Tag: Productivity

3 Reasons You’re Feeling Unproductive (and What to Do About It)

As my boy, Li Shang, famously said, let’s get down to business. If you’re here right now, I’m willing to bet you’ve been in that kind of sloppy hell: The Slow, Sloppy Hell of Feeling Unproductive.

It isn’t exactly painful outright. It’s one of those slow-burns. And it burns from the inside out. It targets your self-confidence and motivation and self-determination ever so gradually until they’re nothing but ashes.

Sound familiar? Don’t worry, friend. I’m here.

Let me help you douse that flame now before it continues to spread. Here are three reasons why you’re not achieving anything right now and what you can do about it.

Why You are Feeling Unproductive Today and What You Can Do About It

1) You are busy doing other less important things

Look, I get it. We’ve all been there. We’ve all said we had an unproductive day. That we weren’t able to accomplish that one thing because we were too busy on other things.

But were you?

Were you really busy with other things? Or suppose you actually were busy, were you too busy on something that’s actually relevant?

Maybe, like me, you were only doing this thing they call procrastination.

Take it from someone who went to the Procrastinators’ School of Making Excuses. There is a difference between being occupied and pretending to be busy. Learn it. Know what signs to look for.

Be self-aware when you start making excuses. Over time, you’ll find it easier to spot them. I noticed that excuses always have a different tone than truth — even those we say in our heads.

What You Can Do:

You’re probably familiar with the Eisenhower Matrix. Where you arrange the tasks you need to do under levels of importance and urgency. This way, you can eliminate a task that is neither important nor urgent. And then you can focus your energy and present time on things that are actually important or urgent. Or both!

2) You’re a perfectionist

It may seem counterintuitive, saying that being a perfectionist is making you unproductive. Like, won’t my perfectionist tendency make me more productive?

Um, actually…no.

I know this because, aside from being a Master Procrastinator, heck I’m a Master Perfectionist too.

When you’re so focused on having everything —  and I mean, every tiny detail — perfect, you end up getting fewer tasks done.

See, perfectionism takes up a lot of time by forgetting time. When you’re nitpicking on the small stuff, when you’re putting 120% of your attention on that tiny area in your project, you forget about everything else. Including time. And if you have that special hybrid I call perfection procrastination, you waste time by doing mundane, unimportant tasks. When you should be working on the ones that matter.

What You Can Do:

Give yourself the permission to fail.

Remember: choose finished, not perfect.

Let that sink into your mind. The idea of not succeeding at first try isn’t so bad. What’s important is that you learned from your failures and mistakes. And these lessons will actually help you get closer and closer to success.

3) You’re feeling unproductive because you’re mentally or emotionally stuck. Or both.

Being stuck stems from various causes. Perhaps you’re having a writer’s block. Or experiencing a creative draught. Maybe you just have zero inspiration to write or do anything.

The thing is, a lot of our physical tasks are partly powered by our inner resources. Some even more so than others.

This shouldn’t come off as a surprise anymore. The immediate connection between our physical health and mental wellbeing has been proven in so many studies. Our physical health is as affected by our mental wellbeing as the other way around.

Which means poor mental health can be the cause of physical fatigue. And therefore, you feel unproductive.

In order to do the things you need to do, you must also pay attention to these inner resources–inspiration, motivation, and mental stability, to name a few. Because when we lack or don’t have such resources, we become mentally or emotionally paralyzed. Literally unable to work even when we are physically able to do it.

What You Can Do:

Along with your physical health, take care of your mental and emotional well-being too. Exercising is just as good for your mind as it is for your body. Having a well-rounded healthy lifestyle that takes into consideration your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing is imperative — whatever life you may live. Create that balance, yes? BIG YES.

I WANNA HEAR FROM YOU!

Have you got more tips for those who are feeling unproductive? Share your wisdom in the comments below!

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Photos from Ivory Mix and Kaylah Otto (via Unsplash)

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Why you need to create your own business hours

Is Time Management in the same level for you as flying? (Because, you know, it’s unachievable) Or maybe you’ve planned to be productive but end up spending it scrolling through Twitter? Perhaps you’re always scrambling around to get a some semblance of routine in your life?

Friend, I know exactly how you feel. Which is why I know you definitely need to create your own business hours.

Have you ever felt like “Time Management” is in the same level as flying? (Because, you know… what even is time management??) Did you ever plan to have a productive day but end up spending it scrolling through Twitter? Were you ever distracted by messages you received at an ungodly hour? Friend, I know exactly how you feel. Which is why I know you definitely need to create your own business hours.

Obviously, most businesses have this. Business hours is that period in which the company do… well, business. But we can also see it like this: it’s when, and only when, people can go do business with a company. Or in this case, you. Here’s how creating your own business hours will help you.

The Benefits of Establishing Your Own Business Hours

1) You create boundaries

Specifically, time boundaries.

If you ever struggle with friends or bosses who respond to you at ungodly hour, this one’s for you. This is also helpful to those who work at home or are freelancers.

When you don’t have the gift of a set time like in a typical nine-to-five job, it could be so easy for your work hours and non-work hours to blur and mix together. And that isn’t productive or efficient.

Creating your own business hours could help with all of that.

Not only do you create time boundaries to the people around you, but you can also train yourself to stick to those same boundaries. I know there are people who have a hard time with that as I’m one of those people.

2) It gives you free time

Because you have set business hours, you can leave time in your day for personal stuff. Maybe you like to kick back and crochet to end your day. Or maybe you like to have time for a 10-minute workout sesh in the morning. Knowing when your work starts and ends means you can make room for other things in your life.

And most importantly, when you do scroll through Twitter, you could do it outside your business hours, on your free time – and not feel guilty about it! #Win.

3) Avoids overwhelm and burnout

Overwhelm and burnouts often happen because of overworking. Sometimes, people overwork simply because they don’t have that strong separation between when they should work and when they should take a break.

Not all of us are expert time-jugglers. This means we have yet to master the art of time management. If you are one, then I highly suggest starting with establishing your own business hours. Here's why you need one.

When you have your own business hours, you can establish a structured time in which you do your work.

And you should do your work strictly within those hours only.

Why do you think most factories have business hours? Because it isn’t ideal to run a machine endlessly and without breaks. If they did this, they would run their machine to the ground and break it. Like machines, you need to take a break.

4) Creating your own business hours can reduce stress

I think this is particularly helpful to fellow Obligers, and anyone who is a semi-organized potato like me.

Obliger is one of the four tendencies in Gretchen Rubin’s book, The Four Tendencies. (Gosh, I am in love with this book. Expect a book review and a more in-depth discussion on the tendencies in the near future!)

Related: Four Personality Tests You Can Try Today to Better Know Yourself

Obligers are those who put a higher value on meeting other people’s expectations than they do on their own. Which makes Obligers reliable co-workers and peers. (Not to brag or anything, but this is accurate yo.) However, they also have trouble setting boundaries on other people’s demands, and this could be a huge source of stress for them – which is, again, accurate yo.

If you’re an Obliger like me, creating your own business hours can help you set limits on what people need from you and when you can work on those demands. No more getting up late at night to write that document someone wants.

On the other hand, this is also super helpful for both semi-organized and un-organized folks. There are times when you are aware of how you aren’t organized. And you mentally kick yourself for not being productive with your time.

Establishing your business hours, and sticking to it, may just be what you need. With a structured time like this, it’s like going back to school. You don’t have to think about what you need to do. The frequency of scrambling around is lessened because you already have your day planned out for you, just like when you were at school.

The big difference is this is more convenient because you don’t have to start at seven-in-the-freakin-morning. (Shaking my head at the school system.) Instead, you get to establish your work hours during your peak time.

In this day and age of hustle culture, time is a very important commodity. Learning to be more productive is everyone’s business nowadays. Maybe you can juggle everything in your to-do lists like a pro-juggler could. But maybe you’re like me and is often seen scrambling around for some semblance of order and routine.

Start by establishing when to work and when to take a break.

And look hey. This may not be boss-level time management, but it’s a start!

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Are you a professional time-juggler? Or are you a Twitter-scroller? Do you think established business hours will work for you or nah?

xx Kate

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Suck at time management? I feel you. If you have a hard time managing your time, maybe you can start with creating your very own business hours instead. Click on to read why you need one.

Photo by Gades Photography on Unsplash

Living a Busy Life Full of Clutter and Chaos? You Need White Space

If you’re as geeky into design as I am, you’re probably familiar with white space.

It is also called negative space, although it isn’t exactly a bad thing. Put simply, white space is the empty part of your work in between the letters or the characters or the shapes or the lines. But it isn’t blank or useless. White space has a purpose. It offers relief, a breathing room. White space brings the eyes to focus on what is on the page or the screen.

With white space, a design would look more focused and put together rather than cluttered and confusing. And the general rule of thumb for designers is to make use of white space. Like, use A HECK LOT OF IT.

Now, won’t it be nice if we applied this to our lives too?

Raise your hand if you’re guilty of having a super long to-do list. Or have ever used “I’m too busy” as a reason or a complaint. Maybe you have tried time blocking everything you need to do in one-hour blocks.

(Everyone ever raises their hand)

Feeling like your life is busy and full of clutter? Try adding white space into your schedule. Read on to know more about white space and how it can help you have a less stressful, more creative life. #creativity #productivity #lifestyle

Think about it. Most of us go through life squeezing in as much tasks as we possibly can. We spend most of our waking hours doing something productive. Some people even force themselves to wake up super early just to get more things done during the day. And we even glorify the busyness, for Pete’s sake!

Look, I was guilty of this too.

I raised my hand thrice when I wrote those scenarios above. Super long to-do lists were my jam. “I’m too busy” was basically part of my everyday vocabulary. Time-block is a pleasant thing that I can never execute well. Suffice to say, I did it all!

And I thought I was the perfect working girl for doing so. I thought being super busy meant I was doing something. That I was doing something productive.

But what I’ve come to find out is this:

Busyness does not equal productive.

You don’t have to wake up early to get a lot of the important things done because time blocking isn’t necessary. And also, you don’t need to cram everything into your Monday to-do list.

And you really shouldn’t.

Much like how design needs white space for it to effectively work, so does your brain. Yep. That three pound lump inside your skull needs as much white space as your Pinterest blog graphics.

Your Brain, Creativity, and Time Scarcity

Earlier this year, I came across this phrase called “time scarcity.” It’s a term I’ve only recently heard but a concept I’m preeetty familiar with. As I’m sure a lot of you are too.

“So many books, so little time” is a quote you may be able to relate to. Or you’ve probably wished for time to stop so you can work on something. Maybe you’ve hoped for additional hours in your day, or maybe you wanted Hermione’s Time Turner necklace – like the legit one.

We want more time because we feel we don’t have enough of it.

And because we have this tempus fugit mindset (Tomb Raider, anyone?) we reckon we need to get a lot of things done with the limited time we do have.

Enter overscheduling.

You made yourself a 50-item to-do list for your Saturday. Then, you scamper around your house to do all of them on the one-hour, or even half-hour, time frame you’ve given yourself to accomplish them. At one point, you’re quickly jumping from one task to another. You’re basically overworking yourself and your body.

And what do you think will take the most damage? That three-pound lump inside your head.

How Overscheduling Affects Your Brain

Imagine an overworked Cinderella.

You let her start work before sunrise and not rest until her day’s work ends after sundown. Cinderella’s gonna be tired af. She won’t have time to sing and dance with her mouse friends. Cinderella can’t go to the Prince’s party.

Of course, Cinderella will give you her resignation letter and go to some other chateau that will give her better work hours and a day off each week. Which leaves you with dozens of chores you can’t finish on your own.

That is exactly what happens to your brain when you overwork it.

And your brain may not be able to give you a resignation letter the way Cinderella would. Sure. But it has some pretty creative ways to quit. Lack of inspiration. Writer’s block. Lack of motivation. Feeling stuck. Creative frustration. Need I say more?

Marie Kenny said it best: Busyness and clutter will kill your creativity.

Which is why, my dear busy-bee friend, you need white space into your schedule and, ultimately, your life.

Adding White Space into Your Life

The beauty of white space is that it’s pretty simple to incorporate into your everyday routine! In other words, you can do this now. Here are some ways you can add white space into your life:

<3 Going out for a walk

<3 Self-reflecting in your daily commute

<3 Setting aside time for a quick breathing session in between work

<3 Being with nature (I do this often by sitting out and staring at the rustling leaves and the clouds floating by above me)

<3 Mindless doodling

There are plenty of other ways you can incorporate white space. And remember: your white space may be different from other people’s white space. There are some people who spend their white space, scrolling through Instagram but that’s because she can discipline herself and limit her social media consumption. But for me, that’s a distraction.

So my idea of a white space is lying on my bed, staring at my ceiling, and mentally reevaluating everything I’ve been doing so far. It’s a good way to give my brain a mental break while also preparing it for what I need to do next.

Take the time to create your own white space. What’s important thing here is that you add some white space into your life. Your brain will thank you for it.

I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Do you feel like you don’t have enough time during the day? Have you heard of white space before?

xx Kate

Photo from Ivory Mix

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You may not need to be an early bird to be productive

In my quest to fight procrastination and have a productive day every-freakin-day, I have probably spent hours* on Pinterest scrolling through productivity articles and infographics. At this point, I can already expect one advice the productivity experts all give:

Wake up early. Like 5 AM early. Because early bird gets the early worm, right?

Well, uh… Not all the time?

Take it from an early bird: Waking up early may not be enough.

It’s not necessarily the “abracadabra” you have to do so your day would magically be a productive one. It works on some people. But on others? Not so much.

*procrastinating, and yes the irony isn’t lost on me.

Why Waking Up Early is Not Enough

Your Biological Preferences

If you think my procrastinating-on-studies binges are counterproductive, think again. It was in one of these “I’m bored, let’s go on Google” moments that I learned about how much sleep certain successful people have.

Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, The Dalai Lama and Arianna Huffington sleeps for seven to eight hours every day. Meanwhile, Tom Ford, Angela Merkel, and Indra Nooyi are part what’s called the “sleepless elite” and get by with four to six hours of sleep (yish.) And Winston Churchill and LotR author J.R.R Tolkien usually get out of bed late in the morning.

Here’s what I took away from this:

Different people have different sleep schedules and yet they can still function well every day and succeed in what they do.

I truly believe there are as plenty of preferences as there are people. So, really, it all comes down to knowing yourself. Your strengths and weaknesses, your limits and your nonnegotiables.

Whether you need to drink coffee first to switch on your human being-ness, or simply rush off in thirty minutes like a freakin-tornado.

Your Peak Time

I know people who work best during the witches’ hour and those who work best really early — like waaay before the sun plays peak-a-boo at the east. I find I work best in the middle of the day since I’m practically a lazy potato early in the morning and a tired potato by 9 p.m.

Friend, get this: There is no One Ideal Work Time.

We all do our best work at different times of the day. Which is comforting, right? It is quite relieving to know what works best for others may not work best for you and vice versa. The sad part is the nine-to-five work day is the “regular working hours”, as if there is some kind of predictable schedule.

But creativity and inspiration and our own bodies have a different concept of time. Which is why waking up early in the morning? It may not be enough to have a productive day — not for everyone, at least.

So what can you do to have a productive day?

Be Disciplined

You could do this in different ways like:

+ Making a schedule and following it, if you’re a Type A person or simply have a knack at being organized.

Kelly Exeter, who co-host my favorite self-improvement podcast ever, has this two-notebook system which you may find interesting if you like a simple yet very efficient system to organize your life.

+ Setting a rewards system to motivate yourself into doing stuff.

+ Reminding yourself of the importance of finishing a task.

Discipline is built by deliberately doing what needs to be done and, in time, it becomes some kind of habit. For example, I mentally negotiate with myself into finishing a task and be like, “If you finish this and that now, we can have time to read that fanfic update we’ve waited for months.” That usually convinces me enough to get to work.

To learn more about how to build your self-discipline, check out this video by Thomas Frank of College Info Geek. Side note: Marcus Aurelius is like my mom, I swear.

Get to Know Yourself

You know how I mentioned about your body clock and your peak productivity time above? The whole point I was trying to say is that maybe, my fellow procastinating productivity-finding adventurer, you don’t have to look anywhere else.

The only person you have to focus on is YOU.

When you know what triggers your Super Saiyan mode or what makes you bloom beautifully like a sunflower on a bright sunny day, everything else will run smoothly.

Maybe you hit your 5000-word goal after a rigorous morning workout session, maybe you can write and schedule two months’ worth of blog post after angry-cleaning in the afternoon, maybe a midnight cake break is all you need to finish that thesis today. (I mean, let’s face it. We all need a midnight cake break at least once in our lives, right?)

The point is: you get to know yourself better and you do what works best for you.

Take everyone else’s pieces of advice with a grain of salt. (Yes, even this one.) Try one or three of them, but if it doesn’t work on you, that’s completely okay! Just try something else! Because something else is bound to work.

And when something does work for you? Boy oh boy. The world better watch out. Because you’ll be unstoppable!

How many hours of sleep do YOU need? Does waking up early prove to create a productive day for you? Share them in the comments!

kate

Let’s be friends!

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PS: How to get through an exam week alive + Why you need to try free writing

Photos from Wonderlass and Raw Pixel