Everyone Needs Motivation Every Now and Then to Stay Productive. Here Are 10 Tips to Help You Out.
We all know to “put our phones away,” or “stop scrolling,” but let’s cut the BS Aluxers – we’re just not going to do those things.
So, instead of feeling terrible every time you read a message or find yourself scrolling through endless suggestions on how to make the perfect meringue on Pinterest, we’ve got some solid advice on how you can easily become more productive and get real pleasure, instead of guilt, when you’re reading the secrets to the perfect pavlova.
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1
Stop Working
Yep, sounds super counter-productive but hear us out.
You know that feeling… when you need to work or study, but your eyes are heavy and burning. Your head feels like it weighs a ton and you’re not sure when you last had a sip of water. It’s time to stop. Sitting there and staring blankly at the screen is not going to get the job done, and if you do manage to fulfil the half-hearted attempt, it’s going to be cr*p.
Shut your laptop, go rest, take a walk, play with the dog, or just soak up some vitamin D – anything to break away from the monotony of staring at the screen.
When you feel a bit more energetic, then start again.
2
It Just Takes 2 Minutes
A simple 2 minutes or 120-seconds is all you need to get productive and get things done. Granted, you’re not going to write an essay on Aesop in 2-minutes, but you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve.
The “2-Minute Rule” doesn’t imply that you fill your entire day doing 2-minute tasks, because then you’ll definitely not get anything done! It works well if you implement it like this: Sort out your “To-Do” list. While you’re writing down your list, see what will just take a couple of minutes and complete those. You will feel motivated to return to your other tasks when you see how manageable and easy the shorter ones were to complete. Go you!
3
Multitasking Is a Myth
In our video, 15 Productivity Habits to Win Back Your Time & Life, we spoke about how multi-tasking is a fable… this time not credited to Aesop… and actually wastes more time than it saves.
Earl Miller, an expert on divided attention, claims “The brain is not wired to multitask.” He adds, “When people think they’re multitasking, they’re actually just switching from one task to another very rapidly and every time they do, there’s a cognitive cost.”
So, quit trying to win a prize for being busy and doing 2 or 3 things at once – because there is no prize. Rather dedicate yourself to each project properly, complete it and then move onto the next.
4
Use Low Energy Patches Efficiently
Your slump could be a daily occurrence around 3ish, so instead of using that time to skulk to the kitchen for a cookie and tea, rather plan to make the phone-calls that are eye-rollingly boring but need to be done. Basically, any low-priority tasks that don’t require a lot of mental attention to complete, are best left to this slumpish period of your day.
If you’re feeling low energy all the time, that’s a different story. Then you’ll need to figure out why you’re slumping, focus on what matters most to you, identify where you’re doing well and work on ways to build on that momentum. There’s nothing wrong with seeking professional help to give you a boost.
5
Get the Meeting Out of the Way
We would all love to ditch the meetings, but sometimes there is no way around them – you just have to sit through them.
When possible, schedule meetings as the first part of your day. This is to everyone’s benefit and will waste a whole lot less time during the day. Reason being, is that when a meeting is scheduled for later in the day, you tend to either be worrying about the meeting, or doing arbitrary things while you bide your time to the meeting. You can’t really get involved with anything major if you have to get up and leave, right? Right?
6
Take Advantage of Technology
Our parents didn’t have access to useful online work or scheduling platforms, like Trello or Monday.com – they used to rely on things like a Filofax or desktop calendars. We are spoilt for choice. With the help of a little tech, we can never have a clash of arrangements, we’ll never forget when the pets need their deworming medicine or when the car is due for its next service.
Try a variety of service on a trial basis and then sign up to the one that best matches your requirements and lifestyle.
Technology can even help you make money, check out 10 Technologies That Can Make You Rich.
7
Threes Not a Crowd
Entrepreneur and Youtuber, Erin on Demand, has some solid advice when it comes to being super productive.
Her method is to focus on three tasks daily.
So, like our 2-minute rule empowered us to keep going when we crossed off the smaller tasks, this method is slightly different. With the 3-task method you feel motivated to get those 3 tasks done quickly, and you’re empowered when you actually finish all three of them in one day.
So, Aluxers, you need to decide which method would suit your personality better.
8
Will the Real Aluxer Please Stand Up
Standing up will do you the world of good when you’re doing your best to be productive. Getting up on those two feet will help you out of your slump and give you a much-needed boost of energy.
You could try a stand-up desk, but if that’s not possible – try getting up every 15-minutes – stretch it out, walk a few paces, smile and then get back to work.
If you’re sitting on the fence with regard to converting to a standing desk, here are some benefits that you might want to consider:
Standing at your desk reduces shoulder and back pain, obesity, diabetes, cancers of the colon, cardiovascular disease and even premature death. The Washington Post affirmed that standing desks also make you more productive.
9
Prioritize Yourself and Then Your Most Important Tasks
Aluxers, you can’t be productive or motivated when you’re sitting in front of your computer without having brushed your teeth, changed out of your pyjamas, and have a desk that looks like it’s vomited stationery at you… So, go take care of yourself and your space first.
Take the advice of Stephen Covey from his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. There he says, “If I really want to improve my situation, I can work on the one thing over which I have control – myself.”
The whole book is a great listen, so get your free download from Audible and us by heading to alux.com/freebook.
Once you’ve taken care of yourself, you can start focusing on your most important tasks.
10
Read Things Properly
How much time do we waste by just skimming through a document or email? The answer is plenty. But forget about the time aspect and just think of the additional stress we put ourselves under when we don’t read things through properly.
One minute you’re happily employed with a decent salary, next minute you’re fearing for your job and wondering when the next pay check will arrive – when all your boss requested was a meeting to discuss a potential project in the pipeline.
Spend a few minutes going through every line. Don’t assume you know what the other person is asking for or explaining to you. Your future self will thank you, and you will be left with more time to focus on that potential project in the pipeline.
Question:
What productivity tips work well for you? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
