Tips for productivity

While it's crucial to clear your mind, ears, and desk of distractions, bottom line is you still have to work.

Step 1: Getting rid of distractions

If you’re a faithful reader, then you know I work from home and how I feel about minimizing 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.

But what about when you have writer’s (or worker’s) block?  Even if you do set up a home office conducive to work, cover distracting sounds with white noise, and declutter your work space, 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 there 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 (ie 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.

I think what I’m trying to get across is that it’s important to set up a great work space that offers minimal distractions.  However, once you have done that, it’s your turn to channel the creative juices and discipline yourself to actually work.