for this if you’re a serious entrepreneur. You’ll see what I mean when you read this.

Have an awesome day!!!