The Art of Productivity
By: Jean Lin
Tags: Productivity Tools, Getting Things Done, Productivity Tips, Time Management, Productivity

As we go about in our day to day lives, time starts to blend. Minute after minute, hour after hour, it all starts to feel the same. We have work to do, yet we don’t really want to do it, so it is left untouched. We can’t really find that drive for productivity and achievement. That one motivating force to push you out of that slump and back into a state of efficiency. Productivity.

When talking about productivity, it is important to understand yourself first. What makes you want to quit? What do you hate doing? For many of us, we tend to avoid things that bring us negative emotions. Think about a task that you’ve left undone for quite a long period of time. Reflect on that and ask yourself why you’re avoiding doing it. Simply not wanting to do it is not usually the answer although it is the one most given. There is almost always an underlying factor. Taking a look at student procrastination. A while back, a few of my peers had a Biology exam to take that was due on Friday. The exam was opened on Monday, so they could take it whenever they liked. We had already learned all of the material and done all of the test preparations the previous week, so there was really no reason that the students could not finish the test on Monday. What was interesting was the fact that out of 150 students, only 30 of them finished the test before Friday morning. The other 120 individuals waited until the final few hours to take the exam and submit it. After speaking with these individuals, I concluded that these students took the test at the latest they possibly could because they wanted to avoid the feeling of failure and feeling “stupid.” In the past, the majority of these students have gotten bad grades on the other tests, and they wanted to avoid that negative emotion for as long as possible. Recognizing what causes you to avoid your responsibilities is the first step to productivity.

The second step to achieving productivity is management. There are many different possible methods of management. Managing your time, energy, workload. Through multiple instances of trial and error, I have found the management works best for me when I schedule. At the beginning of each day, I schedule my day hour for hour. I first write down my responsibilities. These can include any Zoom calls planned, work, or just simple tasks I need to accomplish. Then I quickly think about how much time each of these activities will take, and which activities take precedence over others. After having this all figured out, I start to organize. I write down what I plan to accomplish each hour and break down big tasks into smaller parts. It is important to understand yourself and what you can achieve. Do not overcommit yourself, but also don’t under commit. Give yourself the right amount of work you think you can complete without burning out. It is important to also save some time, around 30–60 minutes for yourself. This can be a time to take a break, go for a walk, or something else you enjoy. Having a plan will help you stay on task, productive, and get things done. The reason a plan works is that it tells you what to do. Sometimes, as human beings, we like having something to hold us accountable. When we try to do it ourselves, it often doesn’t work. This schedule will act as an accountability item. you can rely on it to help you maintain focus and complete things without feeling too overwhelmed.

Self-understanding and scheduling are both extremely important aspects to achieving productivity. These can help lower your stress levels, complete more things, and also build good habits. To get updates and more information about what you can do, please be sure to drop a follow!