Hi friends! It’s mid September, the kids are in school, and we’re on the cusp of cool and crisp weather. All signs point to one of my favorite times of the year: Autumn. In addition to anticipating fall foliage and upcoming holidays, I particularly love this time of year because it feels like a new beginning. An opportunity to make things happen. It’s like a softer, more gentle January, but instead of New Year’s resolutions you make under pressure, this time of year feels more like a sweet invitation. What do you want to focus on, what do you want to learn?
Speaking from experience, I know that even with the best intentions, it can sometimes be difficult to actually execute on all of the great ideas in your head. That’s why I wanted to share today a few of my favorite productivity methods. I have struggled with procrastination and time management my whole life and these methods have really helped me, so I hope you’ll find them useful too.
Time Blocking
Time blocking is a time management method where you divide your day into blocks of time. Each block is dedicated to accomplishing a specific task, or group of tasks, and only those specific tasks. Instead of keeping an open-ended to-do list of things you’ll get to as you’re able, you’ll start each day with a concrete schedule that lays out what you’ll work on and when.
Personally, I use time blocking in two ways. First, I like to break out my weekdays with different themes. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, for example, I work on this blog and my newsletter. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have calls with my health coaching clients.
Then I get way more granular when actually planning each day. For example, I’ll schedule writing blog posts on Monday and Wednesday from 9am to 1pm. In the afternoons from 2pm to 4pm, I’ll work on research for upcoming posts and business strategy. On Fridays, I work on my newsletter. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I have my appointments booked in my calendar, along with 30 minutes after each session so I can do my follow-up notes. I will also schedule lunch at the same time everyday because it helps me feel like there is a deadline to finish my morning work. The afternoon break is my reward that I look forward to prepping and enjoying.
Of course things come up, but keeping myself to a general schedule allows for more flexibility so that I can adapt when things don’t go as planned.
THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE
If you’re anything like me and have a short attention span, this method might be for you. The Pomodoro Technique is where you set a timer for focused work and work in short pockets of time. When you give yourself smaller deadlines to focus on just one task, it’s amazing how quickly you’re able to get things done. Here’s how to do it.
- Pick a task.
- Set a timer for 25 minutes.
- Work on your task until the timer beeps.
- Take a five minute break.
- Repeat the cycle four times and then take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.
The person who is credited with this method is Francesco Cirillo and he used a tomato shaped kitchen timer, hence the name of the method. I love this technique because it trains your brain to stay on task, helps you ignore distractions, and gives your work a sense of urgency, which can be helpful if you have a tendency to put things off.
Pro Tip: don’t look at your phone during the breaks and instead use the time to stretch, move your body, gaze out the window, make yourself some tea, or even get outside if you’re able.
Find an Accountability Buddy
One study by The American Society of Training and Development found that people are 65 percent more likely to achieve their goal after sharing it with someone else and 95 percent more likely if they commit to ongoing meetings for that goal to check in on their progress.
I have found my own accountability buddies through my immediate friend group, though that may not work for everyone. If you’re looking for an accountability buddy, consider asking your colleagues, mentors, or teachers if they have anyone in their network they can connect you with. Meeting regularly with someone to share your goals and progress can be just the thing you need to keep you productive.
Prioritize Sleep
Did you know that your brain shrinks by nearly 20% when you sleep? Wild, right?! But it’s actually a good thing. When you sleep, there’s an increase in the space between your brain cells so that fluid can flow past and wash toxins out. During this time, your brain’s synapses rest and prepare for the next day, when they will grow stronger when receiving new information. Sleep is also an important part of the memory and learning process. It seems that during sleep, your brain tidies up ideas and concepts you’re thinking about, erases the less important parts of memories and simultaneously strengthens areas that you need or want to remember. Sleep has also been shown to make a difference in your ability to figure out difficult problems. Basically, sleep is our brain’s way of keeping itself clean and healthy and without enough of it, we don’t function or think as clearly.
As much as I’ve tried in the past, I have never been the kind of person to function well on little sleep. In fact, if I don’t get at least seven hours of shut-eye, I can pretty much call the next day a wash. This is why sleep is one of my non negotiables. If you want to be sharp minded and focused this week, prioritize getting high quality sleep for seven to nine hours each night.
Let me know in the comments below if you have any productivity tools or hacks that work for you. Wishing you a productive week!
Top photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash.
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