I’m always asked how I can manage everything that I do. That is, run a successful business, study economics full time at the side, while still finding time to friends and some time off too.
I wrote about prioritization and focusing your efforts a while ago, and while this is a must as well, you still need to manage what is left. What this most often comes down to is sheer mental power.
What sets a productive person apart from a less productive peer, is his or her ability to just get down to it and just focus, regardless of how unappealing and daunting of a prospect it is.
Fortunately, there are some tricks. My best tip to you is to write down a list of things, a recipe, that you can use to try and clear your mind and get focused. For me, this list includes going out for a walk or run, putting on some good music or reading something inspiring (I like magazines—Harvard Business Review and The Economist).
By clearing your mind, you are able to get down to focus, a skill that truly is what sets apart productive, and dare I say successful, people from the rest. It takes practice. It is not always easy. But in the long run, it is very rewarding.