Tips for Productivity
I have many weaknesses, but for the sake of time, I will cut to the chase and tell you one of them is not productivity. I am a fairly motivated person who likes goals and deadlines and just getting stuff done. I am a procrastinator by nature, but after years of practice, I have learned to value efficiency and productivity. I am a mother of 3 small ones and I work from home. I cook 6 nights a week and I still put 3 meals on the table…and I’m not crazy or pulling out my hair by the end of the day. It’s not that I’m amazing or particularly gifted, but I have learned a lot since working and writing from home 4 years ago.
Step 1: Getting rid of distractions
I can’t exactly tell my kids to quit crying {though I have instituted taking turns on who gets to cry}, but I can set up some good boundaries for actually getting work done at home. I believe in a good home office, white noise, and general organization. But what do you do when you have writer’s {or worker’s} block? Even if you do everything known to man to get to work, that doesn’t mean the muse fairy will hit you over the head with a brilliant idea or plan that will set you on a pedestal for the rest of your life. While it’s crucial to clear your mind, ears, and desk of distractions, bottom line is you still have to work.
Step 2: Getting rid of writer’s (worker’s) block
So, here are few tips for breaking the barrier when you’re staring at a blank screen:
- Sit and think for 10 minutes. Seriously, before you give yourself (another) break, try to come up with a starting point. It’s not that I don’t value breaks- in fact I have a lot due to the nature of my work day and kids. However, I think it’s easy to procrastinate by allowing yourself too many.
- Make a list of things that need to get done and start doing them- it may be that you have a break-through as you make the list or start checking things off. Sometimes, the feeling of accomplishment is enough to get your mind going.
- If you’re writing, do a google search and see what others have written. Sometimes this is good fodder for a new idea or a response to someone else’s. I find that I write best {i.e. not plagiarize} if I read an article and then close it, whether I agree with it or not.
- Since I do work from home and also have small children still at home, I don’t work 9-5. So, I have a couple hours a couple times a day. I push it hard while I have the peace and quiet to do it, then when I’m on with the kids, I keep a pad and paper by me so I can jot down any ideas that come to mind. That way, I’m not working while the kids are around and I also don’t lose an idea.
- Take breaks. See, I do value breaks. I just think they need to be earned.
- Frequently, I work on an idea in the back of my head…maybe it’s a real life experience, maybe it’s not, but either way, I find that my best ideas come when I am not technically working. I usually mull them over in the back of my mind as I wash dishes {we live in the UK- no dishwasher, so there’s lots of that} or pick up toys or even play with the kids. Then, I either work on it the next chance I get, or I at least write it down so I don’t forget.
Step 3: Go Ergonomic
- Try some back support. Ergo chairs aren’t for everyone’s budget, so a good go-to is portable lumbar support. This is particularly helpful for those of us who don’t always work in the same spot.
- Upgrade to an ergonomic work station. Dock your laptop, elevate it to eye level, and plug in an ergonomic keyboard and mouse. Your back, eyes, hands, and wrists will thank you. We put so much strain on our bodies when we work from a too-low screen or cock our wrists to type.
