How to Actually Feel Productive on Your Toughest Days
Photo by SEO Galaxy on Unsplash
TL/DR:
It’s rough out there; redefine productivity and lower the bar.
Get clear on a VERY short list of “must‑dos” and let the rest go without guilt.
Be ruthlessly realistic with what you can do
Reflect daily: what worked, what didn’t, and what you’ll adjust tomorrow?:
The Whole Shebang:
Are you, like me, finding it difficult to be “productive” when all you can think about are families being ripped apart, innocent folks being kidnapped by ICE or the willful disregard of our constitutional rights, or whatever the current horror is in your part of the world?
First things first: I certainly don’t have all the answers.
But, what I can do, is share with you some of the tactics and mindsets that are helping me during this time, while I try to keep my family, and my business, alive while also trying to figure out what I, personally, can do (besides calling my representatives on the daily) to fight for good, in the face of evil, and ensure I’m on the right side of history.
Define what productive means for you right now
I can’t define what productivity means for you.
But I bet you can.
I remember, back when I was on maternity leave many years ago, and I would get to the end of the day, a total blur, and I had one marker of productivity for myself: Had I unloaded the dishwasher?
If so, it had been an extremely productive day. If not, well, we were all still alive, and that was really the baseline marker of achievement.
If there were ever a time to lower the bar on your personal productivity, this is it.
Maybe, for now, productivity means sleeping enough, and making sure the bills are paid and the kids are fed. Maybe it’s about hitting work deadlines, but letting everything else go. Maybe, it’s about connecting with your far flung family daily. Each life is different. You get to define your own bar.
Mine: it’s doing what I intended to do, and at the same time, being ruthlessly realistic about what I’m capable of, and what will really move the needle, in all aspects of my life: personal, business and civic.
Pick just a few “must-dos” each day
Instead of looking at your super-long list and feeling overwhelmed, instead, pick just a few “must-do” items each day, and focus on those.
These are the things you’ll get done, come hell or high water.
You may think that everything on your list falls into the “urgent and important” category.
But I can assure you it does not.
Now is the time to get ruthless about prioritization.
If you’re having trouble prioritizing, flip your prioritization on its head.:
Look at your list and say, “if there‘s one thing I could cut from today, what would it be?”.
Then do that until you’re left with only the things that absolutely must be done. Then focus on getting only these items done.
I’m not here to decide for you what these “must dos” are, because I don’t live your life. It very well could be that if your kids get food in their bellies, and you turn in that one work assignment with a deadline of tomorrow, you’ve done what you set out to do.
You decide.
Let everything else go
Now, I’m not saying do nothing else from your list. I’m just saying, once you’ve done the “must dos”, I want you to feel accomplished and productive.
If you get nothing else done, then that’s OK.
Because you did the “must dos”.
If you get those must do’s done, and the day’s not yet over and you’ve got a little energy left over, then look at your list again and decide if there’s one more thing you can tackle.
OR just relax.
Up to you.
Make task realism your goal
You know how I just said I’m being ruthlessly realistic as my goal? Here’s what I mean:
Ask yourself:
“What can I ACTUALLY get done today?”
“What do I have time for?” “
“When will I do my “must dos”?
“Will the things I’ve set out to do today actually fit in your calendar?”
Think about it this way:
If you’re only getting 3 things done today, realistically, is it better to have 3 things on the list and get them all done, or have 10 things on the list and only get done 3?
For me, the clear winner is the former.
In both cases, 3 things were complete; the productive output has not changed.
But in the first case you get to feel good about yourself. And in the second case, I’m pretty sure you’ll be feeling shitty about yourself.
And I don’t know about you, but I want to feel good. Or, as good as I can, given the circumstances.
Experiment, iterate, repeat
Were you too ambitious today? That’s OK.
Lower the bar for tomorrow.
Did you have some extra time in your schedule today (lucky you!)?
Do you want to use that time to do “productive” things? Or to take care of yourself?
Things improve when you actively take notice.
And it’s not as hard as you think to increase that awareness.
Every day, just ask yourself:
What went well? (So you can double down on it.)
What didn’t go so well?
What will I try tomorrow, to make tomorrow just a little better than today?
