Productivity 101

One thing I have learned about myself in the process of learning about myself is a better method and my terrible ways in the means of productivity. My thought process, when i came to production and tasks was completely pressure driven, less planned and more demand. This process of thinking led to many tasks simply falling throung the crevices of the my pressure “trap” mindset. Those things that fall through would be deemed the little things but in planning for excellence, I had to realize that it is the little things that make the relative big picture relevant. So for years I worked on my graphic design, my school work any task of relative importance on a last minute, heart pumping pressure system that led to mistakes due to being tired, forgotten tasks due to relying on my memory to track everything (when I have a blackberry that can actually track all that for me) and beat myself up when it all falls just short of the extraordinary level of production I am quite capable of. So troubleshooting begins.

The first thing I had to realize was, my way of thinking stemmed from school, writing papers at 3am when I have school at 7am, not doing homework because I forgot and all I remembered was the test on Tuesday and so forth. The undeniable fact is without a disciplined method of task-orienting and goal setting, we all can fall prey to the pressure system life throws on us.

Realizing that my problem was a disciplined method of tasking and goal setting, well, rather a lack thereof, I set on the road to rectify and create a change. But it was tough, my habits overcame my drive many times, reverting to late nights and procrastination sessions that seem to come hand in hand with a lack of a plan. A lack of a plan means a lack of direction. A lack of direction means a idle mind. And an idle mind is not the devil’s playground, it’s just useless. So the bitter battle of resetting my mind, habit wise was fought. And becoming a blank slate with God’s help, I then needed to figure out the new way of working that was also right for me.

Everyone’s method of getting work accomplished is different, tailored to the specific strengths of the individual. The biggest obstacle in this method hashout is destroying the mental blocks we give ourselves. We are our greatest putdowns, with the “I can’t’s” and the “not enough time’s” For me I told myself for years that I was not a morning person, that I can’t wake up and therefore I should not hinge my productivity equation on waking up early in the morning and starting the day out fresh but rather stay up all night and waste a nominal amount of time doing nothing combined with a fragment of concentrated genius that seemed to make that method ideal. The fact is, time will not allow for it to be wasted effectively. Time must be managed effectively and you must be real with yourself. So if the method, if your productivity equation is determined by your strengths you must first hash those out. My point in what I just said as far as not being a morning person was, you may have some strengths that you deign as weaknesses, some strengths that when added in with some discipline can double your productivity equation, and really put a spin on your mentality.

For me, it was about getting out of my comfort zone, my method, my equation was not being validated by its results, that caused me to have to change if I wanted to do more. Albert Einstein, one of the most incredible minds of our modern age equates insanity to doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. You want to change your productivity you must change the way you go about it. No one is comfortable with that type of change, everyone wants to believe that their method is the best out there.  I thought that staying up at night was the way to go, nobody to bother me, and distract me from my work. Quiet and peaceful, the only thing I didnt equate was the fact that I distract me from my work. Taking responsibility for that fact enabled me to change.

Now, for some, working all night while everyone is sleep works, for others waking up at dawn and going a for a jog to start the day works. For some, even the pressure system can work if efficiently hashed out. But the fact is when you have something to do it is best to plan and organize and time-manage it to the detail. Keeping your thought train on track, with a plan. Because when your tasks are all over the place, your mind is also. I discovered that I am a morrning person, I wake up around six and go the YMCA and work out and play basketball, and I work during the day. THe demands of my job, talking to customers during business hours, making changes to projects and getting work done all fit under the parameters of this plan of action. My productivity equation now works for me.

Multitasking: It can hurt more than it helps

Just a note:

Some of us are not born multi-taskers. For me, staying focused on one job at a time and hashing that out until finished yields the best results in my equation. You may have two hands, and two eyes and two ears, but you have one mind. Learn your limit, don’t damage the quality your work trying to get three things done at one time.