I keep hearing people really beat up on themselves for “procrastination” or “not getting enough done”. If that’s you, would you reflect on the chart in this article for a minute, please?: US workers’ productivity And that doesn’t even include a lot of our caregiving and passion work, either, especially for women! women’s unpaid Labor Is it possible to give yourself credit and kudos for what you already do? Have you told someone else today how much you appreciate their work?
1)Are you really procrastinating, or are you already doing the very most productive thing you can by giving yourself much needed rest? First thing, check whether all your biological needs are met, particularly for sleep and rest.
2)Learn and use David Allen’s Getting Things Done methods. I really love the todoist app, which can be free, for my recording and sorting of tasks.
3)Write a stream of consciousness journal for 15 minutes daily. This is about the moment and the conversations you will have with yourself. Go for it! It is -not- about a finished product. You need not and probably will not share the result with anyone. I usually use a legal pad and shred mine right after writing. If all you can think is “I see a white wall”, just write that over and over and over until you think of something else or your fifteen minutes run out.
4)Are you procrastinating because the goal you described isn’t actually what you want to achieve? Is something else a bigger focus? Be comfortable changing direction. Trust that your new direction is the best fit for you and your energies.
5)Make yourself accountable to others. Meet regularly with several people who are invested in your goals. So…this puts potential breaks on step #4. Your car needs steering, acceleration and brakes, right?! Sometimes you slow way down, especially around a sharp corner.
6)Fill your calendar with the right amount of specifically scheduled events with others. Too many back to back appointments can be overwhelming, leading to neglecting the biological needs, stress and no time to independently -do- tasks. Too few appointments can lead to a lack of energy and motivation, isolation, and the sense of unlimited time in which to do all the things “later” (and we all know how that goes).
7)Take movement breaks. Physically move your body at least 5 minutes every hour.
8)Track your progress. Whatever it is that is important to you, find a way to measure it. Review the data at regular intervals. Todoist has a handy productivity tracker, which is simply the number of tasks you have completed.
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