How to be productive (when you really don’t feel like it)
When it's been a while, here's how to find your mojo again
Welcome back to the Monday Mojo email. Full disclosure for my overseas readers, May has been nuts in the UK. I don’t think we’ve had a full working week this month for a variety of reasons. Monday is another public holiday, as I know it is for those in the States too. Holidays are wonderful magical things, but it can be hard to get back into the groove afterward.
So in the spirit of us all finding our mojo again and making the most of this week (short or not), I’m sharing some of my best productivity tips today. Some of them may be a little unusual, but try them and let me know how it goes!
These weekly emails set you up for the week at work - a “coach in your pocket” if you will. They are for paid subscribers (alongside a host of other benefits coming soon!), but today (and only today) I’m opening up this email for everyone. I figured we all needed it this week. Let me know what you think and consider signing up if you’d like a nudge to make the most of every week at work.
Let’s get into it.
How to be productive (when you really don’t feel like it)
Think about what’s easy for you. Go do that thing. Now this advice might be counter to so many of the productivity gurus out there. They always talk about “eating the frog” aka doing the most challenging thing first. This works well. I use this technique often. But sometimes, when you’re really struggling to get back into gear, you just need an early win. Doing something that is easy for you (but maybe hard for others, depending on your specific superpowers!) could deliver immediate benefit to your organisation and instant gratification for you. You can then use this momentum to tackle other things on your list. Try it and let me know what you think.
Take time to chat to your team. Instead of diving into a very long to-do list, take some time to engage with your team and your peers. Listen to what they have to say and share with you. Talk, chat, share ideas and updates. Give informal advice. Chatting is under-rated as a leadership skill. It lets people know that you’re interested in and invested in them as human beings and can often be truly revealing in terms of team dynamics and team work. Do this first, and you’ll set your team up for success this week, therefore helping you have a better week too.
Get your systems in place. Even if you’re not naturally an organised person, having systems in place that work for you is key to being productive, almost despite yourself! In my world of coaching, it’s about having my calls booked with tools like Zoom and Google Calendar, my marketing planned in advance and a clear idea of what a successful week looks like for me. I also use the Pomodoro technique to help me focus on my writing. You’ll find what works for you, and please share any ideas in the comments for others!
Timeblock your calendar. I love timeblocking. If you’re not familiar with it, this is the practice of dividing your day into blocks of time. Each block is dedicated to accomplishing a specific task, or group of tasks, and only those specific tasks. Instead of keeping an open-ended to-do list, you block tasks out on your calendar. This includes dedicated time for responding to emails, instead of througout the day. For me, it helps me dive into deep work where I need ultimate focus (and of course for my coaching sessions), and prevents me from spending the day in reactive mode deep in my inbox. Give it a try. (And yes, time block your chats with colleagues - see point 2!)
Remember that Monday is only one day. (Or Tuesday for the UK this week!) So many “productivity gurus” tell you that beast mode is the only way you’ll get things done. Crush it every hour of every day. That sounds exhausting and no fun. Instead, give yourself some grace if you’re not feeling 100% on it after a break. It takes time to acclimatise again to the work environment (which is why chatting to your team is so helpful) and tips 1 and 2 above can help you flow back in. Then use tips 3 and 4 to help you get s**t done. But ultimately, it’s only one day. And tomorrow is always another day. Do your best for that day, go home and relax. I mean it.
I hope you found these tips helpful, let me know which work for you and comment with your thoughts or to share your tips with others. I’d love to crowd source some more suggestions for our community!
Until next week… (And remember, Lead with Intention public posts arrive in your inbox every two weeks and will always be free. These weekly coaching emails are for paid subscribers - read here to find out more about what you can expect if you sign up!)
I like your #1. The advice to "eat that frog" presupposes that you have the willpower to do so already. I prefer the phrasing "using small wins to build momentum."
I haven't considered #2, but I'll try that next time I'm in a slump. I generally avoid early morning chatter so I don't drain my introvert battery early, but I suppose I could "seed" a conversation to give the extroverts their morning boost.
Could you elaborate on #3, please? What are some other examples of systems besides the Pomodoro technique?
I agree with #4, with the caveat that you can be efficient with things, but not with people.
For #5, it would be nice to work in a place where people explicitly acknowledge that productivity is variable. My workplace doesn't do that, so I explicitly tell my subordinates that I don't expect them to operate at 100% efficiency every day. But I also want want their 125% days to make up for their 75% days, so everything still evens out.