Productivity #1

Hey ya! I hope everyone is safe and well. Social distancing and self-quarantine remain a high priority in the effort to flatten the curve and contain the Coronavirus pandemic. So, if you're bored rigid, hang in there! Let’s take this time to support each other and to take care of our wellbeing, physically as well as mentally. Here are some of the ways to help you make the most out of this time so you feel less apathetic and dispirited.

1. Start doing

"Done is better than perfect, stop waiting for the perfect time with the perfect condition to start."- Sheryl Sandberg

You know that task that you’ve put away for a very long time, that task that you’ve avoided by giving excuses like “I don’t have the time to do this”. All the things you considered to change but yet haven’t taken any real action? The New Year’s resolution that you haven’t kept up to? Exactly, this is the perfect time to attempt that thing that you always delay.

Allocate an uninterrupted block of time to complete the task by eliminating digital distractions. Are you as shocked as me when you receive a screen time weekly report showing the total amount of time you spent on your phone? It’s crazy how we always complain about not having enough time, yet we are not aware of an awful lot of time we put into mindlessly scrolling and browsing social apps. Put your phone on do not disturb mode. Turn off notifications. Don’t let unnecessary stuff affects your flow of productivity. Once you get going, you will get into a rhythm that you’re so absorbed in the task that you lose your sense of time.

Start your day by completing the most dreaded task and discipline yourself to persist until you completed the task. We have the ability to imagine ourselves in hypothetical situations, we misjudge and make poor assumptions. We look at some more difficult ventures and begin to unconsciously feel as though we’re not capable, hence we avoid them. We come up with new things to steer clear of the more difficult things that are piling up in our to-do list. Simply said, we are afraid of doing things that can lead to our efforts go in vain.

However, things aren’t always as bad as we think in our head. Try downsizing the difficult tasks from big mountains to small pebbles so they won’t feel as strenuous to accomplish. On top of that, be responsible for your tasks. When you choose to do it, you’re more likely to finish what you have started. Just like how when you’re watching tv shows or reading a book and there’s a cliff hanger, you become engage and want to see how it ends. Apply this ability of yours into executing your tasks.

2. Try new things, change your routine

"Never be afraid to try something new, because life gets boring when you stay within the limits of what you already know."

You incorporate activities and products that motivate and inspire you into your daily lifestyles. After a certain period, you experience diminished marginal utility and hit that plateau where everything is stagnant. You feel sluggish, exhausted and bored with life. The routine that used to boost your productivity may not be as effective anymore, just like how our skin gets immune to skincare products and we have to change things up once in a while.

Make slight changes to your daily routine and step out of your comfort zone. As creatures of habit, we tend to stay on the routine that we are comfortable with, we resist changing. We’re so used to certain behaviour and activities that we developed automaticity. Assuming that you love team sports like basketball and football, you’d have this common misconception that yoga is boring and it’s not your cup of tea. So you never take the chance to try it because you believe you’ll be bored doing a more endurance and flexibility focused sport rather than a fitness-focused contact sport. Grasp this opportunity to try otherwise you will never know how much it can resonate with you.

Take this time to try out new activities and pick up new hobbies. I love baking. I find baking very therapeutic, it helps to calm my nerves so I can do more throughout the day. As much as I still love baking, it no longer provides that serenity and fulfilment. Recently, I’ve been more into reading. I realized reading self-help books help me to get my mindset in the right place and elevates productivity as well as performance.

It’s always a good idea to think about your favourite activities that you did when you were younger. Perhaps playing a musical instrument is right up your alley but you had to give up because you’re stuck in a strict non-negotiable schedule. Now, it’s the time to change up your daily routine, pick up new interests that can improve your quality of life and stimulate your brain. We are learning as we go, remember to be open to new opportunities and adventures, you’ll be surprised.

2. Reflect

“Self-reflection is the school of wisdom.” Baltasar Gracian

No surprise that reflection is one of the ways to increase productivity. There’s no better time to reflect and contemplate about life than now. The practice of being in silence and solitude allows you to see the situation from a different perspective. You can see the problem arising from your thoughts without being clouded by other people’s opinions.

You know how sometimes you feel extremely productive on one day and the next day you feel like you didn’t accomplish a single thing? It’s fine to have a few slack-off days but when you realise your unproductive days are occurring more often. It raises a red flag. Majority of the time when we feel unmotivated and hopeless is because we forgot what the intention behind our choices was, we lost track on why we do the things we are doing. Utilise this time to examine and reflect on your goal and vision. The power of vision and direction are irresistible forces that can help you become more productive. It can help you overcome obstacles, so you won’t give up at the first sign of distress.

Do some internal digging and think about what you want to achieve in the long term, choose a direction even if it might change in the future. Are your decisions leading you to your wholeheartedness or are they leaving you feeling empty? Are your choices for your good or are they merely choices you made because you fear of missing out? Identify the circumstances that throw you off course, distract or interrupt you. When you contemplate about life, you will see the light of new possibilities and beginnings no matter how miserable and lost you are.

People who become great at something become great because they understand that they are mediocre, and they could be so much better. Reflect by going through your limitations and taking responsibilities for your faults. Have the courage to assess the less ideal behaviours you’d like to change, so you keep improving and become better. Sometimes, to go further, you need to stop and reflect on your life and what is happening around you. To go further, you need to gain a better perspective and make sure you are travelling on the right journey.

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for the next post on productivity :)

P.S: I'm not sure if I should start vlogging again and share content about personal development, self care etc. Let me know if you prefer reading or watching my real life talk HAHA. lots of love x