How to focus on productivity rather than being busy
Whether you’re working in a faced-paced office, or juggling meetings from home between school pick-ups, we know that sometimes, those pesky do-to-lists often become longer before they get shorter, causing us to feel overwhelmed and unproductive 😔. And if you’re anything like the leaders that we work with, who might procrastinate on the big/scary/boring/unknown tasks, only to get to the end of the day and be too tired to even consider getting started – you’re in good company!
But no matter who you are, we’re here to help you be on-point when it comes to managing your precious 24 hours in each day. Want to find out our top tips for keeping our leaders motivated and productive? Read on…
1. Do the big things when you’re most alert.
The key here is to find a routine that works for YOU. Here in the Awareness Co. office we have one gal who’s in the office nice and early to do her best work whilst the morning sun is streaming through the window. Yet, our Chief Creative Officer actually gets into her flow with a cuppa after the kids have gone to bed. So, ask yourself “When do I have the most energy? What routine can I create that’s going to support me to get my best work done?”
2. Live by the 2-minute rule.
According to David Allen’s Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, finding and immediately completing tasks when they present themselves that take two minutes or less actually saves you time in the long run, by not letting the small things add up and cause feelings of overwhelm. It also means one less bullet point on your to-do-list!… (or you can do what I sometimes do and quickly write it on the list afterwards and immediately cross it out for that extra boost of positive achievement!).
3. Take your lunch break. Non-negotiable.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we know we don’t work well when we’re burned out. So, it’s imperative to set some boundaries around your lunch break. This means stepping away from your desk or place of work (and preferably, outside or in a calm environment) to nourish your body and mind. In our team, we have our lunch break scheduled into our diaries every day, knowing that we will always accommodate our clients and urgent work at this time if needed, but if this occurs, we can move our break rather than forget about it completely. Prioritising your breaks also sets a good example to your people that valuing your wellbeing benefits your productivity and quality of work.
And look, we get it, no matter much we prioritise these small habits, some days it’s undoubtedly going to turn pear-shaped, and it will seem like you don’t get anything done. When this happens – don’t beat yourself up! Tell yourself how amazing you are for continuing to show up and remember…there’s always tomorrow to start again.
Awareness Co. is a Wollongong based Employee Engagement and Wellbeing consultancy, providing HR solutions that go beyond just work performance, and focus on developing individuals and teams to thrive in work and in life. Awareness Co. use the latest evidence-based tools to improve wellbeing, resilience and performance transforming the way you think, feel and behave at work. To learn more about our services, and to book in for your FREE 30-minute consultation, visit https://www.awarenessco.com.au/book-a-meeting
