“I have some extra work I need to finish by the end of this week, so I’ll take it home with me.”
“I’ll skip lunch today so I can get this task done on time.”
“I’ll just check my email once more before bed. Ok, maybe once before I brush my teeth, and once after…”
Any of these sound familiar? We tend to take these little shortcuts day in and day out to gain the upper hand of being productive. We add things to our daily lists, happy to check off a few, but then notice that five more tasks have been added on, to be completed. NOW.
All for the sake of being productive, what ends up being sacrificed is our overall sense of wellbeing. Instead of feeling like the work we do is meaningful, we end up becoming overwhelmed with the ever increasing pile of tasks…and ultimately, the overwhelm turns into a lack of motivation, and a feeling of doing anything BUT being productive…why do you think coffee runs are so popular?
The irony in all of this is that we live in a culture that highly emphasizes the skill of productivity and rewards those that have found the key to being the super-productivers in our society. (Yes, I did just make up a word. It made me feel productive in writing this article.) So here we are, stuck in between the demand our society places on us of being productive in our work, and yet, the way in which we show our productivity is jumping from one task to the next, racing to keep in pace with the ever-growing list of to-do’s on our desk.
I already feel overwhelmed just thinking about that last sentence.
Perhaps, our focus shouldn’t be on how we can be more productive with our work. Instead, we should reassess the definition of productiveness and what a well-rounded approach to the concept would look like. Then we could try it on for size.
REDEFINE #1- Take your vacation days. Take your breaks.
One area that gives an incredible boost to our productivity is the one that most people tend to resist. Taking Vacation. Project Time Off, a research group funded by the U.S. Travel Association, took a deep dive into studying what happens when people ACTUALLY use their vacation days. Interestingly, a 2016 report from the project found workers who took 11 or more vacation days were more likely to have received a raise or a bonus in the previous three years than workers who took 10 or fewer days. (Say WHAT?!?)
So, we’re learning that taking MORE time off does not equal LESS productivity. AND, it could potentially lead to higher pay. Well…that is news to me, but I sure am willing to try that one on! For Californians out there, we may be a tourist destination, but when it comes to taking vacation time in comparison to other states, we’re not doing so hot. We rank 46 of all 51 states. Ouch. Let’s turn that around and bump Colorado out of first place!
Not sure how to map out your vacation or feeling like you’re in a position where you can’t take much time off? Not a problem. Head over to Project Time Off, which gives not only more stats to back up this concept, but also has handy tools and advice ranging from creative vacation planning to setting a snazzy away message that will have your co-workers running to set vacation plans of their own.
REDEFINE #2- Get rid of the checklist.
I’m kidding, I’m kidding! I just wanted to see if you made it this far. But now that I have your full attention, how about we give our lists a serious upgrade. Productivity is the fine balance between working on things you enjoy, taking breaks, and ultimately achieving the results you set out to accomplish (or something along those lines). So perhaps our lists should take all of this into consideration.
Whether you want to use different colored pens, create multiple columns or have color-coded Post-it notes…find your own unique way of creating a WELL-ROUNDED list. One that includes the breaks that give you a productive boost, the big-picture projects that excite you, and oh yes, the daily tasks that need to get done.
And while you’re at it, take a pause at the end of each day to rank each item on your list on a 1-10 scale (one meaning the task will most likely get pushed to next year, and ten feeling like you could do this for ages!). By doing this, you’ll become more aware of the tasks that really excite you and bring you joy. Why is this important? Because productivity works BEST when you are doing things you truly enjoy, rather than the things that just get you through the day (and if you’re just trying to get through the day…I think we have a bigger problem on our hands).
REDEFINE #3- Breathe deeply. Seriously. Do it.
I cannot emphasize this ENOUGH. Some may say we have a shallow society. But I say we are a society of shallow breathers. And that does us no good in the realm of productiveness. Shallow breathing leads us down a road of anxiety, overwhelm, and a lack of focus…all due to our brains not getting enough oxygen in the first place.
Learn how to breathe productively. This can be as simple as breathing in for a count of two, and breathing out for a count of three. Try it for a minute and notice what changes for you. If you need a visual reminder, pull out those friendly post-its again and paste reminders around your desk. Add it to your checklist. Looking for the ultimate guide on breathing, you truly need to search no further.
One last tip on breathing is actually remembering to do it. So here’s my little trick that you may find useful. Think about a situation where you DO breathe deeply. For some it may be deeply inhaling that first cup of coffee. Others may tend to bury their noses deep into a bouquet of roses. Some think of donuts. For me, it tends to be when I open my front door for the first time each day.
I take in a big whiff of morning air, no matter how hot or cold.
So now that you have that moment in your head, make one of your hands into a fist shape and gently press your thumb into the knuckle of your pointer finger. Do this several times, connecting that deep breathe with the pressure of your thumb and pointer finger. (In Neuro-Linguistic Programming, we call this technique Anchoring). Whenever you need the reminder to breathe, press your anchor to trigger your own deep breathing experience. The best part is that the anchor itself is so subtle, it will be hardly noticed by others around you.
And now we’ve come full circle to the end of this article, not once mentioning the dark side of productivity. Well, here it is. I believe the darkness lies in the fact that we’ve been looking at it all wrong. We define our own sense of purpose and value on society’s definition of what it means to be productive. And that ultimately leads to burn out. It’s a definition that keeps leading us to a dead end.
Take productivity into your own hands and literally mold it into the definition that makes sense to you. There is no “one size fits all” productive guide out there (yet), but perhaps the key is in taking a step back, reassessing what works for you and what doesn’t, and playing with new and creative ideas that will lead you to a path far more productive and enjoyable. Now that sounds good to me.
Coffee run, anyone?