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October 3, 2018

Get to Know Your Leadership Style

Types of Leadership Infographic — Get to Know Your Leadership Style

There’s no one right way to lead a team, but there are tried and true formulas for success. As you grow in your career, you’ll get more and more experience leading people. An understanding of different well-known and proven types of leadership can help you find the right path that resonates for you. Find the right leadership style for you, and set your team up for success.

There’s no one right way to lead a team, but there are tried and true formulas for success. Find the right leadership style for you, and set your team up to win. Click To Tweet

Democratic Leadership Style

Democratic leaders strive to sincerely include their team in the decision making process rather than going it alone. This type of leadership allows the whole team to participate in―and take ownership of―the organization’s direction. This highly participatory style promotes high levels of job satisfaction, workplace morale and creativity. Everyone feels connected to the overall health and well-being of the organization. However, just like any leadership style, it does have its drawbacks. Soliciting advice from one’s team can be time consuming if decisions are needed quickly. Also, it relies on all team members being well informed. Democratic leaders need to strike a balance within their team of both decisive action and rich participation.

Transformational Leadership Style

Transformational leaders work with their team to implement improvement and growth. Charismatic and intellectual, these leaders redirect their team’s thinking towards a better tomorrow. The transformational leader solicits input from her team to identify what areas of the organization require change, creates the vision to guide that change, and then works with her team to execute the redirection. These big-picture thinkers may require teammates around them who are more detail-oriented to implement processes, and they need to develop strategies for soliciting their teammates’ assistance.

Coaching Leadership Style

Coaching leaders thrive in one-on-one mentoring situations. They help to define their team members’ goals, align those goals to the organization and then assist team members as they pursue their goals. The coaching style of leadership can be thought of as a sort of win-win relationship between the leader and her teammates. Coaching leaders help their team members to develop professionally, and they also thereby bolster the health of the overall organization. However, it can be easy to go overboard with this type of leadership and engage in behaviors that border on micromanagement. Coaching leaders need to yield their influence tactfully.

Visionary Leadership Style

Visionary leaders articulate where they see an organization heading in the future. They craft compelling―and often unheard-of―visions of what an organization can become. This style of leadership acts to inspire the team towards a shared goal. The internal drive they spark in their team members frees up creativity, and that freedom allows all the team members to delve into innovative strategies on how to get from Point A to Point B. However, visionary leaders need to keep in close contact with their team and stay involved in the team’s progression. Such an approach keeps everyone grounded as they strive towards the future.

Pacesetting Leadership Style

Pacesetting leaders like to lead by example, first and foremost. They rely on their unbridled enthusiasm and work ethic to establish the standards they expect from others. They are the roll-up-the-sleeves-and-get-dirty types. Pacesetting leaders are particularly adept at driving results, because they set the bar so high. They demonstrate to their team that no one is above the work required to accomplish goals. Pacesetting leaders should be cautious, however, and strive not to become single-minded. Narrowing one’s vision down to a single goal―or several―can mean that effective feedback and mentoring get neglected. Pacesetting leaders need to check in with their team members or a regular basis.

It is likely that you recognize one or more of these types of leadership in your own style. It’s rare that any one individual engenders just one leadership style. Explore which styles resonate with you. By cultivating a dynamic leadership style that encompasses a number of different approaches, you can find the right tools within yourself to tackle even the largest challenges.

To find out more about Cydcor, check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

We are Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales and marketing services located in Agoura Hills, California. From our humble beginnings as an independent sales company to garnering a reputation for consistently exceeding client expectations and driving outstanding revenue growth, Cydcor has been helping Fortune 500 and emerging companies achieve their customer acquisition, retention, and business goals since 1994. Cydcor takes pride in the unique combination of in-person sales, call center, and digital marketing services we offer to provide our clients with proven sales and marketing strategies that get results.

September 26, 2018

Tackling Tough Conversations

Two businesspeople standing face to face — How to Tackle Tough Conversations

No one likes conflict, but the good news is that the toughest conversations can also be the most fruitful. If you’re struggling to deliver negative feedback, there are lots of things you can do to minimize tension and achieve a positive result. Check out Cydcor’s tips for making your next difficult conversation go more smoothly.

When emotions are running high, it helps to remind yourself to take a step back and just listen. Click To Tweet

Listen and Acknowledge

When emotions are running high, it helps to remind yourself to take a step back and just listen. Make an effort to hear the other person out. Resist the urge to interject. Show that you’re listening by maintaining eye contact, nodding and reflecting back what was said. You don’t have to be in agreement in order to make the other person feel like he or she has been heard.

Stay Focused on the Issue at Hand

Don’t make a difficult conversation even harder to navigate by bringing up unrelated grievances. Keep the focus of your discussion as narrow as possible, and avoid airing out other frustrations that come into your mind while you’re talking.

Make Sure Your Words Match your Intentions

Never go into a tough conversation without putting some serious thought into how you want the other person to feel — and ultimately, what you’d like them to do. Assuming your intention is to influence new positive behavior rather than to cut ties, you’ll want to steer clear of any language that is discouraging, accusatory or hurtful. Be careful not to sabotage what you really want to accomplish by saying what feels good in the moment.

Watch Your Tone of Voice and Body Language

Remember, it’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. Set the stage for a constructive conversation by keeping your tone of voice positive and your body language neutral. Avoid speaking too loudly, sounding irritated, sighing out loud, rolling your eyes or crossing your arms.

Don’t Exaggerate

This is where it helps to be prepared! Make your next difficult conversation go more smoothly by citing specific facts and instances, rather than making generalizations or referring to vague circumstances in the past. Avoid embellishing or using words like “always” or “never,” which are bound to trigger a defensive response.

As human beings, we’re not generally good at realizing we’re wrong. But do the best you can to consider the merits of the other person’s point of view. Click To Tweet

Keep an Open Mind

This one’s tough. As human beings, we’re not generally good at realizing we’re wrong. But do the best you can to consider the merits of the other person’s point of view. Perhaps there are circumstances you didn’t know about or facts that weren’t clear before. You never know, maybe you’ll see things differently by the end of the conversation.

Focus on What’s Next

Once you’ve addressed where you’d like to see change, shift the focus of the conversation to the future. Put on your problem-solving hat and delve into a constructive conversation about how both parties will behave moving forward, and ideally, how you can work together to achieve a positive outcome.

Do you have your own tips for tackling tough conversations? We’d love to hear! Share them with Cydcor in the comments below.

To find out more about Cydcor, check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

We are Cydcor, the recognized leader in outsourced sales and marketing services located in Agoura Hills, California. From our humble beginnings as an independent sales company to garnering a reputation for consistently exceeding client expectations and driving outstanding revenue growth, Cydcor has been helping Fortune 500 and emerging companies achieve their customer acquisition, retention, and business goals since 1994. Cydcor takes pride in the unique combination of in-person sales, call center, and digital marketing services we offer to provide our clients with proven sales and marketing strategies that get results.

September 19, 2018

Be Wary of Bad Career Advice

Questions in the young woman's head high quality studio shot. — Be Wary of Bad Career Advice

Just getting started in your career? Chances are, your brother’s new girlfriend, last night’s Uber driver, and your second cousin once-removed have all offered their wisdom. While, certainly, you’re lucky to be surrounded by a well-meaning community, deciphering good career advice from bad career advice is no easy task.

When it comes to making smart career moves, the stakes couldn’t be higher. So, before you follow one of these four pieces of bad advice, be sure to think twice.

“You need work-life balance”

Building a successful career requires long hours; don’t let the popularized “work-life balance” lingo trick you. It doesn’t matter if you’re an athlete, a sales representative, or a scientist: the top achievers in any industry are those who’ve lived unbalanced lives in order to get to where they are today.

This isn’t to say that spending time with loved ones and taking time to recharge aren’t important ― of course they are. That said, if you’re just launching your career, now is the time to grind. Delay gratification. Invest your time and energy into building. Balance will come later.

“Give it a try”

This is another piece of bad career advice often imparted to young people. On one hand, it’s great to keep an open mind to new opportunities. But on the other, “trying something out” is often the same as making the premature decision to quit when challenges arise.

Anything worth doing is going to require an unwavering commitment. This means not giving up at the first sign of discomfort; or in other words, closing your back doors. No matter the career path you choose, if you want to reap the benefits, you have to stay the course.

“Trying something out” is often the same as making the premature decision to quit when challenges arise. Anything worth doing is going to require true commitment Click To Tweet

“Choose a job that doesn’t feel like work”

It probably hasn’t been long since you’ve seen this popular Confucius quote appear on one of your social media feeds: “Choose a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”

While it’s certainly great advice to select a career that you’ll find gratifying, don’t be fooled by this oversimplification. As the happiest of employees and entrepreneurs will tell you, even when you love what you do, not every task is intrinsically enjoyable. Even the most rewarding careers require tasks that are unglamorous, monotonous, or simply unpleasant. Sometimes, work just feels like work ― and that’s okay.

There is real danger in continuously looking for the “perfect job.” Be careful not to pass up a great opportunity just because you don’t love every inch of it.

Even the most rewarding careers require tasks that are unglamorous, monotonous, or simply unpleasant. Sometimes, work just feels like work ― and that’s okay. Click To Tweet

“Follow your passion”

This is often synonymous with “do what you’re good at.” Unfortunately, as you may have noticed, talents don’t necessarily translate into lucrative careers.

But that’s not even the biggest fault in this piece of bad career advice. The problem with telling young people to follow their passions is that in many cases, they’ve yet to develop them. Passion is achieved through mastery of a subject ― which takes years!

Don’t expect that the best career for you is the thing that you are currently the best at doing. Figure out what your goals are, and then do what it takes to achieve them ― even if it doesn’t come naturally to you at first.

What’s some of the worst career advice that you’ve received? Did you know it was bad advice at the time? Tell us in the comments below!

To find out more about Cydcor, check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

September 12, 2018

Announcing Day of Smiles 2018!

Cydcor is thrilled to announce that our 2018, annual Day of Smiles fundraising event is underway! This week, Cydcor team members, along with volunteers from Cydcor’s network of independent sales companies will stage a variety of fundraisers around the country. Teams will put their sales talents to work, building awareness and raising funds on behalf of Operation Smile. One of the oldest and largest volunteer-based organizations dedicated to improving the health and lives of children worldwide, through access to surgical care, Operation Smile provides life-changing cleft lip and palate corrective surgeries at no cost, to children in need.

Teams participating in the event will get creative, planning fundraisers that vary from car washes and apparel sales, to bake sales and sporting events. Each year, Cydcor’s Day of Smiles event brings in thousands of dollars to support Operation Smile’s mission to ensure every child has access to safe surgical care. In addition, Cydcor team members and participants from the network of independent sales companies have had the opportunity to attend five Operation Smile medical missions around the globe that they themselves have helped fund through their outreach efforts. On Operation Smile medical missions, surgical teams comprised of credentialed medical volunteers provide life-changing surgeries for children with cleft lip and cleft palate, as well as free medical assessments, and support for family and loved ones of patients. Recently, Operation Smile’s founder, Dr. Magee personally thanked Cydcor for its ongoing contribution.

To date, Cydcor has raised nearly $1,000,000, to help Operation Smile ensure no child goes without surgical care. That’s enough to heal more than 4,000 smiles. Click To Tweet

Cydcor has been partnering with Operation Smile since 2010, collaborating with the sales company owners in Cydcor’s network in a variety of fundraising projects. To date, Cydcor has raised nearly $1,000,000, to help Operation Smile ensure no child goes without surgical care. That’s enough to heal more than 4,000 smiles. This is an important year for Cydcor’s Day of Smiles, as we have that $1,000,000 mark in our sights and we plan to hit our goal!

Infographic describing Cydcor's relationship since 2010. — Cydcor and Operation Smile: Changing Lives Together

To find out more about Cydcor, check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

September 5, 2018

John McCain: More Than an American Hero

By: Gary Polson, CEO

I was so inspired by Senator John McCain’s life and death. His life is a reminder of America’s greatest values: service, devotion, sacrifice and honor. He is a real American hero.

Actually, he was more than a hero. He was a loving father. In her eulogy, Meghan McCain shared how she loved her father and felt his love. John McCain committed to Washington, DC and traveled the world in his role as a Senator. Yet, he found a way to be a wonderful father. He is a role model of how you can make a big contribution in your career AND have a meaningful family life. Rest in peace.

To find out more about Cydcor, check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

Gary Polson is Chief Executive Officer and Chairman at Cydcor, the market leader in outsourced sales. With more than 25 years of business operations experience in accounting, legal and senior management, Gary has propelled Cydcor to unprecedented achievement with clients, culture and philanthropy since 2001. Under his leadership, Cydcor has increased its revenue more than six-fold since 2001 and has been recognized as “…the most respected sales outsourcing company in the world” by Datamonitor and The Black Book of Outsourcing, and one of the “Best Places to Work” by the Los Angeles Business Journal for eight consecutive years. Gary’s passion for excellence and never-satisfied approach has led Cydcor to earn both industry and employer recognition. With Gary at its helm, Cydcor has built its reputation on maintaining long term relationships with clients by consistently delivering results and by going above and beyond to help Cydcor’s clients gain market share and grow.

August 29, 2018

Transforming Rejection into Personal Growth

Text: Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn. — Transforming Rejection into Personal Growth

Rejection is a natural part of the sales process. It’s hard to avoid, and even harder to face. However, have you ever considered the silver lining of rejection? Maybe all of those “nos” have made you who you are today. Hearing “no” forces salespeople to climb out of their shell, think outside of the box, and reach for new horizons. Working in sales and facing “no” on a daily basis can help you build critical skills that can prepare you to withstand and excel against the rigors and challenges of the business world. Enduring a little rejection now can train you to be resilient, flexible, and mentally strong – all skills that can benefit you greatly as you grow your career.

Working in sales and facing “no” on a daily basis can help you build critical skills that can prepare you to withstand and excel against the rigors and challenges of the business world. Click To Tweet

Here are just a few ways in which rejection can help drive your personal growth:

You Learn

In order for someone to grow as a sales professional, he or she has to understand what works and what doesn’t work. When you recognize that some part your pitch, approach, or presentation isn’t working, you learn how to make critical decisions to correct the problem and get back on track. You discover how to do better, so that it does work the next time around. Salespeople are constantly learning, trying to improve the process. Only with a “no” can you get that much closer to a “yes.” Since business is an ever-changing landscape, as you progress through your career, having the ability to learn will make you a more desirable hire. It’s what fuels your personal growth.

You Develop Patience

We all know the saying: patience is a virtue. Boy, is that true, especially in the world of sales. The sales business is a numbers game that teaches you to accept that if the first customer says “no,” you just have move to the next one and keep going. There is no room or time to throw up your hands in exasperation. The best salespeople understand that a successful sales day is a marathon, not a sprint. Over time, sales professionals learn how to maintain a patient, positive mindset no matter what. Developing this kind of unwavering resilience will also prepare you for managerial positions, even owning a company. Things will go wrong, people will quit, rejection will befall you, and unfair things will happen. Maintaining your patient disposition through it all is what will set you apart from the competition.

The best salespeople understand that a successful sales day is a marathon, not a sprint. Click To Tweet

You Learn How to Be Flexible

Salespeople can’t afford to be stuck in their ways. Sales is a process of experimentation and refinement. When good salespeople face rejection, they learn how to rethink their approach to avoid a sales blunder in the future. Overtime, sales teaches you how to apply self-discipline to correct course, test new approaches, and perfect your pitch until you can consistently deliver results.

You Communicate Better

Sometimes, you face rejection because your communication skills weren’t up to par. Perhaps you misspoke, failed to listen, or just delivered a message without any energy. Communication is the cornerstone of every business interaction. Hearing “no” can inspire you to do what it takes to hear that “yes” next time. You’ll refine your messaging and communication approach. Within business, communication is how critical information about sales, services, and products is relayed to key stakeholders. You need to know how to communicate quickly, effectively, and with authority. It’s time to get started.

You Toughen Up

Finally, it’s inevitable that rejection is going to force you to develop thicker skin. However, that’s not a bad thing. In the world of professional sales, it’s an incredibly important attribute. You’ll learn to listen to your gut and intuition, rising above rejection to focus on what you need to do to get the job done. You’ll develop your own personal shield that keeps you protected. As you climb towards the top, this internal toughness will better prepare you for the obstacles and stakes ahead, like hiring/firing decisions, expansions, acquisitions, and the list goes on.

We all know the time-old adage, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” In sales, this saying proves true. A healthy amount of rejection is necessary for personal growth and advancement. The next time you’re faced with a “no,” smile, for it is another opportunity to grow and flourish as an individual and a professional; it’s another opportunity to see things in a new light and appreciate a new way of doing things; and it’s another opportunity to become wiser, stronger, and better.

What have you learned from rejection in the past, and how has that helped to accelerate your personal growth? Share them with Cydcor in the comments below.

To find out more about Cydcor, check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

August 22, 2018

Cydcor Named to The Best Places to Work List for the Ninth Time!

Image of Cydcor headquarters in Agoura Hills office with furniture and pool table — Cydcor Named to The Best Places to Work List for the Ninth Time!

Cydcor has done it again! This year marks the 9^thtime Cydcor has been named to LA Business Journal’s Best Places to Work list. The list, compiled by the Best Companies Group, an independent research firm, is created based on employee responses to a survey that takes into account employee satisfaction and engagement across a broad spectrum of categories including Leadership and Planning, Corporate Culture and Communications, Training, Development and Resources, Pay and Benefits, and more. Read more about Cydcor’s ninth Best Places to Work win.

Cydcor is a company that continues to evolve, maintaining focus on helping team members develop, grow, and succeed. Cydcor offers a wide variety of programs, events, processes, and benefits to enrich team members’ professional lives and provide them with the resources they need to maintain their personal, mental, and financial health as well.

But the reasons Cydcor deserves to be named among the Best Places to Work go far beyond benefits. Cydcor has a rich corporate culture that begins with a strong set of company values, including The Behavior We Value, that permeates throughout the business, touching every aspect of its operations from hiring and onboarding, to robust training and development resources, to team and cultural events, to ongoing corporate philanthropy projects. Check out even more of the reasons Cydcor’s “People Helping People” philosophy is the embodiment of a great place to work.

The reasons Cydcor deserves to be named among the Best Places to Work go far beyond benefits. Click To Tweet

Over the years, Cydcor has demonstrated continued commitment to investing in its team members, because people are the heart and soul of the business and its is their hard work, passion, and drive that enable Cydcor to succeed. But the best testament to why Cydcor deserves to be on the Best Places to Work list comes from team members themselves. See team members share, in their own words, how working at Cydcor has enriched their own personal and professional lives.

To find out more about Cydcor, check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

August 15, 2018

The Best Mobile Apps for Career Success!

Mobile devices are more than just modern conveniences. In today’s business climate, having the right mobile tools at your disposal is critical to your professional survival. Staying connected around the clock is the accepted norm, not the exception and remaining competitive means keeping yourself up-to-date on the best apps to help you work smarter, faster, and better.

As thousands of new apps are released into the market every day, staying current on the best and most effective apps for improving productivity and performance can feel like a very daunting task. Luckily, Cydcor has created a shortcut to help you wade through this vast ocean of available apps. We’ve compiled a list of some of most useful apps to help busy professionals stay organized, communicate better and more efficiently, quickly get where they need to go, and be more productive.

Click here to check out the full list of productivity apps to arm yourself with the best possible tools to boost job performance and meet your goals!

Cydcor's list of the best mobile apps for the career driven. — The Best Mobile Apps for the Career Driven

To find out more about Cydcor, check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

August 8, 2018

Self-Motivating Tips to Try Today

The future depends on what you do today words on a chalkboard background — Get Up and Go! Self-Motivating Tips To Try Today

Beast mode isn’t a permanent state; it has to be turned on with self-motivation. Don’t let the success stories fool you: No matter how much you love what you do, even the best of the best struggle to get up and go sometimes.

The first thing to know is that there’s no “right” way to spring into action. Each of us is motivated differently, and to make matters even more complicated, what’s empowering in one scenario might actually be de-motivating in another!

So how do you go from waking up on the wrong side of the bed to crushing your goals? It starts with knowing whether you’re positively or negatively motivated, so you can determine which self-motivating tips will work effectively for you.

Here’s what that means.

Positive motivation is reward-centric: the impetus for action is visualizing a desirable result. Negative motivation, on the other hand, is driven by the anticipation of pain or fear.

How do you know which self-motivating tips will work best for you? This is where the ability to self-reflect is key. Think about what scenarios and conversations have given you that extra boost in the past. Have you been more excited by moving toward pleasure or by avoiding pain? Ask your mentor and closest friends for additional insight.

Let’s dive into a list of self-motivation activities to try—each with a positive or negative twist.

No matter how much you love what you do, even the best of the best struggle to get up and go sometimes. Click To Tweet

Phone a Friend

If you’re positively motivated: Call (or sit down with) your biggest fan. Sometimes, all you need to get pumped up is to hear encouraging words from someone who believes in you.

If you’re negatively motivated: Do you get fired up when someone says you can’t do something? If so, this approach to this self-motivating tip might be for you. Mentally prepare. Inhale deeply, buckle your seatbelt—this might not be pretty. Call that one person who gets your blood boiling, the person who doesn’t believe you can achieve your goals. Cut the conversation off once you’re charged up and ready to get going!

Reflect on Past Results

If you’re positively motivated: Even if you didn’t hit all of your goals last week, there are things you undoubtedly did well. Write them down. Take a few moments to acknowledge where you thrived; give yourself a pat on the back.

You can also try this on a larger scale and look back to a high point in your career, a time when you were on top of the world. Perhaps you had just beat your own best, received a compliment from your manager, or earned a promotion. Try to step back into this positive frame of mind. Remind yourself that you’re awesome and that you’ve got this!

If you’re negatively motivated: If you let yourself down last week, come face to face with what went wrong. Remind yourself, for example, that if you continue to have a low sense of urgency, you’ll only delay the promotion you’re after.

Want to go even bigger with this approach to self-motivation? Think about what happened the last time you stopped giving 100% in your career. Maybe you lost your job, struggled in your relationships, or regretted not getting back on the horse sooner. Visualize your fears and use them as fuel to get going.

Even if you didn’t hit all of your goals last week, there are things you undoubtedly did well. Write them down. Acknowledge where you thrived; and give yourself a pat on the back. Click To Tweet

Set Consequences

If you’re positively motivated: Choose a “carrot” for getting the job done. For example, on Monday, tell yourself, “If I accomplish x, y, and z this week, I will treat myself to a manicure on Friday.” Focus on working toward this short-term goal and visualize how great you’ll feel at the end of the week when you’ve hit your goals using this self-motivating tip.

If you’re negatively motivated: Choose your punishment. “If I don’t accomplish x, y, and z this week, I’ll have to work through the weekend and miss the camping trip with my friends.” If you catch yourself slacking at any point during the week, remind yourself how regretful you’ll feel about missing all the fun.

As you discover and try new self-motivating tips, be patient with yourself. Experiment with blending pieces of positive and negative self-motivation—this doesn’t have to be black and white. Again, there’s no “correct” way to get going. Figure out what works for you and share your experience with Cydcor in the comments below!

To find out more about Cydcor, check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

August 1, 2018

4 Unusual Productivity Tips that Really Work

Business man with checklist and to do list. Man writing and drawing v sign check marks with hand and finger in square box. Project management, planning and keeping score of completed tasks concept. — 4 Unusual Productivity Tips that Really Work

Ah, productivity. It seems so simple, doesn’t it? Make a to-do list, prioritize it, then get to work! In reality, we all know this is much easier said than done. Thankfully, there are several surprisingly simple productivity tips and tricks that we can implement to make the most of our time. Check out the four productivity tips below.

1. Implement a Daily Drink and Think

Let’s kick off this list with a productivity tip that’s sure to sound counter-intuitive: Sit down and do nothing.

Yes, really!

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to take 10 minutes a day to just think. Sit down in the morning with your coffee or tea, or at night after a relaxing bath or tucking in the kids. Find somewhere relatively quiet where no one will bother you. Put away your devices. Ponder your day, think about what’s important, and pay attention to what rises to the surface. When you’re done, revise your to-do list as you see fit.

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to take 10 minutes a day to just think. Click To Tweet

2. Empty your Brain

If you’ve ever watched a survivalist competition on TV, you’ve seen how important it is to conserve resources and be strategic about energy expenditure. Navigating through daily life is no different.

One of the best ways to conserve mental energy is to write everything down, rather than holding thoughts in the back of your mind. Did you just remember that a report is due at the end of the week? Add it to your calendar. Did a great idea just pop into your head? Jot it down. Doing so will make it easier to focus on the task in front of you, upping your productivity.

One of the best ways to conserve mental energy is to write everything down, rather than holding thoughts in the back of your mind. Click To Tweet

3. Set a Series of Timers

Depending on your style of working, this productivity tip has the potential to skyrocket your efficiency. This can be particularly effective when there’s an item on your to-do list that you’ve been dreading or if you’re a person who works best under pressure.

Start small. Set a timer for 20 minutes. Force yourself to use every millisecond of the time block to do focused work. Zero funny business allowed while the clock is ticking. Challenge yourself to see how much you can get done in this window. Then, when the timer goes off, set another one for 5 minutes. This time is your reward. Use it to grab a snack, check Instagram, text your mom, or do anything that will register in the pleasure center of your brain. Then repeat. Try playing around with longer working blocks.

4. Create a Must-Do List

Different from your to-do list, this should contain 3 to 5 items that absolutely, no matter what, need to be completed today. You can vary the length of the list based on the heft of the tasks, but the key is to identify which activities are non-negotiable. Tell yourself that you can’t leave work or even go to bed until they are done.

There are a few reasons this works so well. First, the commitment to yourself alone is very powerful. No one wants to let themselves down. Second, human nature is to avoid pain. If you don’t want to work all night, you’ll put the pressure on yourself to ramp up your productivity during the day. Your Must-Do list will serve as an anchor to stay focused on your priorities when you’re tempted to stray.

How do you make the most out of your day? Share your favorite productivity tips with Cydcor in the comments below!

To find out more about Cydcor, check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.