5 Ways To Stay Productive
I had a bit of a revelation sitting in church this morning.
It wasn't necessarily about anything related to church, whoops, but it was very interesting. I had the realization that although I am a master at list making, I am horrible at completing the tasks I put on my lists! In fact, I probably spend more time working on lists than I actually do completing them.
I already feel Dustin's eyes rolling to the back of his head as he has mentioned probably a million times in our marriage: "if you make another flipping list, I swear!". Needless to say, I may have a slight problem with lists.
In recent years though I've found myself falling into bad habits of too much TV, too much time spent scrolling and honestly, a lot of sleeping. I know that partially it's because I've had some health issues in the last year and I haven't wanted to do as much and it also has been attributed to my struggles with depression, but that still isn't an excuse for not getting crap done on a regular basis.
Here’s the thing, it’s not that you can’t get stuff done, it’s that you have a lot of distractions coming in from all angles. You’re probably overwhelmed and your brain is cluttered. Keep in mind as you read this is more about managing life and distractions because as most of you know from probably getting tips about productivity before, they don’t work because you can’t eliminate life and distraction. Let’s lean into life instead and figure out how to make it all work together.
So as an encouragement to myself, because really, I'm preaching to myself here, I am going to let you in on 5 productivity tips that I use when I want to get crap done!
1. Use technology to your advantage…
...and then have some self control. This is actually a tip that I combined from Graham Stephan and then something I already did myself. On your phone, I'm not sure how it works for Android users, but for iPhone users, open up your Reminders app and utilize it as a your "personal assistant" for the day. One problem I have is that I have an endless to-do list that governs my day. Rather than trying to jump from one thing to another and getting overwhelmed, when I'm operating at my best self, I prioritize my tasks, plug them into the Reminders app with timers based off of how long I'm going to give each task and then I just start.
It helps me stay on track timing wise and one thing Graham talks about is how when you give yourself a specific amount of time to do something, you're much more likely to actually accomplish it because your brain goes into work mode.
This allows me room to tell myself how much I am actually capable of accomplishing in a day. If I see that I have a lot of hard and long tasks, I may switch one out for something easy or fun to lighten the load for the day. This helps me stay on track, accomplish my goals and avoid quick burnout.
One tip that I recommend is scheduling in a set amount of time for scrolling, lunch, taking a walk, etc. Breaking up your tasks with these things will help you to stay productive but also take mental breaks with actual timers so you don't waste the rest of your day away on accident. Self-control with technology can be super difficult but if you set boundaries in place you are 100% capable.
2. Rewards
Okay so I know this is really silly, but remember the reward systems your parents would use when you were learning a new skill- like for example, potty training? Rewards work for adults too. 😂 It might seem a bit childish, but it actually works. Rather than allowing myself to turn on Netflix during lunch, which ends up turning into me watching 6 episodes "while I work" (BS), I don't get to turn on my favorite show until after my work day is done. Now for most of you who work out of an office, this is a no-brainer, but for someone who works from home it can be hard not to do this. For those of you who don't work from home though, things like cooking and cleaning when you get home from a long day can seem awful when PostMates and Netflix is waiting right around the corner. I encourage you to set little rewards up for yourself instead. One day a week you can order PostMates after you've cooked for five days in a row. Or after you're done cleaning the kitchen a glass of wine and a couple pieces of chocolate are waiting for you by the couch.
3. Take scheduled breaks + move.
Whether you work from home or an office, you have to get up and move around. Obviously we find times where we are in the zone, but otherwise you should get up once an hour and take a little walk around the house or office. If you can, step outside for a minute. The change of scenery and getting your blood pumping will actually help your brain to focus more and you will be able to get much more accomplished in the long run. Plus, you might even get your creative juices flowing if you're stuck in a rut. Try to schedule these walks in throughout your day. If you use tip #1, give yourself a reminder to do it after each task. If you don't, set an alarm every hour on the hour to get up and walk for five minutes.
4. Get out of the house + stay social!
Whoever set the precedent that you should only hang out with people on weekends was batty. Especially if you work from home, or even an office, you have to get out of your typical work environment at least once a week. Whether that means working from a different room, a coffee shop or a restaurant- get out. Our bodies naturally adapt to routines, but then they start getting dull and we then get distracted or start to lose our natural flow. By changing it up once in awhile it allows our brains to stay active and that is exactly what you want! I know that when I go work at a coffee shop I get 10x more done in 4 hours than I do in 8 hours at home. Why? I think it's because I feel the pressure to accomplish things in my allotted amount of time and it's easier to not get distracted when you're working somewhere other than home. This also goes for surrounding yourself with new company. If you have a creative job or hobby it's important to go out and connect with other humans, people watch and explore. This allows your brain to start creating new stories, to get inspiration and it gives you a break from the work, work, work. Which actually in result allows you to be more productive. I know for myself personally that when I get an idea, I am itching to start and within a few hours I am usually done with the project because I work so much faster when I am inspired. This article itself is a result of that. When I was sitting in church and heard the word productivity, all of the ideas started rushing to my head and I got home and immediately had to get started.
5. Drink your water + eat regularly!
Food and water are fuel for your body and brain. Eating full meals will keep you from getting up for constant snack breaks and it will help your brain focus on the task at hand. I am SO speaking to myself here but I've actually gotten better about this in the past few months. I've started carrying a huge water bottle and I make sure to finish at least 1-2 everyday. But I definitely could get that up to three if I tried. And I'm not talking about sparkling water or flavored water, I'm talking just plain H2O. It's so good for your body to have a break from coffee and tea, although it's fine to have, replacing your second and third and (fourth) cup of coffee, I see you, mhm, with a few bottles of water will clear up your brain exponentially. I'm not going to explain the science because I'm terrible at explaining science and you can find the information elsewhere. My point is: drink 👏🏻 your 👏🏻 water 👏🏻! Trust me, I have given every excuse in the book as to why I haven't drank water in the past...
"My lipstick will come off" - use all day lasting lipstick or carry a reusable straw.
"It's annoying drinking out of a big bottle & taking the lid off" - use... a straw.
"I hate washing the bottles & I won't drink out of plastic" - get a BPA free dishwasher friendly bottle.
"My water bottle is dirty" - you're being lazy, wash it.
"I hate the taste" - squeeze some lemon it, wallah.
"I always forget about it" - The best way to remember this is to set it as a part of your morning routine in your reminders. Write in that you need to fill your water bottle in the AM and then do it again in the afternoon and then once in the evening. By the time you've finished your day you will have drank about what you're supposed to in a day. And yes, you can still drink your morning coffee and your evening wine.
See, I've heard it all because I've said it all. Stop making excuses and just do it. There's always a solution.
Have a fabulous week!