Do you find yourself running around with a zillion things to do, getting tired, a little bit stressed and worn out by 4pm then needing a little lie down in a dark room? Oh, me too, well at least, I used to. Then I started looking at my productivity and realised that things needed to change otherwise I was facing burn out.

I do not profess to be an expert, I am always on the lookout for new tips and tricks to work more efficiently and stay serene and calm (okay I made the second bit up) but I am keen to work smarter and not harder, so I thought I would share the stuff that works for me.

I think that being organised is very important and I think I am, but you can be organised beautifully and still not get stuff done, you might have a super tidy desk though. And lots of fab stationery. I was that perfectly organised person, but not necessarily getting stuff done.

Allow me to share my top 14 tips for you to take away that work, I have shared these with numerous business owners and had great feedback.

1. Eat the frog. Mark Twain once said if the worst thing you had to do daily was eat a live frog then the rest of the day would be wonderful in comparison. Then a chap called Brian Tracy wrote a book called Eat That Frog. The premise is that you need to get the worst possible job you are dreading out of the way first thing, don’t let it hang over you and spoil your day. If you have two awful tasks to tackle, do the least revolting one first.

2. Once a week normally on a Monday when I plan my week, I ask myself where do I want to be in a weeks’ time? This could be financially, physically or goals wise. Then I plan my week and create a to do list for that day. I do another to do list the following day as things come in by e mail and stuff changes in terms of priorities.

3. To do lists. I swear by these but I ensure that they have my priorities on them otherwise I am just busy, not getting the important stuff done. I use systems like marking things hot/warm/cold for stating importance or I high light different tasks in different colours. I then select the order I work in, I number things until my list is complete and of course, I eat the frog first.

NB: I also write my goal for the day at the top – sometimes it’s a serous one ‘make twenty sales calls’ or ‘enjoy myself’. Whatever works for you and motivates you! If I get distracted (Facebook or washing up) I ask myself ‘is what I am doing right now taking me towards that goal or away from it?’ That’s stops me messing around with the washing up.

4. Often I feel completely overwhelmed at the volume of what needs doing. Instead of reaching for the duvet to pull over my head, I find that putting things from my to do list into a calendar moves it from ‘urgent and must do now’, to ‘allocated into another day and time slot’, and therefore, I am back in control.

5. Chunk tasks. You can easily identify the tasks that are of a similar nature. For example, checking emails and creating emails. Stick at the chunk of tasks until they are done. Similarly, checking your social media replies followed by pasting content into your buffer account. Keep it similar and your brain will thank you.

6. This leads on from point five really, stop multi-tasking. It’s been proven that it is distracting and means you are not focused 100% so it tires the brain. I used to multi task and now I have stopped I am far more productive. Try it – just for a day and see if it helps you too.

7. My all-time top tip is this one – it’s called the Pomodoro technique. Basically, you set a timer for 25 minutes then have a 5-minute break. I prefer 50 minutes working and a ten-minute break, as I can do more in ten minutes (make a real coffee from scratch, text a friend, read a few pages of a magazine) but do what works for you. Breaks are incredibly important, the brain is a muscle, it tires and needs time off.

8. Choose when and where you work best. I am a 6am/7am girl and I love working in bed with a pot of tea on the go. My brain is rested and I write best and think best first thing. By 530 pm, I am only capable of filing so I file then. But if you can work until 3am, then good for you. Do what suits you.

9. Rewards – I constantly spoil myself, it doesn’t have to be an expensive habit. I will have fresh flowers in my workspace all year round. Going out to get them is a break and I end up with a treat too. Other things I treat myself to after working hard are: a new magazine, a pot of nail varnish or I might go crazy and book a facial, spa break or a massage. I don’t have a boss to lavish praise and rewards, so I do it myself!

10. Email. I only check it twice a day am and pm, but I’ve heard others swear by three times, at 830 am, 1230 and 430 pm. Do what works for you, but if you are worried about people thinking you are ignoring them, pop an out of office message on and include your mobile so they can ring you if it’s urgent. You will get far more done in one day with this tip alone, I promise you.

11. Do what you love, if you get up with a huge smile and a spring in your step you’ll work to make it work.

12. Stop at the end of the day and give yourself credit, if like me you have no boss to do so, learn to be your own cheerleader. It’s an idea to write down your successes, pop them on post it notes and remind yourself how fabulous you are.

13. When I started to work from home full time I had to ask myself ‘what are my time killers?’ Mine are social media, housework and checking things online. Now if I catch myself doing one of these in work time, I say STOP out loud and get back to work. I now have a messy flat and loads of friends on Facebook who wonder where I am. But I get my work done.

14. Paper ticks, each time you touch a piece of paper and don’t deal with it put a tick in the top right hand corner, when you get to three ticks you must do it now.

I would love to hear from you with anything you use that helps you work more efficiently, I trust my tips were handy, let me know what your favourite one is.