Practical ways to improve your work life

The way you set your goals will affect your productivity

How many times have you set your goals too high only to be crushed at the end? You look at a project or a task at hand and roll your eyes at the amount of work you have to do. Your brain enters into a stage of freight, and you start feeling anxious. You don’t know where to start, you are at a loss, and need some sense of direction.

As humans, we always strive to do our best and achieve the most. However, we often set our standards too high and overestimate our abilities. Expectations that are too high can affect our motivation to do the work and not produce the desired outcome at the end.

Here is an example, let’s say you have a huge pile of papers to organize. They are in front of you and you’re looking at them. Your eyes see the amount of work you need to do and your brain automatically shuts off. The process of organizing looks intimidating to you. The reason for this is because you don't have a structured plan in place.

Humans are driven by instant gratification

It’s a well-known fact that human brains function by a “Pleasure Principle” or instant gratification. This desire for instant gratification is the culprit of our success. If we don’t get what we want instantly, we tend to give up. Whether we are aware of it or not, the desire is with us every day, setting us back.

So, what can we do to reverse the process and help us achieve our goals?

1. First, and foremost, set realistic expectations for your goals.

Being realistic means that you will also redefine your goals. Ask yourself a question if you can really do what you plan to do and how likely you are to get it done within a particular time. For example, sending 500 e-mails a day to clients is an unrealistic expectation, but maybe you can cut it down to 50.

2. Make an actionable plan of how you will reach those goals.

Often that means breaking it down into small stages or steps. I try to live my life with a mindset that a little bit each day goes a long way, and so far, it has worked for me. Once you start following it, you will notice that you become more productive. The key here is steady and consistent work done in increments. You take small steps daily towards one common goal.

If you are working on a big project, for example, you can break it in half and work in stages. If you attempt to do it all at once, your brain will go in a shutdown mode. To avoid this, you need to focus only on a small part of the project at one time.

Start small and build up gradually

I call this initial stage a “trial” stage where you put yourself to the test. As you begin the first stage, do the least amount that you can do within a certain amount of time. Do not push yourself too hard. Do it naturally and see how much you can do within a certain amount of time without feeling overly stressed. As you’ve done the bare minimum, make a note of the time you spent.

Reward yourself after completion of the first stage

Acknowledgment of successful completion of the first stage will make you feel good inside and give you a boost of confidence. Self-confidence will, in turn, increase your motivation to continue working toward your goals.

Move on to the next stage

Bring it up a notch and try to do a little bit more than you did the first time, but this time, set a time range within which you will complete your work. Again, be realistic about how much time you will need to get it done. As you work your way through this stage, the workload will start to feel less overwhelming to you. Also, you’ll start to enjoy the process a lot more.

Stick to your goals and resist the temptation to give up

If at any stage you feel like you want to give up, remind yourself of your goals and how important they are to you. Also, think ahead of the advantages you will have in completing your work, and all the benefits and rewards that will follow.

Ask yourself, what would I rather feel: the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat? I’d prefer to choose the first one over the latter.

This is a simple strategy to planning and completing your work. Follow these steps, and you will have a less stressful and more productive work life.