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I am a productivity nerd. Books on productivity are like crack to me. I have read hundreds of books on the topic. One area I do struggle with is implementing the strategies that I learned. I mean reading all about them is all fine and dandy but what good will they do me if they remain a theory in a book? Granted not all productive hints will work for everyone but how will I know they are right for me if I never try them? I am going to track the ones below using the app Exist. I have finally admitted that I and paper planers did not work out after my kitten spilled water all over mine. I realized I would instead use Todoist and Trello and Google Calendar. I am an all tech girl. Anyway, Exist lets you track custom habits. I have been tracking my habits using this for a few months now, and I feel that I have a baseline on which to see if I am making progress or not.
Getting dressed in real clothes
I am soooo bad about this. I work in my pajamas more often than not. On the days that I HAVE gotten dressed in street clothes, I have been uber productive. I think if I workout then get dressed with makeup, and I do something with my hair rather than put it in a knot when I feel like I AM working where if I stay in my PJ’s then I find myself down the social media rabbit hole.
Time blocking
I have resisted so long to use this cause what if it is 10 am on Tuesday morning, and I don’t feel like writing. I then realize I was only cheating myself and that I need to take my writing seriously if I want to be even more successful. So I am gonna map out times to work out, social media and taking pics and all of that good stuff. I need to start adulting hard.
Eat the frog
Again I realize I could save myself so much misery if I would do the thing I am dreading most first thing in the morning ( after my morning routine) and that I can avoid hours of anxiety. Each night I am gonna pick out the one thing that has to be done the next day, and that is what I will start with.
Working in batches.
I do this somewhat already. I mean writing and editing then making a posted graphics in canvas individually ate up A LOT of time. So now I look at my editorial calendar in Trello and move that weeks posts to working on a column and write and do all the other minion little things like making graphics in Canva altogether. This alone has saved me hours of mind-numbing work.
I hope that by implementing these four stages That I will be able to get more done in less time. I hate the feeling as if I am always falling behind. I want to be ahead of my game so to speak. I also have days where I have horrible anxiety and am unable to really get anything done. This often makes me behind on essential things. Sometimes I am lucky, and it only lasts a few hours other times an attack will go on for days, and that is when I really have difficulty. I feel that if I am ahead, then the days I am sick will have a less adverse effect than it does currently.
Yes, I dress each morning even though I work for home. Unless I am feeling ill, then pajamas will do. I like your ideas and realized I implement quite a few of them. I am a creature of habit and love routine. Now on the other hand I have read zero books about productivity..lol Best of luck!
I, too, work from home and live in my pajama pants and a t-shirt. Last night I dreamed my boss and a co-worker showed up for a surprise home office visit and I hadn’t changed clothes, bathed or brushed my hair in a week!!! I decided that was a wake up call from the Universe. It’s so hard though! I jump out of bed and start right in on my day and never even think about brushing my hair or changing into clothes. (I do shower!!!)
What is your plan for making that change of clothes happen? Like, will you get dressed the minute you get up? Or at a specific time of day? Will you set an alarm? Or is the rule always after the last bite of breakfast or last swallow of coffee?
Actully i read a book called the miricle morning. I created my own morning routine. It is get up get caffinted, go to the gym, come home and shower and get dressed in “real clothes” Put on make up, mediate then morning pages. Getting dressd in real clothes is a problem at the moment with so little that I have fitting me lol. I am going to hit up thred up since it has so many rave revews from bloggers i trust. I really dnt wanna spend a fourtune when i still have 80 pounds to lose.
I’m familiar with Miracle Morning. My problem is I take care of my 91-yo mom and I literarlly cannot hop into the shower until she’s awake. Why? Because she can’t get out of bed by herself so if she wakes up she’s going to call me. She can’t hear the shower so she’s going to keep calling me, wondering why I don’t come to her. That will worry her. So, I wait until she’s up and settled before I hop in a shower. If this is early enough, it all works out. I’m showered and dressed before work. If she sleeps in until 11am like she did yesterday, I’m out of luck. No time for a shower. I don’t want to change into clean clothes if I need a shower. Ugh. Today she got up early enough so I’m showered and dressed. Yay!!!
that makes perfect sense. If I had to take care of someone then I doubt I would get dressed either but alas I live alone and it is starting to seem a bit sad. Lol
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