On any given day you may find me experiencing one of three energetic flows: procrastination, creativity or productivity. I never know what I will wake up to, and all three have positive and negative characteristics.
Procrastination is a slow energy, and a common challenge where individuals delay or avoid completing tasks despite knowing they should do them. It often stems from various factors like fear of failure, lack of motivation, or feeling overwhelmed.
Sometimes, my creative energy is flowing so forcefully that it can be hard to ride the wave and the challenge becomes managing the creative process and energy levels to maintain a healthy balance between productivity and self-care.
Being in a highly creative period can propel me into an equally high period of productivity, or it can have an adverse affect and put me in a state of total procrastination because I am overwhelmed by all the possibilities and opportunities.
Over the years, I have learned to recognize these energy flows, and have developed strategies to manage them, so that I can remain balanced, and be in an environment that provides a healthy routine, with good focus and efficiency.
I could write an entire book on my trials and error regarding harnessing this creative energy and speak to some of my challenges like scope creep that have plagued every one of my undertakings, whether it be a project at work to planning a party. To sum it up for the purpose of this blog, I have rounded up some key strategies that I most rely upon, which include the following :
- Set specific goals: I am a big planner. I have to be. I am constantly revisiting my accomplishments and planing on how to build on them, or try new things. It’s important to start the year knowing what I want to accomplish. I actually write down my goals, and what I believe our realistic outcomes. This helps me define what I want to accomplish during my productive periods.
- Prioritize tasks: it’s easy to break the work down into key tasks when you have goals. You need to look at resourcing, what will you need to pull together, who needs to be involved, how is the key content going to be created, and realistic timelines. I identify the most important tasks and focus on them first.
- Break tasks into smaller steps: I like to break things into quarters. I try to be clear on what I want to see completed every three months, and that makes it easier to see what I want completed monthly, and how I need to organize my weeks, etc. This makes my “projects” more manageable and reduces the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Within that framework, here are some other practical tips to align personal energy with what needs to be accomplished. These work for me, when I want to be productive.
1. Eliminate distractions: Minimize interruptions by turning off notifications from your phone, finding a quiet workspace, or using apps/extensions to block distracting websites.
2. Check in. Close your eyes, breathe and take the pulse of your internal vibration. If you have low energy, plan how you will raise it, by drinking water, going for a walk, or listening to some upbeat music. If your energy is already high, plan to lower it by journaling, to empty your mind, and doing something vigorous.
2. Take regular breaks: Schedule short breaks to rest and recharge, which can help maintain focus and prevent burnout.
3. Stay organized: Keep your workspace tidy and use tools like to-do lists or productivity apps to track tasks and deadlines.
4. Find your peak productivity times: Identify when you’re most alert and focused, and schedule your most challenging tasks during those times.
5. Practice self-care: Maintain a healthy lifestyle with proper nutrition, exercise, and sleep, as these factors greatly influence productivity.
6. Reflect and adjust: Regularly assess your productivity strategies to see what’s working and what needs improvement, then make adjustments accordingly.
So if I am feeling overwhelmed, like today, i go back to my goals, and my weekly list. I give myself a few tasks that I would like to accomplish today, and don’t look at the rest of the week. That saves me from locking into procrastination paralysis. just breathe, and get this done.
These strategies apply to most life circumstance, including for anyone getting ready to move and having to pack a house, or someone adjusting to life with a brand new baby, or someone about to travel on a multi-destination trip or just having to take on spring cleaning, or getting through the next two weeks at work.
We don’t need to get overwhelmed, we don’t need to fall into procrastination.
All those great, fabulous ideas you have seen for your life can be realised. You just need to manage the excitement of creativity and wanting to get it all done, and focus on a plan that maximizes productivity in a healthy way.
