Hacking Productivity 101

Picture this: your to-do list is piling up with new daily tasks, and you’re trying to create a balanced routine. However, keeping your apartment clean seems to haunt you as you try to work next to your mountain of unfolded clothes. While in meetings, your mind distracts you and refuses to let you focus on your immediate tasks. After dinner, you promise to finish the assignments you’ve procrastinated on all day, but end up in a deep food coma, only to push everything to tomorrow.

Sound familiar?

I’ve been there and done that more than I would’ve liked to. Eventually, I found a way out and figured out what worked for me. Here, I’d like to share the tips that saved me time and energy while letting me have more fun and get the most work done.

• Accept how things are

While this sounds counter-intuitive, it prevents you from beating yourself up and tiring yourself out to achieve “ultimate productivity.” Letting yourself be frustrated with your schedule will help you not be in a rush to run away from how your life is. Consequently, you’ll almost become fed up with how things are and naturally want to change things for the better. You’ll connect with yourself more on what you want to do. 

• Understand that productivity usually means listening to your body. 

Have you experienced a sudden urge to be productive, but only for it to last a short period? I have. Listening to those urges helps you feel like you’ve got something done. Even if it doesn’t stay long, you will remember how good it felt to be in that flow state. You’ll develop a natural inclination to be in that flow again because you have experienced the pleasure of just working. Listening to your body this way will train your body to start prioritizing this calm, steady flow state.

Additionally, you will realize that your body only wants to be productive at particular times. When we force productivity, we’re going against our worn-out, tired bodies that might need some rest. Let your body lead you to do work, cleaning, running errands, and exercise. Developing this trust in yourself is critical to being productive in a healthy way. 

• Know that being productive doesn’t mean you have to cut down on any amount of fun. 

Many people have a misconception that being productive necessarily means you’re locked up in your life, not talking to anyone, and missing out on the pleasures of life. While this approach might feel good and trick you into thinking you’re productive, you will inevitably be burnt out and depressed in the long run. Instead, listening to your body and its constructive urges will help you get your work done when your body can. As a result, when your body tells you it needs rest, you’ll be more generous to yourself and let yourself have fun. This natural body rhythm is in all of us. We need to be in tune with it. 

Being productive is a lot easier than you might think. Your body is naturally inclined to be healthy, effective, and happy. When you listen to that natural process, you automatically are led to do things that feel good and do the good work. We all must realize that productivity doesn’t mean effortful work. Productivity is who we are, which means achieving our goals is a given. Let yourself relax into this natural driving force and watch yourself perform more than you can imagine. 

I would love to hear your thoughts on productivity in the comments below!