I have always struggled with the fact that our existence appears to be an endless list of chores. You envision large and formidable objectives, make plans to accomplish those goals, and break them up into actions and tasks and soon enough those tasks seem to have a life of their own. They are omnipresent, from cleaning the fridge to taking youngsters to routine vaccinations or preparing your next project review.
How do you reconcile this tangled web of Things to Do with having a life, or when do you get to the part where you cease acting out of necessity, to step into what you feel like doing?
If you are like me, you even feel guilty finding yourself indulging in a fleeting moment of non-useful pleasure. And then you probably say to yourself if I can only get this next thing done, surely, I will have deserved a little bit of fun! but somehow, things keep popping up on the list.
Of course, there are people around us who seem to be gliding through life, enjoying along the way the benefits of a seemingly much more fun job. Or more annoying yet, there are those successful people with powerful roles in society and demanding responsibilities who can accomplish every day what would take me a week or more to achieve and they still manage to post family vacation pictures now and then on social media. Either they are doing something right, or I am doing something wrong. I think it is a combination of both.
One could define productivity as the amount of work you can accomplish within a given amount of time. My past and present challenges can be summarized with a few words: How to get more done without cloning yourself. This is a serious enough topic that requires a scientific approach starting with some subject matter research.
What can you do to improve your productivity?
To stay motivated, you need to make your goals not only complete but SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.
Every successful execution starts with a good plan. You need to plan your goals throughout the year, your activities monthly or weekly and your daily tasks the night before. All you have to do when you wake up is start executing; Easy.
There is a wide variety of time management tools. From Calendars to To-Do lists or Reminder Apps, they can help you stay on task.
You must prioritize your tasks and allocate specific time slots for each activity. This has proven to be a simple yet effective way to stay focused and manage time efficiently.
I find it difficult to focus at times, especially in certain environments. Minimizing distractions and concentrating fully on the task at hand goes a long way in getting the maximum number of items checked off the list.
A simple tip is to turn off notifications, use tools to block distracting websites or apps and find a quiet workspace. If you work in an open office with chatter in the background, going to a boardroom whenever you need more focus will make you many times more efficient.
Promoting self-care, having healthy eating habits, sleeping enough hours and exercising will give your body the level of energy required to give your 100% in everything you do. A little effort for so much gain!
Time management is good but energy management is better. Find the rhythm that works for you to ensure you always have enough energy to handle your daily tasks. It is recommended to have time blocked in your calendar where you do…nothing.
You have to be able to recognize which tasks offer a higher value and prioritize those; the value being a combination of two factors: importance and urgency.
Perfection does not belong to this world. One thing that is often hard to do is take a good look at what we have on our plate and identify which items can be done by someone else. By decluttering your schedule, you are giving yourself better chances to get to the finish line with a smile and potentially give the other person the opportunity to grow. Win-Win.
Sounds easy enough, but will probably prove to be challenging when it comes to it. Agility is not only applicable in Project Management. You need to give yourself the flexibility to pivot to a different task if you come across an unexpected issue or new information that calls for a change of priority.
Chances are you are as passionate about learning as I am (You stuck with me thus far); If that is the case, you probably live by one predominant rule: there is always room for improvement. Learning something new is fun and allows you to adapt quickly to changes and discover tools and methodologies that will hopefully take you to the next level.
Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans. Ensuring a healthy work-life balance will likely be the biggest challenge but a few drops of goodwill and a zest of healthy determination is the recipe to avoid burnout. I recommend reading The Power of Now by Eckart Tolle; Being fully present wherever you are will allow you to embrace the time spent with family and friends and sharply improve your focus at work.
The bottom line is it all lies in specific behaviour and strategies. Accomplishing more in less time will most definitely necessitate acquiring new habits. Although I tend to have a hard time forging new habits this is a journey that I am willing to take; My only hope is that the new task turns the other ones into fluffy pieces of cake and allows me to finally add an item called Fun to it all.
Rosiane Tsoumtsa, PMP.