Do you want to become Highly Productive?
PART 2 of 18 habits explained (#6 – 9)
Missed Part 1? Read it HERE
6. TAKE BREAKS
Be kind to yourself! Schedule breaks as you would any employee. This is healthy and humane practice. It’s easy to get lost in the grind when you are working hard towards your goals. To avoid burnout you must take breaks to clear your mind, rest, and refuel. This will re-energize your body. Be sure to put them in your daily calendar, as well as set a reminder alarm in your phone for 5 -10 min before to settle on a breaking point.
Here are a few break ideas:
15 MIN BREAKS
Every 4-6 hours, take 15 minutes for a mind clearing, stretch break. Set a timer, go outside and sit or at least walk away from your workstation in the offie. Maybe stretch a little, meditate, or even just close your eyes. Listen to what your body needs.
30 – 60 MIN LUNCH OR DINNER BREAK
Get out of your workstation to eat a happy lunch. Bring a bag lunch, protein shakes or other healthy snacks for easy consumption and to stay on budget. When you eat go to another room, or better yet get out of the building. Don’t eat a crappy lunch at your desk. You deserve to refuel, with joy. Eat healthy food that will energize you, not slow you down. If your blood sugar gets low, you will be irritable and tired. Throughout the day, drink lots of water. I keep a 20-40 ounce water bottle with a lid and straw at my desk. I know if I drink 3-4 a day, I’m well hydrated. Dehydration causes lethargy, body stiffness, and confusion- amongst other serious side effects. Take it seriously. Don’t forget to take a daily vitamin too. You need nutrients and a healthy body to be 100% successful
30-60 MIN DAILY EXERCISE BREAK
hy is this in the break ideas?? Because it’s a crucial part of your day. 1 hour of exercise is 4% of your day. The more energy you expel, the more you create. It’s physics. If you sit at work, go home and lay on the couch and don’t exercise you have no energy, right? You know all the reasons why, like Nike says—— Just DO IT!!! Find something you like, 3-5x a week, and get ‘er done man.
HOBBY BREAK
All work and no play makes you crazy. Find something you love and do it once a week.
REST BREAK
If your overwhelmed, stressed, or get a brain block…take some rest time. It doesn’t have to be major. It can be an hour, a day, a week, or maybe a whole month every year…whatever is needed to avoid burn out. Then you can always show up for yourself and your cause. Don’t you wanna be the best you can be? This means, you must rest.
7. MAKE FEWER DECISIONS
Don’t over complicate things. Especially when you have people to see and places to go.
Here are a few ways to do less and accomplish more:
FOOD PREP
Buy prepared meals for the whole week or cook your food in bulk. I do this on Sundays. Easy fix, cook chicken or other meats ahead and refrigerate, buy a box of greens, portion out dressings in small containers, get cold cuts, cut veggies ahead and snack bag them ahead. Have apples and other easy to eat fruits available for snacks. Organize each day, portioning everything out ahead of time in meal containers with labels. Grab and go!
LAY OUT YOUR CLOTHES
Or where the same thing everyday. HAHA, I don’t mean the same clothing! Some of the most successful people in the world have closets full of the same types and colors of garments. No use wasting brain power on such silly decisions. Find what works for you and get multiples. If you’re luck enough to wear a uniform to work, have at least 5 days worth. If not, create your own. Dresses and one pieces are easy for me. I love that I don’t have to match tops and bottoms. Keep it simple and plan ahead.
REVIEW YOUR SCHEDULE
On Sunday night, I look at my entire schedule for the week. I also, take a few moments every evening to review the next day. So important if you want to truly be on top of it all.
PRIORITIZE TASKS
This can be the worst when your overwhelmed. Use this easy 1-2-3 hack…
1. Do time sensitive tasks first (in your life and at work). These take first priority.
2. Next plan to do the tasks you like the least.
3. Finally, always save the best for last.
DELEGATE DELEGATE DELEGATE
This one is a true game changer. You should only be working on the tasks that only YOU can accomplish. All other jobs can be passed to someone you trust. It’s worth spending a little money to hire a house cleaner, or give the filing to an intern. Don’t over think this one. Your time on this planet is priceless. Think about that!
8. ELIMINATE INEFFICIENT COMMUNICATION
Save your energy. Repeating yourself can be exhausting. Clarity begets clarity! Everyone can be forgetful.
Try these simple team planning tools:
USE ONLINE SHARED APPS & CALENDARS
Create task lists on shared apps and calendars for family members or coworkers.
USE EMAIL
Send emails on important topics and set reminders.
WALL CALENDARS ROCK
Make a large calendar board on the wall at home for your family or coworkers. People can glance and be reminded of what’s up on the fly.
GENTLE REMINDERS
Use sticky notes, wall decor, or maybe some hand made reminders or pasted affirmations on the bathroom mirror. There are so many ways to reinforce communication without wasting your breath.
9. FIND REPEATABLE SHORTCUTS
This is an easy one. Get into the groove of planning tasks by the times/day/week and repeat. Monday can be spaghetti night, Tuesday steak…Friday take out night!! Use a saved “staple” grocery list (add extras when needed) and shop on the same day/time each week, wake up at the same time each day, work out the same time, do the same workout on certain days of the week, eat the same foods at work, keep things in their place and organize with labels. Take the mystery out of life where it’s appropriate. No need to waste your efforts on the easy mundane stuff. Save your clever thinking for making your dreams come true! When everything else is running like a well oiled machine, so will you…Figure out what works for you and your team. This make take some a little trial and error. When you get there just wash, rinse, and repeat.
Know this takes a bit of effort at first, but once done, they are done for the foreseeable future. The benefits are totally worth it. Add just a few of these concepts to your life and watch your accomplishments soar at greater speed!
Stay tuned…more to come. – Beth
