Tag: production

Never mistake busyness for productivity.

Yesterday, I wrote about how taking action cures anxiety. Doing something – anything – can take your mind off of what MIGHT happen. And, honestly, it can feel pretty good.

But have you ever sat down after a long, busy day at work and realize that you didn’t accomplish anything you set out to for the day? Or, even worse, do you not even know what tasks are really the important ones you need to complete?

Never mistake motion for action. Never mistake busyness for productivity.

Being busy can feel good, but it’s often an illusion. Focus on checking less things off of your To Do list and instead, check things off your priority list. Ask yourself, “if I could only get one thing done today, what would I choose to do in order to feel the most accomplished (or least stressed)?”

When you wake up each morning (or before you go to bed at night), plan your day out. Set out to do the most important tasks first, especially if they’re difficult. As Brian Tracy says, “Eat that frog.” If you must eat the frog anyways, you might as well get it out of the way and not let the thought of eating the frog chip away at you all day.

Do your most important tasks first, and if you have two equally important tasks, choose to finish the most difficult one first.

Getting into a flow state

How can we get into a flow state more often and, once in the flow state, how can we stay in the flow state longer? This is a legitimate question that I have and am working towards finding a solution. So far, here’s my thinking…

The first step is to go to a designated “work space.” It can be a workshop in your garage, a home office in your basement, your actual office, etc. But it should always be the same place and when you get to your workspace, you should only focus on working. This way you don’t confuse your brain into thinking you’re there for something you’re not.

The second step is to eliminate disruptions. Disable alerts in your phone’s settings if you need to, otherwise every time your phone pings you, you’ll be taken out of your flow state. The only alerts I keep are for texts, phone calls, and emails. Emails I have as silent alerts and I turn my phone over so I can’t see the screen.

After this, I’m debating what else I need to do to keep the flow state going. I’ve heard from Tim Ferriss that many ultra high achievers listen to the same song on repeat. I used to do that a long time ago but have fallen out of that routine. Has anyone else found this to be helpful?

Anyways, today’s post is a little different. I’ll get back to my usual posts soon. If you have any ideas regarding getting into flow state, feel free to add it to the comments section or message me directly. I’d love to hear what is working for you. Thanks and enjoy the rest of your week!