Mastering My Productivity
It might be a little dramatic to say “mastering,” but I'm starting to get the hang of this productivity thing. I’ve always been extremely productive, but between procrastination and being easily overwhelmed, I’ve never been able to reap the rewards of my productivity. Over the past month, I’ve been working on those downfalls and have found some mental tricks that seem very effective for calming myself down and maximizing my time. Here are the three mindset changes I’ve made to unlock the productivity potential that was previously out of my grasp.
1. An Object In Motion Stays In Motion
I’m stealing Newton’s First Law because I’ve found that it’s just as applicable to productivity. As it turns out, I’m not the only one who thinks so because James Clear makes the same connection in his book Atomic Habits. I used to take a break immediately after finishing work for the day. I’d relax, watch some TV, and maybe have a snack. Before I knew it, nine o’clock rolled around and I'd still have a long to-do list ahead of me. Stress and overwhelm immediately follow, and, sure enough, it's well after midnight before I'm in bed, wound up and mentally drained. Not anymore. This object stays in motion. Instead, I tackle my to-do list as soon as my workday is over. Is it a little difficult to keep my motivation high? Sure, but promises of dinner and an evening of relaxation work phenomenally well. When I stay in work mode, in full motion, I get more done at a much more reasonable time of day.
2. Something Is Better Than Nothing
I think I mentioned this in previous posts, but I’m the epitome of an “all-or-nothing” person. I’ll work out until I’m in a pool of sweat, or I’ll lay on my couch and not move all day. Regarding my productivity, I either go on a to-do list domination spree for hours or I don't do anything productive at all. It’s been challenging to teach myself that doing a little something is better than doing nothing at all despite how obvious it may be. On days when my productivity energy is low, I try to knock out one or two quick and easy tasks. I’m still getting items off the list, but I can still honor how I feel and not push myself further than is necessary. Balance is the key.
3. There’s Always Tomorrow
A quick warning for procrastinators, this is the third change for a reason. The other two changes must be made first, or this change can be catastrophic for productivity. With that warning out of the way, keeping in mind that there’s always tomorrow was the key to reducing my overwhelm. Going back to me having an “all-or-nothing” mentality, I would always make insanely long to-do lists, get overwhelmed trying to tackle them, and then be overcome with stress when I didn’t complete them. Now, I have one long list where I keep track of all the tasks I need to complete, and then I move them over to little daily lists. The length of the daily list depends on how much time I have that day, and if I don’t get it all done, there’s always tomorrow. It takes the pressure off and allows me to put the list down and be done for the day without the guilt and stress that used to plague me.
I’m far from perfect in execution of these three mindset changes, but I know I’ll get better and better as I keep practicing. The difference in not only how productive I am, but in how I feel towards productivity is mind-blowing. They’ve been a game-changer for me, and maybe they can be a game-changer for you too. Which mindset change do you think will be the most useful for you?