5 Things to Optimize Your Productivity to Write on a Side Along With Your Day Job
Not your regular productivity hacks
The real productivity lies in doing less.
The internet is full with productivity hacks and stories that are enough to kill your productivity made you realize how much you are left to do.
The simple truth is none of us want more tips on being productive.
I am not going to talk about taking cold showers, drinking green smoothies, wearing sweat pants, waking at 05 am.
I am going to be real, super real on how we all mis-understand productivity.
If you write online on a side and want to get more productive in your day, I have got you covered.
1/ Free your mind
With time, I realized in my writing journey that creative ideas don’t come to me by sitting in front of a laptop and waiting for my creativity to spark.
There is no skill that can make you ideate more and create amazing pieces.
This is a simple gradual process to unlock your creativity, and this is how you can do it:
- Braindump your ideas on a notebook or a spreadsheet.
- Use mind mapping techniques to relate all of your ideas and explore their depth.
- Go for a walk in nature — it always gives me new ideas and fresh perspectives.
- Free up time from day-to-day things.
- Dedicate a couple of hours every week, free from technology, distractions, and daily responsibilities, just to think and write.
Thinking of better ways to ideate leads to better ideas, which in turn leads to better writing.
2/ Explore the world:
I’m not saying you should pack your bags and book the next flight to the Caribbean.
But give yourself time to explore your surroundings, whether it’s a nearby park, museum, art house, or a beach — anything that is available to you.
The point is to observe the world around you and experience different things and people.
It will help you learn about yourself as well.
In my travels, I always discover something new about myself that I never thought I had.
3/ Dress to kill:
It’s so easy to spend days in your PJs or sweatpants because they are comfortable.
I mostly work from home, and it’s easy to dwell in my comfort zone.
And in a Zoom call, it hardly matters what you wear.
However, in the past year, I made sure to take a morning shower, do my 10-minute morning routine, and wear work clothes.
I’m not talking about business attire, but simply a pair of jeans and a T-shirt that puts me in work mode.
It makes me extra confident and ready to take on the world.
This simple change has exponentially increased my focus and productivity.
4/ You can’t do everything:
I am someone who thinks I can do everything that comes my way.
If someone asks me to help them with their work, I quickly jump on it and put everything else on hold.
I spend time solving their problems as if they were my own.
Before I know it, I’m Googling how to solve it and using all the resources available to me.
I know it doesn’t make sense, but I always end up overwhelming my day with more tasks than anyone can possibly handle.
Perhaps it’s because I like to challenge my own limits.
Now, I’m learning that one can only do so much in a day, and before it becomes overwhelming, you need to prioritize and focus on important things.
Inspiration will come when you least expect it, and avoiding distractions has helped me free up quality time to focus on the important aspects.
5/ Don’t let success stories fool you:
Everyone loves a good success story.
Stories of people overcoming adversities and becoming phenomenal successes are enough to captivate anyone.
Especially the stories of individuals creating unicorns, becoming super-rich, and gaining millions of followers.
These stories give us hope that one day we can achieve the same.
I had that hope for myself while growing up, thinking that I would be asked for interviews in big magazines and be on prominent covers.
But the truth is not everyone can become something like that.
It’s highly unlikely that I will become the next billionaire or create a unicorn business.
I’m not saying you need to give up on those dreams, but the reality is that everyone has their own journey and their own unique success story.
There are creators who achieve massive success in their first year, and I’m not there yet.
Instead of contemplating what my journey will look like, I am focusing more on today and what I can do to create my own story.
Can you relate?
Hit reply and share in comments.
Be Bold
Be Courageous
Be Your Best