5 Improved Paths to Productivity

Optimize your output for when you’re at your best.

I can’t blame anyone for being hyper-focused on boosting their productivity. Getting work done is how we get paid. Who doesn’t want that?

But sometimes, we get so focused on being productive that it becomes anti-productive. Instead of dwelling on being productive all the time, direct your efforts more to those parts of the day when you generally perform at your best and take advantage of making the most of those times.

Here are some ways to walk that path.

Focus on the payday project

Our to-do lists can sometimes get pretty overwhelming. It’s natural to want to try and knock off as many different items as you can so that by the end of the day, it seems like you’ve accomplished a lot.

But have you?

Sure, you may have ticked off a dozen little tasks, but what have you gained? Did you make enough to cover the electric bill this month?

I have a bunch of side projects I’m passionate about, but few of them are going to be earning me anything anytime soon. I also have a couple of large, perhaps more tedious, projects that will cover this month’s mortgage. As tempting as it may be to work on the passion projects, and as lovely as it is to check off small tasks, the real productivity is with the big 600-page book on World War II films I need to finish putting together. It may be the only item I check off in a week, but the payday for that will make sure I can afford to eventually get to the side projects.

Also, the more you interrupt your bigger paying projects for smaller projects means you’re breaking up your momentum and losing more productivity time for all your to-do items.

Don’t over-prepare

I’m not saying you shouldn’t have your resources all lined up and at hand when you get a work session underway. You need those things, and having them ready will help maintain your momentum.

I’m talking more about some of our pre-work rituals. For some, it’s journaling or meditation. Maybe it’s a walk. Maybe it’s front-loading a reward like watching an episode of The Mandalorian. Maybe it’s sharpening every pencil in the house.

Whatever your pre-work ritual is, ask yourself — is this really necessary? Or are you stalling?

Sometimes it’s best to just jump in as quickly as possible. Stalling just makes starting harder.

Call it a day when things become counter-productive

When you hit a wall while working, you often want to see if you can push through.

To a point.

There does come a time, though, when trying to push past a barrier — whether it be a case of a creative block or simple physical tiredness — when it will be better for your productivity to just call it a day. There is “stick-to-it-iveness,” and there is just banging your head against a wall. While you should definitely put in some effort to push through barriers at times, it’s equally important to know when it’s a lost cause, and you’re just hurting yourself and your project more than you’re helping.

Call it a day. Or maybe half a day. Shut everything down. Put everything away.

Go chill.

Return to your project the next day, or (at the absolute least) several hours later, refreshed and re-energized.

You’ll find yourself making up for lost time more quickly than you expected and feeling more satisfied with your output overall.

Re-engage your brain

Ever have those dreams about work? Where you’re performing some task over and over in an unending dreamscape?

Unsettling, aren’t they?

I’m not saying you have to lose momentum by stopping your work mid-project to take up a crossword puzzle or something. Instead, when your day is over, find something very different from your current project or task to engage in.

If you’re a writer, maybe pick up a guitar. If you’re a web designer, go bake a cake.

Seek some variety, so you’re not defining your existence by your work.

You’ll have better dreams at night.

How to handle “exception days”

What’s an exception day? It’s a day when your usual work routine is forced to take a backseat for any number of reasons, including extended medical visits, holidays, pre-holiday chores, family emergencies, or the need for a simple mental health break.

The problem with exception days is that they can be a threat to momentum, and they can make us feel a little bad about not getting anything done that day. If you’re someone who feels the need to get something productive done every day, exception days can be a little rough.

The good news is that it doesn’t take much to get past that feeling. I’m telling you right now that if you can find ten to twenty minutes at some point during your exception day to accomplish some small work-related task, you can sincerely count yourself as having been productive that day.

A reasonable approach to productivity

We often try to optimize our routines to be as productive as possible. The problem with that is it can lead to burnout, which, in turn, leads to zero productivity.

Instead, take a different approach to productivity where you focus first on the paying jobs and maintaining momentum, but also knowing when it’s time to pull back and take a breath.

You’ll have more long-term success and fewer instances of burnout.

That’s how you win in the end.

Thank you for reading. I’d love to share more with you via my Bi-Weekly Word Roundup newsletter sent to subscribers every other Sunday. It will feature news, productivity tips, life hacks, and links to top stories making the rounds on the Internet. You can unsubscribe at any time.