Getting S#!t Done

All my weeks are different, some busier than others. But most weeks have, well, a lot (by my own personal standards; I understand many people deal with/take care of way more). And I often get asked how I balance it out or how I manage my time. So this blog is going to go over 5 things I try and practice regularly that help keep me productive. Let me spoiler it for you. This blog isn’t about how you can cram as much as possible into your day. It focuses on being mindful about how you go about your tasks to make sure you’re focusing on the right things and being comfortable letting go of the rest.

1. Know Your Pace

I talk about this at work a lot. Being able to accurately estimate how long something is going to take you is a huge skill. But this applies outside of the [virtual] office as well. And, if I do say so myself, it’s something I’m pretty good at. When my mom asks how long until I’m ready and I say “7 minutes” it’s pretty true. Once I called for a last minute appointment and they asked when I could be there and I looked at the distance, thought about how long I need before leaving, added some buffer time for confusion because I get lost easily and confidently quoted “13 minutes”. It took me 14, but they were still impressed. I know how long a blog will take me to write or a viz to create or a drawing. The reason this is beneficial is because I use my available time more efficiently. I also am less likely to be disappointed by not finishing something when I thought I was going to. I wish there was a formula to this I could give you. But it really comes down to paying attention as you’re doing things. And knowing your process, which I write about here.

Ask yourself: Do I know how long some of my regular tasks take? 

2. Set Boundaries

Here’s another skill - saying no. My coworker Gavin Pedersen told me that. If you can imagine it, I do even more things at work than in my personal life. And between those two, one thing I have to be mindful of is not biting off more than I can chew. I saw a great post on LinkedIn that said something to the effect of “don’t mistake my free time for availability”. I interpreted this as, not every open second you have should be filled with something. It’s okay to turn things down. To move them when you need to. To take a day or two to respond (respectfully). I think in the digital age there can be a lot of pressure to be “on” and available all the time. You don’t have to do everything, and you probably shouldn’t. 

Ask yourself: What should I turn down? 

3. Take Breaks and Take Care

I love a good nap. I like playing cards with my mom. I like facetiming with my friends. Similar to setting boundaries, also take a step back. Self care shouldn’t only be left to crisis situations and breaking points. Maintain your mental, emotional, and physical health REGULARLY. Turn on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for the 1289th time. This is a crucial next step from the prior. Say no. Then do something for you. And here’s what seals the deal, don’t feel guilty about it. It’s not relaxing if you’re worrying about the things you should be doing.

Ask yourself: What’s something nice I can do for myself? 

4. Less Is More

I have only recently found out that this is what works for me but I actually get less done when I try and spend more time doing it. I use to have the mindset of, ‘I’m going to write this blog on Tuesday night’. That’s a little too loose for me apparently. I found myself dragging it out. Making updates that were unnecessary. Revising things that were fine. Now I have a list of things I’d like to get done. I sit down and say, ‘I’m going to do what I can between 7 and 9pm’. What’s done after that is done. If I get the blog done early I’ll move onto whatever’s next in my priority list. If it’s not finished, I’ll have to reevaluate and push to the next day. Though this is where the first part comes in handy of knowing my pace and setting realistic expectations. I found that I was moving through things more quickly because I was essentially working against a clock. This also gave me more time for point number 3 (see how these all go together?). 

Ask yourself: When am I my most productive?

5. Ask For Help 

This is for me as much as it is for you. I’d say I’m doing pretty good at the top 4 after much practice but this is something I come back to all the time to try and get better at. It’s okay to ask if someone can take over something for you. To help you with a calc. To give you feedback when something doesn’t seem right but you can’t put your finger on it. I think a lot of us have a fear of 1. Bothering people and 2. Looking weak or incompetent. But at the same time, most of us love helping others. It’s hard to remember that people are going to graciously extend us that courtesy as well. I’m sure something might have even slipped into your thoughts as you were reading this one. 

Ask yourself: What’s something I could ask someone else for help with? 

These aren’t all going to work for everyone exactly the way I laid them out. But I hope you can find at least one or two things useful. The most important thing to remember is that you’re going to do your best work when you’re your best self and that comes from patience and thoughtfulness.

Can’t wait to see all that you do! Catch you in the next one. 

Looking for more productivity tips? Read my blog on setting better goals.