How to Increase Productivity
When I was first introduced to the power of visualization, the Law of Attraction, the book The Secret and similar concepts, it felt like all there was to do was to focus on the goal and it would automatically be attracted to me. After an intense year of visualizing and hoping, I concluded that something else was required.
It is true that hard work is not required, but persistent and productive work definitely is. For a long time I felt trapped between the need to work hard and return to my past filled with anxiety and the desire to achieve big goals which require a lot of energy. The solution progressively came to me as I witnessed more and more the power of focus. When you concentrate all your attention on a single task at a time, you become a lot more efficient.
Remove Distractions
It has become counterintuitive in our era to focus. Most of us have the impression that multitasking and doing more yields the greatest results. In fact, this only results in a lot of ineffective busyness. I was impressed by the feeling of peace that came over me after I disconnected Facebook, Gmail and Twitter from my phone. I’m not only relieved from the time I was wasting on social media, I’m also free from the perpetual anxiety that was caused by the constant interruptions. I now check my email and Facebook only once a day. When I respond to my email, my mind is clear, focussed on what I write, I remember things more and I feel that I am truly sending quality messages to people who deserve it. My “likes” on Facebook also have more meaning now that I take the time to really read or watch what I “like” instead of simply liking by reflex.
Break Down Your Work Periods
This is one I still sometimes struggle with, but when I do it, breaking down the work periods really helps to increase my productivity. There are many possibilities for this one, such as the 50-10-50 technique which consists of working 50 minutes, taking a 10-minute break and working for another 50 minutes. During the 50-minute work periods, make sure to follow my previous advice on removing distractions, in order to really make it an intensely focussed period of productive work. The 10 minute break is also very important as it will make your following work period more productive too. I sometimes find it difficult to stop when I’m on a momentum, but experience has shown me that taking this break allows me to be more consistent. Otherwise I feel overwhelmed after working 3 or 4 hours non-stop. Taking the 10-minute break is also important so that I finish my productive work periods with a feeling of satisfaction and freshness instead of feeling exhausted and empty. Ending on a positive note motivates me to go back to work the following time.
Have strong SHORT-TERM goals
My BIG dreams are what I’m really in LOVE with. They are the exciting part of my life and they feed my motivation to keep me working on my projects. But when your dreams are big – and they should ALWAYS be! – they will take some time to realize. Probably years. In order to keep yourself motivated, you need to break them down into weekly and even daily goals. Your mind probably gets bored quickly so you need to show it quick results. After you accomplish a weekly goal, and even a daily goal, make sure you reward yourself. Realizing any big project is always done in breaking it down into small easily digestible steps.
Be accountable to someone
I already talked about the importance of having an accountability partner. What I just recently discovered though is a powerful technique that uses fear to create motivation. Although I definitely believe that fear should not be used as a main motivational tool, the technique that I came across is very interesting. It simply consists of creating a situation that is worse than NOT realizing your goal. For example, in my case I wrote a check to a friend and told him to cash it and spend the money on himself if I didn’t achieve a goal by a certain date. I was so afraid of losing that money – which was scarce at the time! – that it really motivated me to keep working on my goal. Of course, the fear cannot be too crushing either, and this technique should be used in combination with rewarding yourself. But still, I found it to be very effective.
Meditate
I already gave tips on how to make your meditation sessions more enjoyable and efficient. Once again, meditating or simply taking a few minutes of nothingness greatly enhances your working periods. If you want, you can also use meditation to visualize your work already accomplished. This could help your mind find shortcuts that you wouldn’t have seen without taking a break.
Shine Brighter Now 