Like most people, I struggle with productivity. I start one thing and then think of something else and before you know it, I’ve forgotten all about the task I set out to try and do. Last night for example, I started changing into pajamas, then ended up cleaning up around the bedroom, changing the sheets, putting away laundry, going through the hall closet and before you know it, 2 hours went by and I forgot all I wanted to was get a drink of water. And, this was while I had been in the middle of doing something at my desk.
But that being said, I am determined to find a good way of becoming more productive. Now, I already am pretty productive and do the below steps, but I am always looking at ways of becoming better. Well, okay, I should probably mention that *Most Days* I am pretty productive. Because of my mental health issues, I absolutely have days where I will sit on the couch watching Netflix for 6 hours eating nothing but chocolate or decide that I will spend 3 hours staring at the wall lost deep in my memory palace of the past. Yes, I’m human and am not perfect. I feel that I do say this often enough that you probably get it by now, but I will keep saying it again. I am not perfect by any means.
I write these tips and things to remind myself that these are the things that you do when you are most productive. Yes, my memory is that horrible. Or at least my depression darkness steals my memories and hides them from the other half of my brain. I still haven’t decided which one I like more. Or maybe I have decided already and have just forgotten which one I picked. Yes, i know, I can be exhausting. Just ask my husband. Anyways, see how sidetracked I get? I forgot I was trying to write a post on productivity.
Make a daily to do list…every day.
I find that I only make my to do lists when I feel I have too much to do. I go weeks without doing things and then find it all adds up and I end up trying to do it all in one day. I think if I make my to do lists every day or at least every day I am off then I can take smaller steps to achieving more. Some people think you have to write your to do lists in your fancy journals and make them look pretty with calligraphy or something. But me? I just steal hotel stationary when I stay there and have hoards of hotel paper stationary in my desk drawer that I am slowly working on. It’s what I use to write down any thoughts that pass through my head at a given time. I even have a notepad in the car. I know, here we go with my memory again. See, at least I am being productive while I drive. Anyways, I always write a to do list in the morning so when I do get sidetracked, at least it can bring me back to the things I want to accomplish. 
And, also try not to get too ambitious. I read recently in Furiously Happy about the Spoon Theory. It basically talks about the fact that each day you have a certain amount of spoons which represent your energy. (And, no i do not know why spoons) So, as you do your tasks, you use up your spoons. It kind of sounds like a Facebook game right? Anyways, so if you try to put too many things on your to do list, you will eventually become exhausted and not be able to finish them all. Then, you will fall into a black hole of regret and guilt for not being able to finish all of the things you wanted to accomplish and end up not feeling productive. (If you want to hear more about my guilt struggles, click here) Anyways, so just keep it simple. Only write what you ACTUALLY think you will be able to accomplish. Be realistic.
Meal Prep
This one is a lot easier said than done. We have been meal prepping for quite a few years now, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t forget some weeks or just get plain lazy. But… I always feel so amazing to get home from work and there’s already a container in the fridge for me ready to heat up and eat. We try and plan out our meals on Sundays and get the shopping as well as the cooking done.
Now, this can be really time consuming, so on either Friday or Saturday, I will start to decide what I want to cook for the week. The below picture was when I had made breakfast snacks as well. I do not recommend this as It was just too many recipes to make in advance. Currently, I do either a green smoothie or oatmeal bowl for breakfast. This removes anything I may have to meal prep and is still super quick to make in the morning. So that leaves only lunch and dinner. I try and do one pot or one pan dishes so that I don’t have to cook 6 different things like the below picture. Since it is super cold weather, I am trying to stick with soups, stews, chili’s or healthy pasta options. This way I can add in all my veggies and meat together and not have to cook them separately.
My last tip for meal prepping is to chop up all your veggies in advance. Even the ones you aren’t planning on cooking. I find that throughout the week, if you find you are in a snacking mood (for me it is all the time) you can just grab and go.
My favourite source for recipes is Pinterest. Even though I have barely scratched the surface on what I have pinned versus what I have actually made, it still remains my go to source. I have everything sorted by type of food because over the years, I find I just couldn’t find recipes I was looking for when they were all on one board together. Also, it helps if someone else wants to look through my recipes and they are all aesthetically grouped together. Side note: I need to start diving into my already pinned recipes. Maybe I can be more productive by starting to try new recipes.
Set Goals
I only started this one recently and it is actually thanks to Bullet Journalling. I mainly use the bullet journal idea to set weekly and monthly goals.
I technically shouldn’t even call it bullet journalling since I don’t use a proper bullet journal and just use a sketch book, but I try and get creative with my doodles and calligraphy font and sometimes try and add some colour in. (My journals are very basic and boring since I am not very artistic, but really I just use it for a month at a glance option and if I write very neatly, it can look quite presentable.
I create weekly goals help me to stay productive and feel like I have accomplished something at the end of the week. I also make sure to put really small goals in that I know I will complete as well as a few challenging ones. Sometimes the simply ones are just try a new recipe or new podcast, while there are some more challenging ones such as plan a workout. I know the challenging one doesn’t seem that challenging, but I really find it hard to find time to workout and always seem to have an excuse. By writing the goal down, it kind of is like kicking yourself to get it done and make sure you look at it every day! The monthly goals are also a mixture of challenging versus easy and are more of an at a Glance for the entire month.
Get up Earlier
This one has been my go to habit for years. I always am tempted to hit the snooze button on my alarm especially on weekends, but I find I am so grateful I didn’t. I wake up at about 7 am on my days off and 5 am on the days I work. I find especially on my days off, I can get so much more work done. Even if I am just sitting on the couch reading for an hour, by the time I get my self in gear for the day, its about 9 am. Rather than getting up at 9, then reading for an hour and then before you know it, it’s 11 and the days half done. I hate those days the most. I find I get up early, read, have my coffee, get some writing done and then by 10,I have already planned out the rest of my day so I can at least feel like I accomplished something. Remember my spoon theory? If I get up earlier I find I can accomplish more and have more spoons of energy in a day.
Time Blocking
Also known as the Pomodoro technique. This one I am still working on mastering, but basically it is when you set a block of time (usually about 25-30 minutes) and you get your focus on. Focus only on the task at hand. If something comes to your mind, have a pen and pad next to you that you can write down and then go back to the task. After the 25-30 minutes are up, you can reward yourself with a small break. Walk around the house, pet the cat, make a tea etc. This is truly extremely effective. Some recommend using one of those egg timers but personally I can’t stand hearing the ticking go by, so I use my phone and then before you know it, the timer is going off. Most of the time, I am actually on a roll and just snooze it. It’s a great way to get stuff done. I also find some great playlists on Spotify to help me stay focused. I usually like the “Study” ones or the ones that are strictly instrumental.
So that’s my top 5 tips for better productivity. Whether you just find yourself not completing the household chores in a timely manner and keep getting nagged by your significant other or by the little voice inside your head or you work from home and want to feel like you are getting more done, I hope my above tips helped! Share below what you do to stay productive!
