I bet that, like me, you have always suspected that, no matter how good was the task control of great executives, they only were who they were giving up time with family and friends – and sometimes giving up their own health. It turns out that after a search, which resulted in this text, I believe that you will change your mind. At least I did. Check out what you can delete in your routine, what should add to it, and which strategies help you with this:
1. Move your body
The problem: Most people think they have no time left to start an exercise. Most people think they first need to become productive and, then yes, they will have free time to practice a sport. This is a trap, and can even be a self-sabotage. You do not need that.
The solution: is reached in 3 steps. First, spend less time sitting. Make 5 minutes breaks every 45 minutes to go to the toilet, take a glass of water and look out the window… Anyway, anything other than look at the computer. The second step to increase your productivity is to move your body without necessarily having a sport. You can go by bike to work, or go by car, parking far from your job building. You can use the stairs in the morning, or take care of a mini-garden once a week. Finally, the last step: do different exercises. To get started, walk 15min, race 5min, and more 15min of walking. At the same time, find out your favorite sport and practice it 2x per week. Start slowly and you will come away! Call someone you like to start with you, but do not depend on that person. Working out comes from working: the secret is the same, discipline. This includes getting up an hour or two earlier, and not to surrender after a bad day at work. And by the way…
2. Clear your mind
The problem: No one can be productive being completely distracted, anxious and angry. And unfortunately, this is the standard mood for many of us at work. Disconnecting from work is not just about being away from the office: your e-mails, your smartphone, your addiction to checking each notification, everything is with you to remind you.
The solution: is independent of your religious belief. Meditation, for example, can be a powerful way to regenerate your focus and your mental balance. It is not difficult to understand how a practice that improves the ability to maintain awareness in the present and the attention focused on something is really useful in a work environment of constant distractions as yours. Sit cross-legged, on Buddha position, close your eyes and set a 5 minutes timer. Start slowly. You will have dozens of different thoughts and feelings as well. Your knee may hurt, your neck, maybe. But you can feel the air against your skin, the temperature changing over you, passing cars, works across the street, children running, random conversations. Instead of following the instinct and get stressed, “Wow! I was supposed to send this e-mail” or “I forgot to check that” meditation helps to have the maturity to simply write down what needs to be done, and do it. Then…
3. Plan, prioritize, review
The problem: In order to be productive, you need a task control, starting with a clear vision of what you want to accomplish and a plan of how to do it. One of the most common dangers is to start working more and even though, to not come closer to fulfilling your tasks. Actually, the more productive you are the less you work.
The solution: is crucial and should not be ignored. Without it, it is as if you were blindfolded while trying to hit a target: it would take much longer. So, sit calmly and quietly and set the goals or tasks you must accomplish within a month, until the end of this week and what needs to be done today. Do not overload yourself. Write down, set the order of priority, and put it in your agenda, notebook or your phone. Then, at the end of each month, week and day, make a review. Look at all you got to do and which tasks await for tomorrow, for the end of week and for the end of the month. This is the to-do list of a professional insanely productive. Plan, prioritize, review: this is your mantra. You will feel more satisfied with your performance and more willing to continue the next day with all outlined and less likely to go wrong.
4. Rest, have fun, rejuvenate
The problem: Americans work about 2h30 more per day than worked in the 60’s? Per year, they work 136 hours more than the Japanese, 260 more than the British and 499 more than the French.
The solution: comes from the Scientific American article. According to the text, “Downtime replenishes the brain’s stores of attention and motivation, encourages productivity and creativity, and is essential to both achieve our highest levels of performance and simply form stable memories in everyday life. A wandering mind unsticks us in time so that we can learn from the past and plan for the future”. In other words, your brain is not inactive when resting, on the contrary, it is strengthened. Another critical point is your sleep. A quick tip: do not use mobile phone or tablet in bed, because it reduces drowsiness, the body’s defense and increases the risk of heart problems and obesity. If you have trouble sleeping, remember that exercising also contributes to a good night’s sleep.
Record the 4 strategies of this post, as I will do, and be sure to follow them. What is at stake is your future as professional. My last tip goes for leaders who understand that a healthy task control should not be a privilege of their own. With Runrun.it, task, time and performance management software, your team productivity can increase the equivalent of 1 working day more. Make the experience for free: http://runrun.it
Recommended for you:
- (Infographic) Time management: 8 favorite productivity hacks of CEOs
- What destroys your company’s productivity and you did not know
- Productivity: 5 companies that will surprise in 2015
