We might “feel productive” while we accomplish these little pseudo-tasks, but when we fall asleep at night we know that what we needed to accomplish was not accomplished (see my post on “The Danger of the Tick List”).
Dealing with this wishy-washy kind of action is a must if we want to get things done. Here’s a few tips on making the most of your time and resources:
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1) Designate Your Time – In my opinion, this is the single most important step involved (but it cannot be separated from the other steps!). Set it in your mind that for a certain span of time – say from 12:00pm to 2:00pm – you will work on ONE task. Having this laser focus will hone you into a single activity and allow you to make headway.
You get absolutely NOWHERE when you are texting, emailing, cleaning your workspace, putting cloths away, AND trying to get an important task done (say, doing your taxes, or finishing a writing project, or working on building that birdhouse you’ve been trying to make). For a specific amount of time, you will do ONE thing.
Often when people don’t allocate time (what a great word “allocate” is), they can tinker with a hundred tasks and accomplish nothing – yet feel as though they have progressed!
2) Bring Your Mind With You – This is a funny little way I refer to involving all your resources in the task at hand. If your task is gardening, then for the time you designated you focus exclusively on gardening. There is a huge difference between going through the motions and thinking about your grocery list and FULLY focusing on what you’re doing.
When you “bring your mind with you,” you bring your faculties to the table – you can move with purpose because you know what you’re doing in the present moment and you’re able to focus on it. Again people often will be able to do this for a brief amount of time, but they often flounder and switch to different tasks on a whim. Know when you’ve got to HONE IN and designate your body and mind within the allocated time.
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These ideas are basic, but in practice they are fulfilling and envigorating. There’s nothing like entering that Flow state in a productive endeavor.
Try these ideas out for yourself – weather it be schoolwork, a massive pile of laundry, or an exercise regimen. By having a concrete time frame, and by locking your mental and physical into that important task, have a merger of action and awareness.
Plus… you GET THINGS DONE.
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