The One Productivity Hack No One Talks About
While talking to my mom over the phone, I started thinking about the one little thing I’ve changed which has had the most impact on my productivity lately. It wasn’t that I was waking up at a certain time or working a certain number of hours each day, or anything measurable really. The one productivity hack that I never read about or heard anyone mention and yet it’s one of the simplest things you can do: Be kind to yourself. Once I started prioritizing that, my attitude towards my to-do list completely changed. Sound easier said than done? Well, here are some thoughts on why it works and how to do it.
Productivity ≠ Self Worth
So often, self worth is measured by productivity and nothing else. It’s so easy to be too hard on yourself and dig yourself into a little hole of self-pity and despair. This doesn’t really accomplish anything except making your mood worse. So be kind to yourself and silence that nagging voice in your head telling you that you’re not enough. You’re more than enough and you can accomplish more than you think.
The Snowball Effect
Next time you start feeling like you’re not as productive as you’d like, try focusing that energy on something else. Try the snowball effect: start with that one easy but boring/annoying little task that you keep putting off. Once you’re done you can mark it off your to-do list. This gives you a little instant gratification in you accomplishment and can give you the boost you need to tackle the next thing.
Fear Kills More Dreams Than Failure Does
We can be our worst critics. Often we can create mental blocks because we don’t want to deal with the fear of failure. But the biggest mistake we can make is not trying something. And even if we do “fail" at it, that’s really just a learning opportunity in disguise. So next time you feel like you can’t do something, ask yourself if you’re making that decision from a place of fear. When we are kind to ourselves, we allow ourselves to try, thus allowing ourselves to succeed! The fear of failure becomes less powerful when we know we can always pick ourselves up and try again or move on to the next thing.
“The key to success is to start before you are ready” - Marie Forleo
Knowing When To Rest
When we’re kind to ourselves we learn to listen to what our body is telling us. While I do believe that success comes with a lot of hard work and persistence, I don’t believe that it has to come with sacrificing ones own health and wellness. We all know how clear-headed and focused we feel after a long relaxing weekend or a good night’s sleep. Productivity comes when we learn to take care of ourselves first. And yes, I understand that this is a luxury not afforded to many, so if you’re in a position to lighten someone else’s load from time to time, by all means do that! Just make sure you can take care of yourself first.
