being productive is tough, especially when there is so much to do--and so little time to do it! but don't worry, take a deep breath and try some of these groundbreaking productivity tips (this could be considered the first productivity tip, so depending on how you view it, the ordering for the remaining tips and the final tip count could go a couple of different ways):
1 or 2. doing nothing is doing something.
this may sound a little silly, but when you stop and think about it, this is sooo true. the only time you can actually do nothing is when you are dead. and you and me, we obviously aren't dead. in fact, we are the only two people on the planet right now that we can confirm are 110% not dead. we are both breathing and thinking and smiling, the two of us. I suppose you could make the argument that if you are cryogenically frozen you are also doing nothing. but other than those two situations, you are always doing something! keep it up!
2 or 3. counter-productivity is just productivity in a different direction.
have you ever worked on a task and approached it the wrong way, or diverted down the wrong path, leaving you with hours of extra work and making everything harder for yourself? so has everyone else! and it's ok! just remember that, from a certain point of view, you were still quite productive. I always remind people of thomas edison, who, after failing thousands of times to make a working lightbulb, said that he didn't fail, but rather had found 2,000 ways not to make a lightbulb.
3 or 4. take a break, you deserve it.
you are only human, after all. don't burn yourself out. take a nap, eat a snack, doodle a doodle, go for a walk, do some jumjax™. plus, most importantly, think of how productive your break can be if you do any one of these things!
4 or 5. start with a series of small, easy tasks
have you ever made a snowman? you start with a tiny ball of snow, and slowly build up over time. alternatively, have you ever pushed a car starting from a stopped position? the initial push is the hardest part, but then you slowly start building momentum and you can really get the car rolling.
5 or 6. divide up big tasks into smaller ones
when you eat a double cheeseburger, you don't stick the entire thing in your mouth at once. that would be impossible! instead, you bite off manageable chunks. by the end you will have eaten an entire double cheeseburger! for example, if you have to do laundry, divide it up into the steps it takes to do laundry. maybe it would look something like this, but it varies from person to person: carry the dirty clothes to the designated clothes washing area, separate the clothing into the appropriate piles, check the pockets for change and pens, add the necessary detergent, put the clothes in the washer, select the wash cycle, turn on the washer. voila! look at all the tasks you have completed! when you combine this with tip 4 or 5 (not to be confused with tip 3 or 4 or this tip, tip 5 or 6), you will see your productivity fly off the charts.
stay with it!
-frank (sched.)
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