I think this discussion could help you become more productive and also help you learn to be kinder to yourself. Productive people are those unicorns that a lot of others are jealous of. I’ve heard different versions of this over the years:
“How does she do it? Work 40+ hours a week, meal prep, read a monthly book, exercise, and get 8 hours of sleep a night?! I can barely put together my Blue Apron meal twice a week and muster enough energy to walk from the dining room table to the couch.”
I might be exaggerating a little, but I think we have all had weeks where it feels like too much of a chore to do anything in addition to the necessary. The thing is, these productive people didn’t drink from some magical stream or just happen to pick the right book from the self help section of Barnes and Noble. Being more productive has everything to do with setting goals (some small and some big) and making sure we are consistently working towards them. Some goals take years to achieve, the success isn’t overnight.
No one is saying you need to cook dinner from scratch 5 nights a week to be more “productive”- but maybe it is making the time on Sundays to roast enough chicken to eat throughout the week, or maybe it is getting up 30 minutes earlier two days a week so you can get a workout in before your workday. It’s about structure and figuring out what works for you life.
Slowly as you learn to incorporate these small changes. The most challenging part is keeping yourself accountable, so how can you do that? Some people think writing down goals and revisiting it every so often keeps them accountable, others find success in sharing goals with loved ones so they have a built in support system. Talking to a coach can improve your accountability too. Having someone available to you to discuss your goals (and whether or not they are realistic) can take a lot of the pressure off you. If that’s the route you decide to go, let me know.
Career & Goal Setting Coach 