Are you working towards being your most productive self?
This is my mission each and every time I sit down at my desk.
Have you ever been told that you can do more than one thing at a time? Or even that you should do more than one thing at a time? Did that cause you to pause with hesitation or did it motivate you, like, “Oh hell yeah. Yes I can!“
I’m an overachiever at heart. So the answer for me, without hesitation, was the latter. Of course I can!
The problem is, multitasking in many cases doesn’t make any sense. Think about it for a sec.
Personally, I can walk and chew gum at the same time. I can also rub my belly with one hand while patting my head with the other – I mean, that’s a serious gift, right?!
But let’s talk about multitasking when it comes to important tasks – like spending quality time with your family, responding to emails, or writing a blog post.
How many of you have tried to be present and engaged on a Zoom conference call while you pay bills? I can see some of you smiling out there. I’ll admit, too, that I have. And you know what? It doesn’t work! Either I screwed up my billing or I gave a super vague answer to a question when I was called upon during the call (OMG… so embarrassing).
Certainly, multitasking is not the key to being your most productive self.
Honestly, do you know any human who is able to do more than one thing at a time and do it WELL? I’ve seen many people juggle multiple tasks at a time. Hell, that’s the definition of a parent, right?
But the key word here is well.
I can do more than one thing at a time, BUT (and that’s a huge but) I cannot complete those tasks well.
Being your most productive self
When my attention is split, I lack focus. I am not giving any one task all of my attention. And when I lack focus, I feel anxious. I’m stressed that I’m not getting to everything and that I’m forgetting something. I really don’t feel productive at all. If I can be honest, I feel like I’m losing more than winning.
Think about that for a second.
If only we just focused on one single task at hand, what would happen? How would we feel?
I can tell you.
It feels AMAZING. Giving all my focus to one task at a time makes me feel like I am in control of my day. I’m less stressed. I feel more productive. And to top it off, when I’m in the zone, I can plow through my to do list. I accomplish more in my day which frees up more time in my schedule.
That free time can be spent on things that I love – dates with my husband, hikes with my friends, playtime with the kiddos, going to get my hair done, getting a massage…
Sounds so good, right?
The key to working hard so we can play harder isn’t a secret. It’s not even hard to do. It’s just that sometimes we get so caught up in the hustle and chaos of our lives that we forget to do it.
We simply forget to focus.
That’s it! It’s not fancy, but it’s so powerful.
Being your most productive self comes down to focus.
Here are some of the tricks I share with my clients for achieving the best environment for focus.
- Dedicate a quiet, space in your home to work. You do not have to have a dedicated office. This space can be anywhere in your home that makes you feel motivated and focused.
- Make a short to do list at the end of every work day.
- When you sit down to work, have a timer at the ready. Set the timer for different tasks, such as 15 minutes to check email, 50 minutes for writing, 50 minutes to work on a project, etc. When that timer goes off, it’s time for you to move on.
- When you are working on a task, turn off everything else. For instance, if you are writing, turn off your email, phone, text messages, and any other notifications that may distract you.
- Place a notebook and a pen next to you so that you may jot down thoughts or other to do’s that pop into your head as you are working through a task. Once it’s out of your head and onto paper, it’s amazing how those shiny objects will disappear!
At the end of your workday, it’s not uncommon to feel utterly exhausted, even though you are so happy with all you accomplished. Remember, you just rocked your day!
Relax, unwind, and celebrate. I don’t think we do this enough for ourselves, especially when we are working from home. Enjoy a long bath, go for a walk and watch the sunset, savor a glass of your favorite wine, or all of the above… because you deserve it!
Within no time you’ll be saying, Bring on tomorrow! For it will be another awesome day.
May you go forth and focus. You can do this.
