Back to school season started quite a while ago now, & I think it is time to re-establish our motivation and to see whether or not we have been productive lately. Finals have never been so near, & we need that extra productivity boost. As you (probably) know, I am all about balance so you won’t find any hardcore methods for you to be more productive here. My priority is your mental health, & I truly hope it is your priority as well. Now, let’s have a look at what you can do today to boost your productivity, mindfully!
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Prioritizing.
That is the most essential point. If you want to be more productive, you need to get clearer about your priorities. We now think about priorities in a plural form but initially, the word “priority” was a singular & meant “the ONE thing that is most important to you”. Even if you do not manage to restrain to only one priority, try to keep the list short (three maximum). Try to have no more than 3 priorities for the year, & 3 sub-priorities for the month. Having different sub-priorities every month helps you evaluate whether or not you are still seeing this or that thing as a “priority” of yours.
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Minimalism.
As you guys may know, I am a minimalist & that is a big part of my life. However, you do not have to go fully into minimalism to benefit from this lifestyle. I truly think that a short decluttering session can do wonders for you. Once your home is clutter-free, you gain so much time as you do not have to spend hours looking for things, cleaning & dusting &c. You are free to invest your time in activities that are meaningful for YOU, & that is all the beauty of minimalism.
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Loving what you do.
I do a lot in lofe: a master’s degree, a part-time job, a podcast, two blogs, freelance work, extra courses & my personal life. How am I able to do it all? Simply because I love it all.
No, I am not telling you that it is easy every day. No, I am not telling you that I am a big fan of my part-time job in a supermarket but you know what? I learnt to find joy in the little things. When a client tells me that he was happy to talk to me, it makes my day.
The secret to being productive is to either love everything you do, or to learn to love the tiny little parts of everything you do. No matter the option you choose, that is how you will be able to be productive. We are never good at what we do not enjoy, at least not for long.
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Making lists.
Do I need to further explain this one? You absolutely NEED to make lists if you have a million things to do. When you make lists, you organize your brain & that is wonderful. Everything that is on the list does not have to clutter your brain anymore, & you can focus on what truly matters. Lists make you productive, but just make sure you do not have too much lists and/or too much items on each list. Your lists should all have a simple purpose (to-do list, monthly goals &c.) and three to five items on them maximum. Minimize your lists to maximize their effect.
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Taking breaks.
That may not be the most intuitive point of today’s post but it is a crucial one: you need to take breaks. You are a human being, not a productivity machine. I am totally against the “go go go, girl” mentality as, to me, you must be your number one priority. Your health is your most precious belonging & without it, you can’t do anything. Thus, if you want to be productive on the long run, make sure you take care of your health as it is your best ally.
To do so, you “just” have to take breaks. I know it can be hard, especially when you have so much to do, but you won’t do anything good if you are tired. Make sure your breaks are a great way for you to totally disconnect from work & if you still feel focused on work, take a longer break before getting back to it. You will be far more productive after a great break, I promise.
I hope that today’s post helped you see that productivity was totally reachable. I also hope that you got my point: the only way to be truly productive is to live a balance life. There is no productivity in disharmony, and too much “discipline” is a lack of discipline.
Take great care of yourself,
The English-speaking Frenchie 