Being productive doesn’t come naturally for me. I have to work on it. Constantly.
Like everyone else, there are the good days … and then there are the bad days. The worst are those times where every little thing distracts you – Netflix, ice cream, the great outdoors, and my all-time time killer – the Internet. And I do long for my college days when I could pull an all-nighter and still attend all my classes the next day, focused and awake. How did we do that?
Even finding time to write this blog post over this weekend was a challenge. Parades, troop outing, yard work, laundry, a road race, food shopping …you know the drill. It’s difficult in our hectic lives to carve out quiet space. To just sit uninterrupted and think. I am certainly one of those people who cannot work when overwhelmed or in a noisy environment. I need my space to get stuff done.
My friends often comment how do I “do it all”. Well, I either have them pretty snowed (that’s possible) – or they are way off base. It’s probably a splash of both. I never seem to get to the end of my endless “To Do”. I don’t know anyone who has – because we see the end and we add more stuff to it. But if I’m really honest with myself, I can look back and see an awful lot of items crossed off. And that makes me feel productive. I’m a list maker. I need the gratification of crossing stuff off with a thick, black Sharpie.
Out of sheer necessity, I’ve discovered and/or invented some tricks and tools along the way to help me get stuff done. At least I can say that I am consistently able to get the 4-5 things a day that are really, really important, meet all my deadlines and keep a semi-balanced work/life ratio – and I think that makes me mysteriously appear as someone who is getting it all done (at least on Facebook it looks that way).
That doesn’t mean I’m perfect. Oh, no, my friends. Far from it. As my friends and husband will avow, I still occasionally forget a night we’ve made plans or a friend’s birthday or where I put the patches I need to sew onto my daughter’s Daisy uniform. Yup. I’m a work-in-progress. But I will say that when I do screw up, I will try to come up with the “why”, and then the “how” – as in, “How can I not have this ever happen again?” And that is the base of my list below I’m going to share with you.
With the holidays are rapidly approaching, I thought now might be a good time to share my tips in hopes that one or two might help you, too.
So here are some productivity tips that are my favorites. And please, feel free to use the comments section and add some of your own to mine. I need all the help I can get.
1. Start with the basics.
On days when I’m really having trouble getting started, I begin with a few “easy tasks”. Having a few small victories to cross off my list warm me up to tackle some of the bigger items. I once read that this is called “productive procrastination” and it tricks our brains to feeling more productive in order to make the bigger tasks seem less scary.
2. Baby steps.
Getting started is the hardest part of any large task. Sometimes, I have one huge hurdle on my list – for example, “plan a family vacation”. You and I both know that this one task can take hours, if not days, weeks or even months. It’s better to write down baby steps on a daily list: “check calendar for a good week for vacation” or “visit hotel website and book”. For some reason, I always feel better starting a difficult project by doing just that – starting it. Once it has begun, it is so much easier to go back and finish it, even if that takes several times to complete. So if beginning something is your challenge, tell yourself I’m just going to start it and once I do, going back and finishing it will be much easier.
3. Get some help.
This one is for the parents out there. I discovered a magical website called ChoreMonster. When I tell you that it has my kids running around the house WANTING to vacuum, clean their plates and sort laundry, I’m not kidding. It’s Mary Poppins only with a laptop and monsters. It turns their chores into an interactive game and makes this tired Mommy very appreciative for the help – for only a few dollars (or rewards) per kid. Genius.
Here’s how it works via Mashable :
The app comes in two versions, one specifically for kids to use and one for parents. The adult version lets parents set up task lists, deadlines, rewards and points for completing tasks. Parents are also given the option to “accept” or “deny” a completion of a task to monitor how well their child is, for example, cleaning their room — kids don’t just automatically win the points.
4. Don’t overdo it.
Multitasking is actually impossible. Stop trying to do it. Focus on one thing at a time.
5. Beware the Dolrums.
Stop looking at Facebook, checking email and Instagramming. In other words, eliminate falling into a time warp. Our brains can be tricked into thinking we are being productive when doing mindless tasks. The only way to to combat this is to recognize when you’ve fallen into a mindless task and stop. This takes practice and will power. I often remember one of my favorite childhood books “Milo and the Phantom Tollbooth” and related to Milo falling into the Doldrums. Don’t get stuck there.
6. Sprint to win the marathon.
Short bursts of really focused activity work best for me. Then, I need to divert my attention, take a break, maybe go for a walk or out with my co-workers for lunch. When I come back, it’s easy to focus again for another short burst and so on throughout the day.
7. Rest and repeat.
And my number one favorite tip {that was the hardest to learn for me} … sleep! Sometimes staying up late to get something done only results in staying up late and being super exhausted as you watch the sun come up and you’re still staring at a blank page. When I’m up late, I tell myself I can get something done if I stay up just a little longer but I’m usually too tired to put in the energy required to be creative. I’ve learned a better plan is to go to bed early and try to get up before everyone in the house does and spend an hour or two designing. I get more done in an hour after getting a good night’s rest than I do if I stay up all night long.
What’s your advice for staying productive? I’d love to hear it!
~Amy
