It’s time to be productive.
Unfortunately, you realize that you just wasted two hours falling into a scroll-hole of social media, or just when you need to do an important task, you feel the extreme urgency of doing the laundry (or some other more interesting task) kick in.
Maybe it’s ADHD, perhaps it’s fear of something, maybe it’s laziness — hard to say for sure. But what we do know is that if this continues, you’re not going to be as productive as you need to be to get things done and move forward powerfully.
So, we try again.
This time, you have blocked out the calendar, the phone is on do not disturb, you’ve taken the brain-altering nootropics and you’ve started the Pomodoro timers. You’re ready!
And nothing.
Either your mind simply decides it doesn’t want to play and shuts down, or you find yourself veering away from the task at hand to engage in a quest for dopamine. The point is, you have tried the usual ways to gain and keep focus, and it’s fair to say, those methods can work at times, but they’re not reliable for bigger, more important projects.
Block #1: “Knowing the problem is 3/4 of the answer”
Many people feel a resistance towards certain tasks but try to ignore it and push through. Unfortunately, without recognizing the resistance and acknowledging it, this approach will only work for smaller tasks.
For bigger, more critical projects, we need to understand what’s really going on if we want to take that power back. Think of tasks you’ve completed recently where there was no resistance, you decided to do it, set a time aside and it just flowed. What was your mindset towards that task? How did you think about it? Perhaps you found it more fun or interesting? List as many attributes of the task as you can for why it felt so easy for you.
Now, consider a task you keep putting off or one where you often get distracted when approaching it. Recognize any justifications or excuses you make for not doing it, like “I don’t have the time” or “it’s not a priority right now.” This is important.
First, challenge those justifications. Maybe you really don’t have the time, but all this really means is you’re not prioritising it. If it’s important to you, you’ll need to continue this self-reflection to see why it’s being knocked further down the to-do list.
Finally, compare the two task attributes and how you approached and thought about them. What do you notice? Are you adding more weight and consequences to the second task? Do you find the second task boring, or maybe you’re afraid of what will happen if it doesn’t go exactly the way you want it to?
When you hold up this mirror to yourself, it can be difficult to ignore that the problem may not be as simple as “I get distracted.” It could be “I’m adding huge pressure to get it right because I’m afraid of it failing.”
Block #2: An incorrect distribution of “jellybeans”
We all start the day with a certain amount of “jellybeans.” The energy we have to work with can move up and down with how much sleep we’ve had, the things going on in our lives and a myriad of other factors.
It’s important to recognize and then respect how many jellybeans we have to work with moment to moment through the day. Some activities fill our cup, and give us more energy to work with, other tasks (or people) can drain and deplete us. Knowing which is which provides a compelling resource that we can use to be incredibly productive, but only if we don’t ignore what’s right in front of us.
Make a list of each, so you can plan your day with activities that increase your energy. When you have that you can use it through the day to either prepare before or bounce back after a more difficult or draining activity.
And finally, demanding you have more energetic jellybeans doesn’t make it so. In fact, that will drain you even faster, so, if you feel that need to regulate more, plan more, or revisit how you approach the demands of the day, then make sure you do. Repeatedly forcing yourself into the negative isn’t going to end well for you.
Be aware that specific tasks will require you to go outside your comfort zone. These tasks need you to allocate more jellybeans intentionally, so make sure you recognize and plan for that ahead of time, where possible.
Block #3: A problem for your future self
I’ve saved the best for last because this one is the typical mindset trap that many people fall into without realizing it. It’s called: “I’ll do it when,” and it’s absolutely devastating to productivity and action-taking.
– When I know it will work.
– When I have more clarity.
– When I have more time or resources.
The delusion of thinking your future self will have things that your current self doesn’t, mainly because you’re not doing the thing you’re avoiding that would attract and achieve those resources. Here’s the truth: you’re creating a catch-22 that guarantees you’ll stay stuck forever, and if you don’t acknowledge this, you will keep making justifications for not doing things.
Transformation and leadership require two key attributes above all others: courage and humility. The courage to face yourself and the humility to admit when something you’re doing just isn’t working. Waiting for a magical ray of clarity to burst through the heavens and smack you on the forehead, probably isn’t the best strategy for creating the future vision you want. Likewise, waiting for resources to land in your lap isn’t going to work either.
Acknowledge that what you have right now is what you have to work with and decide to go from there. Clarity comes as you progress and see what works and what doesn’t. Same with motivation; it’s triggered by action, it doesn’t create it. It’s time to stop kicking the can down the road, and decide now, that if something is vital to you and you want it to happen sooner rather than later, then become the person who finds the way.
There will always be reasons why you can’t or shouldn’t do the thing, so it’s up to you to decide to rise above the challenges and deal with the resistance, so you can finally have the life you want.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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