Increasing Productivity
It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day stresses and duties of what we need to accomplish and sort out. Sometimes it becomes so overwhelming, the tendency to shut down and procrastinate takes place; which further stagnates and sets back individuals who don’t prioritize their duties. Where should you start? Start with mindfulness and a clear understanding of which task needs to be taken care of vs. the mindset of “I have to do this, this and that and I have no idea where to start!”
Often, we’re programmed and told to multi-task (which is an essential skill to have) however, that is not effective for everyone-especially those prone to anxiety. My advice is to take care of one task at a time and you’ll begin to notice how much work you get done when you focus on completing one project (with complete satisfaction of having it carried out) and then you’re on to the next duty. As one of my mentors has taught me: prioritize. I’m sure your teachers and those around you have made it a point to tell you to do so without much background information on how to actually prioritize effectively.
In doing so, you’ll relieve much of the stress and anxiety that you consume yourself with when faced with such responsibilities. Being the CEO of a company, I’m often very busy and don’t have the pleasure of working normal business hours as I am often working around the clock anywhere from 60-80 hours a week. When prioritizing your daily responsibilities, do so in the manner of most urgent to least urgent. I can assure you, you’ll notice that when you focus on one project at a time and do so on the task which needs your attention the most, you’re more prone to effectively complete and carry out the task at hand. In return, you’ll reap not only the satisfaction that comes with successfully taking care of one duty at a time-you become more motivated to keep on doing just that. I’m only speaking from experience here so everyone has their own ways of going about such avenues of interest.
Track and limit how much time you’re spending on tasks. Have you ever found yourself getting distracted while trying to complete a project? Then before you know it, 30 minutes to an hour has passed. Now you’re stuck wondering why you’ve gotten nothing done only leaving you more stressed out and anxious. My suggestion is to take regular breaks yet practice discipline to limit those breaks so you don’t push yourself off track. Taking regular breaks can actually improve concentration due to the fact that you’re allowing yourself to take a breather. Keep the break short and sweet-going overboard (without discipline) leads to laziness.
Let go of the illusion of perfection. As an entrepreneur, i’ve always been a perfectionist, wanting everything to be the absolute best of its form, no matter what. However, that was to my detriment as perfection is a self-made concept in which there’s no definite ideal of perfection in everyones’ eyes. The project you’re working on (that you are trying to make perfect to present to an investor) may not be viewed in the same way as others… as each individual has their own concept of perfection. Redundant and a bit confusing? Indeed it is, often leading to more self-imposed stress and a form of insanity.
Take exercise and stretch breaks. You absolutely need it! Even going for a short walk, doing a few exercises (yes, I even do this in my office) can pump you up and motivate you to actually complete your tasks at hand because you’re waking your body, limbs and mental state up. Get up! Get moving!
Moreover, be proactive, not reactive. For instance, in any field (whether you’re a pop star or executive) you will be bombarded with emails, phone calls, situational accidents or mishaps on the job that none of us expect. Realize that not everything needs a reaction immediately (unless it’s urgent but that’s another story-use common sense). This relates back to focus and also prioritizing yourself and your duties. It is ok to return a call, an email or not go to a meeting (sending another colleague in your spot helps greatly) in order to take care of important duties. It is key to put yourself first but not at the detriment of others.
My final piece of advice is to be realistic with yourself. Some projects take more time than others which also has a tendency to add-on more stress. Set a specific amount of time each day to complete part of the project then after a specific time period, move onto another task. Spending all day or too much time on one duty is counter-intuitive as it’ll leave you feeling stuck, frustrated and even a tendency to be more distracted. This follows suit with deadlines; when you’re given one, give yourself enough time each day to complete the necessary tasks in order to ensure it is completed on time (or even beforehand).
Writer: Nova Grandeur @NovasGrandeur
