Oh hello darling, all May I'll be bringing you a series of posts that will offer solace & help in the changes we're all going through at the moment. Today let's dig into issues surrounding productivity.
For so many of us, we are faced with far more free time than we know what to do with. Which has left us with a productivity drought, and I have faced this too. I am far more capable of giving advice than I am taking it, so I am here to help you!
The first point you need to know is that no piece of advice is universal. What works for one person doesn't automatically mean it will work for you. There is a slight toxic nature in advice culture, and we can feel like a failure if the advice doesn't help us. No tool is going to be right for everyone, it works hard to help most, but never all.
Okay, let's break your productivity woes down in 6 easy to follow steps.
1. What is your goal?
If you can't answer this question, then I really can't help you. Not knowing what you want to achieve is the easiest way to be unproductive. Without something to aim for, you have no trajectory. So you need to sit and define what it is that you want to achieve, short term (today) and long term (the big picture).
This works for university briefs, decoration projects, and pretty much anything else. Knowing what you want to achieve will make it easier to get there.
2. Work out what is stopping you productive
Number two is less easy to pin down, but just as important. I can't give you a magic answer here, but I can give you some pointers. Perhaps it was not knowing what you wanted to achieve in the first place, well you can fix that now. Are you procrastinating? Distractions such as Instagram, TikTok, and youtube all catch me out, so make sure these things are taking a back seat when trying to be productive.
Have you eaten, and are you hydrated? Being 3-4% dehydrated can lower your work performance by approximately 25-50%. Whatever it is, I am sure you will be able to work out what is causing you to slump at your workspace.
3. What are you wearing?
As Roxette said ‘I'm gonna get dressed for success’, the way you are dressed can have a big effect on the way you feel when it comes to productivity. When we dress a certain way, we feel like ourselves the most, and in essence, can work productively. So if you have been trying to work in PJs, then maybe switch things up!
4. You need a Routine
Routines are so helpful when it comes to boosting productivity because it gives your brain space to breathe. Having a start time, set breaks, and a clocking off time gives you bitesize chunks of time to work towards. A routine is key to being productive.
5. Prioritise workloads
If like me you have many projects on at once, then you will know that prioritising your workload makes a massive difference. Working from 2/3 to-do lists is helpful. The first is what you want/need to get done today. Another for the day after, and the 3rd for the end of the week. It makes your workload more manageable, and trust me as long as you make that to-do list accessible, and never overload it, you will be more productive.
6. Be Reasonable
No one is perfect, and we don't have to be filling up to-do lists all of the time. If you get to the end of the day and didn't achieve what you wanted, don't beat yourself up about it.
Make tomorrow's to-do list, and then have your normal downtime, and try your best tomorrow. Productivity is not linear, so don't expect it to be. Be kind to yourself, and never punish yourself.
These are tips I have picked up on my journey of getting shit done, so I hope they help you!
Thank you as always for joining me my darlings, Adaptation Month will conclude next week.
Shot By Rachel Pechey
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