Get. Stuff. Done.
Are you procrastinating on something? Feeling overwhelmed by a never-ending to-do list? Just not seeing the level of progress you’d like to see?
Been there. Done that. All. Year. Long. At least it feels that way sometimes.
Anyone who knows me knows that personal effectiveness and development is my THING. Learning all the things and then teaching all the things is truly part of my purpose here on Earth. I learn from my own personal experiences. And it’s just second nature to me that no matter what it is I’m doing, my brain will tie it back to the personal development world! One of my super powers is finding metaphors in everything I do. Annoying, I’m sure, if you’re my husband and have to hear some crazy earth-shattering epiphany every time I do any type of task. 😁
Also, I’m a big-picture thinker. But I’ve learned over time that this does not necessarily equal high-level productivity. Sometimes it’s actually the opposite. Sometimes I can’t be bothered with minor, mundane tasks. Or I don’t want to be “slowed down” by preliminary work. I just want the ultimate result, right now.
Cue the reason for this article. I’ve been forced over time to learn how to retrain my brain in order to understand the real way to accomplish things and be productive. So if any of this is sounding relatable, or you just want to get more done in general, here are my tried and true tips:
Commit.
Like, actually commit to what you’re doing. So often we have so many things we’re trying to do at once, that we’re not all-in on anything. Say it out loud if you want, but take a moment to really commit to whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish. Bring one thing from the back burner to the forefront of your mind.
Chunk your tasks: and give them an end-point.
Start with one task at a time, and define it. Make sure it has an actual black-and-white end point. So many times I used to just have vague, ongoing bits and pieces of multiple projects I would be working on here and there. And oftentimes I would be avoiding tasks completely because they seemed like an undefined cloud hovering over me with no boundary. I needed to get black and white. I needed to decide on one task to do and it had to have an end point. I will write three paragraphs. I will clean one counter. I will tape one wall in preparation for painting. Black and white. This is far more effective than, “I will just see how I feel after a bit,” or “I’m just going to hop around from this to that to this today.” Feeling accomplished in any area will continue to escape you, and ultimately hinder your motivation and progress. Especially now when I find myself, like so many others, being a business owner, writer, consultant, mother, teacher, wife, homemaker and more all from home, in one space all mixed in together, it is crucial that I have designated tasks and structure around them.
Multi-Tasking is a Myth
I am someone who often needs to feel that I’m achieving, achieving, achieving, being efficient, and multi-tasking at all times. Here’s the thing: multi-tasking is a myth. You literally cannot be doing more that one thing at a time. Sure you can try to capitalize on time-saving systems, or try to have multiple things working for you at once, but you can’t be doing more than one thing at once. You physically cannot load and start your dishwasher at the same time you are loading and starting your washing machine at the same time you are starting your robot vacuum. But you can do one right after the other, and have multiple systems working at once, if you want. Focus your attention on one thing at a time. It might be hard to allow yourself to do this. We have so much going on at once in our lives, but understand that your brain cannot do more than one thing at a time. You are actually increasing your inefficiency if you are trying to “multi-task.” I used to rarely allow myself to clean or even drive in my car without having a podcast going, but one thing always ended up taking away from the other. I usually had to stop and rewind multiple times to absorb information when I was also doing something else. Try to just do what you’re doing. If you’re like me and the thought of just sitting still while listening to a podcast sounds like torture, try it. I think you’ll be surprised at how much more you can absorb and use in your life!
Sloppiness Can Equal Efficiency
Fellow perfectionists take heed! I used to spend so much time trying to learn about how to do something before I actually did it. Now to be clear, I would never discredit learning and research. It’s a huge part of my life! But sometimes we may like to use research in order to avoid mistakes that are inevitable. When I’m trying something new, whether it’s a home improvement project, work-related endeavor, you name it, it’s easy for me to get frustrated with how badly I am at it at first. It’s more compelling to quit. But if I’m willing to settle for less than perfect, or sloppy first tries, I learn quickly how to improve, and the more I keep going, the more efficient I become! Sloppiness is okay! If you try to skip the sloppy first steps, you won’t make it very far.
Gratitude in the Mundane
Life isn’t all just big results. Every big accomplishment comes from many, many little steps along the way. For me, I’ve needed to retrain my brain over time to appreciate the mundane. This used to be the biggest hurdle for me: being willing to appreciate the minor day-to-day tasks. I tried to tell myself I could use these boring times to meditate (trying to sneak in multi-tasking 🤦🏼♀️). But while I learned that no, I cannot meditate at the same time that I work, I can reframe to just try to feel a certain way. I started using the time to practice gratitude, which is one of the best things we can do if we not only want results, but fulfillment in life! And now, I’m a master at finding gratitude in everything. I was taping around my bedroom in preparation for painting recently and was getting so annoyed at how long the prep part was taking. I just want different colored walls!! I had to really hone in on my gratitude. I found myself expressing gratitude for the piece of wood frame I was taping around. “I’m grateful someone took the time to put this piece of wood here.” Haha! You can find something to be grateful for in ev.ery.thing. “I’m grateful I have two hands to do this taping all by myself.” Where else could you find gratitude in the mundane? Maybe something like, “I’m grateful we have running water to wash these clothes.” Or, “I’m grateful for toilet brushes so that I don’t have to clean this toilet with my hands.” 😜😜 When you feel good, small tasks - and big ones - fly by, and our lives become richer at the same time.
Focus on the Outcome
Feeling grateful while doing mundane tasks doesn’t mean you have to pretend to love the tasks. Keep your focus on the outcome, or end result you’re after! When you’re taping, tell yourself, “I love a beautiful painted room.” When you’re cleaning, tell yourself, “I love a clean, inviting home.” Don’t try to pretend that you “love the act of scrubbing toilets” if you don’t. It will be unsustainable and frustrating, and will probably make you resist the project entirely.
Celebrate Every Task!
Celebrate each step you complete along the way to a goal! Every single one. Give your brain a rush of dopamine by celebrating yourself in some way. When I finished that blasted tape job, I made myself stop and really feel good about it! I did a little “happy dance” and proclaimed, “I did an awesome job! I did it! I’m closer to a painted room than I was yesterday!” Anything you can think of to make yourself feel good about accomplishments along the way will help you keep going.
If you’ve achieved long-term success in any area of life, I bet you can agree that usually, the slow way is the fast way. If you try to cut corners, it will usually backfire. To use my painting example one last time, you only have to learn the lesson once that skipping the taping/priming/prepping phase of painting will not go well. It will ultimately cost you more time, or leave you with an unsatisfactory result. Small steps matter.
And don’t forget my motto: “Being present is the most productive thing you can do.” Be present in the task at hand. Small tasks are not unimportant tasks. They are a required part of the journey to the life we want to live.