Being productive after not being productive
So many unproductive days, how to get back on track? One unproductive day and one more and one more, the days are just going by with none to low productivity.
Do
- Get started
- Focus on finishing one task in a day
Remember
Why do we struggle to get back to productivity? No matter how much we want to have a productive day after a few low days, somehow we just fall short. Sometimes we lack motivation, and sometimes we feel too lazy. What if getting back on track is not at all about having the motivation or has nothing to do with your laziness?
It is all about momentum
Productivity is like momentum. You keep having productive days once you are in the zone. When the momentum breaks, it is so difficult to get back to productivity. You keep having unproductive days no matter how much you try. It is easier to get into the zone of un-productivity until you have a tight deadline hanging and staring at your face.
Coming back is challenging
We all have been there, one or two distracted days and we find ourselves struggling to have a productive day. A day in which we are fully satisfied with the amount of the work we have done. We know we are not having productive days and we desperately want to have a productive day. Something doesn’t feel right when we think about working. We are in a lazy mode of thinking and any kind of work seems to be daunting and challenging.
When we are in a productive mindset it seems simpler to get things done. Similar tasks seem so complicated when we are unproductive. We want to crush the day and be super productive and get things done, but we give up before we get started.
Productivity gradually increases
It takes time for your mindset to shift to gain that momentum of productivity. Understand the fact that it is a slow process, but it also depends on person to person. Some people find it easy to make that shift from unproductive to productive, while some will struggle for days.
You need to understand your pattern and how long it takes for you to make that shift. You don’t have to be specific, just answer the following questions:
Does it take me less or more time to get back to productivity?
Coming back
Focus on getting started, rest will follow, this is how simple it is. One of the biggest challenges to make a come back is that we don’t get started. We struggle to convince ourselves to get started, and our mind likes it. Our mind keeps creating excuses and stories to keep us away from getting started. Once we get started, we are more likely to keep working. This psychological phenomenon is known as the Zeigarnik effect.
People remember uncompleted or interrupted tasks better than completed tasks.
The unfinished task that we get started with just stays in our head, and we are more likely to finish it. Once we leave something incomplete, we naturally start regretting not finishing it.
Keep it simple
Don’t complicate things with expectations of a highly productive day and keep things simple. Try to complete one important thing in a day and work slowly if you struggle to find your focus.
Once you are in the zone of productivity, don’t let it slip by, ride on the momentum and get as much as you can get done. It takes time to be productive again, so make sure to make full use of it when you are feeling high on productivity. Stretch your work for a little longer and guard yourself against distractions.
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This post was originally posted on DoRemember blog. DoRemember is an app to help you connect with your thoughts.
