Why do I not feel productive?

What I noticed about myself over the past week was that I was being more “reactive” than “proactive” in my planning. The less intentional I was about using my calendar to really plan out my days I found myself busy but didn’t feel as productive. I caught myself feeling the importance of responding (reacting) to emails and different tasks that popped up sporadically to make sure team members felt taken care of. While my intention was in the right place, I think this lead me to just feeling all over the place. Not good… :(

While it might be tempting to answer a quick request from someone, this sense of being “always on” negatively affects productivity. Don’t get me wrong, there are urgent matters that you have to stop and take care of… BUT, we still need to honor specific times to work on certain tasks and projects where we are really focused and not distracted. So, if you are feeling like you wish you had a more productive week, take a look at how you spent your time this week and start blocking out times to power through important tasks. 

For managers or leaders, your team may not know how to do this. It might be beneficial for you to sit with them and help plan out a day or the week. It is the responsibility of the leader to help foster an environment of productivity and successful team members. One idea - sit with them and help block out this time for them. Guide them to start building a successful routine. Trello is a really good tool for tracking and planning as well. However, you may prefer to use a calendar to help sort through what you are focusing on for that specific day. I prefer to use both and they do a good job at holding me accountable.

Feel like you could benefit more from one on one help? Simply fill out the form on the coaching tab. I’d love to work with you in how to be more successful and productive in your personal or professional life.

Stressing over a task or project?

Got a project or task that you’re trying to juggle? Are you like me and sometimes try to do too much at once and then somehow end up feeling stuck, more stressed, anxious and even unproductive?

Large tasks or attacking something in an area you are unfamiliar with can often feel overwhelming. I can remember so many times I have attempted to start something and then quickly felt like I didn’t know what my next move was so then I made no move at all. Not good...

Here are some helpful tools to push through a complex project or task. The key here is that you are breaking everything down into small doable steps that are not overwhelming or frightening and attaching them to a timeline to hold yourself accountable.

1. Take another look at your vision.

This is about creating a crisp, clear and concise vision. You wouldn’t eat a soggy chip right?...Ok, maybe it if had queso on it but that’s obviously the only way. This is what your vision is like if it’s not established or strong enough. Soggy, gross, useless, trash. If you don’t have a vision for what you are going after, then what the heck are you even going after?

Starting taking note of the following:

-What is the top outcome?

-How will you know you have arrived at completion?

Analogie time-- Think of it like this, your task is like figuring out what you want to cook. The rest of the steps are what all is needed to get the food cooked and in your mouth (you’ll understand by the end what I mean).

2. Break down all the major components.

Write, draw or type this out (whatever your fancy). Think of this as the recipe to completion.

Asking yourself these questions may help you come up with these quicker:

-What all is involved in completing the project/task?

-What are all the major components it will take to get it completed?

-Label the components (Piece 1, Piece 2, Piece 3, etc).

3. What you need to get to the finish line.

Now, for each piece answer these questions:

-What steps do you need to take to complete it?

-What other resources do you need (if any)?

List these out.

So, now you know what ingredients you need BUT do you have them? Do you need to go to the store? Are you going to ask your neighbor for some sugar?

4. Determine action steps and timelines.

What baby step are you going to take next and by when will you do so? This is like the baking or mixing time-- now you’ve got the ingredients, you’re ready to cook, mix, whatever and before you do so you need to know the mixing and baking time for each step otherwise you may end up with something you’ve spent a lot of time on that’s way overcooked or has gone to waste.

Doable steps + timeline of accountability = completed project/task and a happier, less stressed you.