This photograph is not relevant, but I thought it was beautiful anyhow.
Productivity is and most likely will always be a hot topic. How can we get more done and faster? Let me list out ways that I have found to be more productive.
1. Do Less
Well that sounds counterintuitive! I have found that I make ginormous lists with everything I am going to get done today, I can get it done. Tomorrow I can too. And then the wheels will start falling off. I give up and nothing gets done.
Now I have a short list of what must get done today. If it goes on the list it WILL get done. I keep my promises to myself. But I also have learned that I need to use self-care and prioritize myself when I am creating that list. A gajillion things is not healthy for me and I am my #1 asset and we protect our assets.
2. Keep Your Promises
If you keep your promises, you will beat yourself up and beat yourself down in order to keep them. And then... you learn to stop making so many promises. Be honest. Be honest with yourself. Instead of setting a goal to win the Boston Marathon, when you've never run a mile, set a goal to become healthier and set small goals where you love you when you set it.
You'll learn to stop making promises you can't keep if you make yourself keep them.
3. Map out yearly, quarterly, monthly goals
One of the reasons why we try to do so much is because we don't have a plan. If you know where you are going, the steps necessary to get there, and have them set out, you can trust the plan. I write out my goals for the day on a weekly basis. I know what needs to happen this month, what is remaining to do, I have laid the days out and know where I have meetings, where I have room on what days, and where I can add things.
I wrote about the planner I am using this year here.
4. Stop Doing Filler Work
What is filler work? Filler work is all the stuff we do so we can say we do all this work.
Filler work is different for different people. Last year I made a commitment to read the entire bible. That turned out to be 100% filler work. My intention when I set that goal was to have more time for my spiritual health. Reading how Zipporah cut off her son's foreskin to wipe on Moses feet to save him from God's wrath doesn't help my spiritual health. It does up the WTF factor to a whole new level though.
Filler work might be making your bed every day because someone told you that it was important for your mental health. You might be a person who isn't bothered by an unmade bed.
Questions yourself. Is this the best way to achieve this goal? 10,000 steps every day isn't the best way to achieve health. It can be a tool, but is it your best tool?
Start thinking outside the box. How can you get more done while doing less? If you always keep your promises, what promises will you stop making? Stop with the easy work that just fills up time. Leave room in your day for yourself. And then carefully add things that will help you get to where you want to go.
The #1 thing? Be more careful when you add things to your list.
Transforming my life in 2021 to optimize joy!
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