Being productive is key to success, but it isn’t always easy. We all struggle with uncertainty, boredom, worry. Everyone wants to stay motivated and work hard, but sometimes our energy is only enough to open the task planner. How can we handle it? Let’s figure it out.
Step 1. Change the environment
Often a trivial change of scenery is enough to renew your energy. Thus, you can ask for remote work from home. You can also go to the central park. Even moving your laptop to another room or balcony can already improve your mood. Change is inspiring.
Step 2. Set clear goals
Work with SMART goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-oriented. For example, tomorrow
- From 9–10 am I will answer 5 work emails,
- At 10 am I will take a 10-minute break,
- From 10.10–10.30 am, I will formulate a plan for the next week,
- From 10.40–2.40 pm I will do20% (or the first two items, or even one) on a new project,
- At 3 pm I will go for lunch.
Break up huge tasks into smaller ones and reduce the number of duties to be done by 25% for as long as you feel comfortable.
Step 3. Create your drive playlist
Pick up some playlists with calm, energetic, or fun music. Some songs make you wanna live. If you doubt, listen to Kasabian — Club Foot.
Step 4. Make a motivating visual Wishlist
Create a super stunning wish list. It could include a cottage in the Norwegian forest, a red Mustang, the world’s fastest bicycle, or 10 cute Corgi. Anything. Let your dreams motivate you in the most challenging projects.
Step 5. Take harder work first
Many people try to do the easiest things first. This is not the most productive way to perform professional functions. Try focusing on the harder tasks first. Deal with them and forget.
Step 6. Celebrate the end of difficult tasks
Come up with an inspiration to make you happy after you finish a project or task. For example, buying a video game or a friendly party with popcorn and a horror movie. This will be the light at the end of an exhausting assignment.
Step 7. Avoid perfectionism
Accepting that productivity is cyclical and realizing that it is normal is the key to success. When we’re passionate we can outrun the plan and finish projects well before the deadline. But such a state of mind can’t be endless. You have to get rid of perfectionism and feelings of shame that you can’t do all the tasks in one day.
Step 8. Compose a detailed To-Do-List every day
The simpler and more detailed you make your to-do plan, the more likely you are to perform it. Compose simple and easy points, divide tasks into subtasks, and mercilessly cross off every point you make. This is a special kind of pleasure.
Step 9. Make time for self-care
Allot time for an activity you like. Any action that is not work-related and inspires you, increases your productivity. Rock-climbing, number painting, cycling, and other activities that demand full concentration help us cope with tiredness. Yoga, swimming pool, dancing can even several times a week help you deal with exhaustion.
Step 10. Say “No” to an extra job and annoying requests
You shouldn’t do someone else’s work out of politeness or pity. This is a direct way to burnout. If you don’t want to help, you should say about it. Wasting time on extra tasks and annoyance will not cure you of exhaustion, but will make it worse.
Step 11. Delete time wasters
Standard time-wasters include Instant Messenger, video games, Flickr, cats on YouTube, checking your likes 30 times per day, and extraneous Internet surfing like “How to sneeze with your eyes open”. Useless actions are exhausting because they bring neither benefit nor joy.
Step 12. Make notifications muted
Each new notification causes you to spend extra energy to remember where you left off. Every message or comment can wait for a break. When you stop fidgeting at the sound of your smartphone, you’ll find that the work takes a lot less energy than the work + smartphone.
Step 13. Get up early
Being an early riser is correlated with major health benefits and upgraded work results. In regards to mental health, according to a study led by the Journal of Psychiatric Research: “early risers still had a 12–27 percent lower risk of being depressed than intermediate types.” Don’t waste your most fruitful time lying in bed.
Step 14. Make routine tasks automated
Make all possible payments automatic, shop online with door-to-door delivery, send clothes to the laundry by courier. Make tedious household chores easier — it will save you time to relax.
Step 15. Have a great relaxation!
Good rest encourages great work. Taking relax pauses can help break up the boredom. The better you are resting, the more strong desire for work you will get.
To conclude
You can improve your productivity with attentive self-care and a competent structure of work. And if you feel extremely exhausted, remember that you can hire a team of professionals who will take over all your functions like SweetSoft.
