HOW TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE ZERO MOTIVATION

 

Today’s talking point:

In this episode I'm going to be sharing exactly how to be more productive and get things done. Even when you have zero motivation.

We're going to talk all about time blocking, productivity tools and how to prioritise. It's going to be a good one.


The Truth About Procrastination

Are you a procrastinator?

I'm really curious because most of the online business owners I meet are procrastinators. Most people will hold up their hands and say, yep, that's me.

I procrastinate and maybe it's just one of those human things. But it made me realise that there are times when we want to know how to be more productive so badly and we have all these plans: we have our goals mapped out on our whiteboard and our calendar is blocked out for the week, but we have zero motivation. Why? Why does that happen? 

If you're anything like me, you can probably identify with feeling completely overwhelmed.

Do you ever have those moments where you feel like there is so much to do and there just aren't enough hours in the day to do all the things? I get that.

When I first started my business, I really struggled a lot with setting meaningful goals and sticking to a productive schedule. I used to get so overwhelmed that I just gave up and turned on the TV or watch YouTube videos just so I wouldn't have to face the struggle.

Thankfully, I am so much better and the person I want to be now, who is the CEO of her own life and business doesn't procrastinate and knows what to do to get the work done, even if I don't feel as motivated as usual. 

Sometimes even just a few minutes of procrastination can turn into hours wasted by checking social media, email and anything else you can find.

Then by the end of the day, you feel not only like you haven't achieved anything but you're way more tired than when you originally started out.


HOW TO START YOUR DAY PRODUCTIVELY

We're going to talk first about your mornings specifically. This is what you can do in that morning time to help you increase your motivation for the day ahead and learn how to be more productive.


#1 | Get Up & Get Ready

Your mornings impact your energy for the rest of the day. The first point of action that always makes me feel so much better, is to get showered and dressed properly. I know a lot of you work in PJs and yoga pants - and that’s fine. But if you find yourself lacking in motivation try getting ready in your CEO mindset.

I just feel like I know how to be more productive by showering, putting on makeup, and putting work clothes on (which for me usually consists of smart jeans or trousers, a top and a jacket or a shirt dress). So it's not that fancy, but it helps me feel so much more prepared and motivated to take on the day.

When you're planning your next outfit, pick out something you haven't worn in a while or even something you save for best and just see how your mood changes. 


#2 | Skip The Snooze

I know, I know you've heard this a gazillion times, but what I want to draw your attention to here is your smartphone. Oh yes, we are going there. 

So I've recently started a new morning routine and I’ve come to realise that your morning routine starts with your evening routine.

I used to catch myself in the morning looking at my phone all the time, looking at my phone while I was waiting for the kettle to boil, scrolling on Instagram while I was brushing my teeth, it was so bad.

So I've actually started putting my phone to bed in my office an hour before I go to sleep with the alarm set; so when my alarm goes off in the morning on my phone, I hear it in the bedroom and then I have to get out of bed and go into my office to turn the alarm off. Then, I leave my phone where it is while I do the first steps of my morning routine. 

I know you might think it’s mad, but it's made such a difference. You don’t have to go to the extreme, just set boundaries even if you keep it on your bedside table. Don't wake up with it. Don't let it define how you start your day. 


#3 | Get Moving

This one is super fun and easy because you have to do it in order to start your day. Unless your job is to lay in bed all day, which I'm pretty sure it's not.

Even just getting yourself out of bed every day is a movement. So that is a mission accomplished.

But the more movement you incorporate, the better you will feel. Even just taking a walk to get a cup of coffee is great, but movement to me represents anything you do to get all parts of your body moving. I really do encourage you to move your body and take care of it.

Let it know first thing in the morning that you respect it for all the wonderful relaxation. It just allows you to have and gently welcome it to the awake state that it needs to get you going. Movement should be a key part of your morning routine. 

Movement can take the form of anything:

  • Doing an intentional morning skin routine

  • Making a cup of tea or coffee

  • Preparing a healthy breakfast

  • Stretching or meditation

  • Exercise

Just pick an option that works for you, and start from there. The most important thing is to choose the movement method that is right for you. 


PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS

If the motivation truly isn't there at all, these tools will make it so much better for you to actually get the work done that you need to, even though you don't feel like it. These are the productivity tools I love to help me learn how to be more productive.

#1 | Time Blocking

Now, if you've been listening to the podcast, or keeping up with the blog, for any length of time, you know this has to be first. 

I'm only going to give you a brief outline here, but don't worry because I've got a full episode on calendar blocking coming up in just a couple of weeks.

A lot of people get confused between calendar blocking and time blocking… it's called loads of different things: they're exactly the same thing. This method can be as simple or as in depth as you want it to be. 

The top thing constantly on my mind is the time & being present in the day. So these are the most important pieces of information to be able to make the most of the current moment. Because I'm very aware of these two things, I'm better able to make the most of them.

The best way to do that is to reverse engineer the things you want to do and the time you have to do them. I define calendar blocking as scheduling chunks of time on your schedule for designated appointments, tasks, etc. 

So at the most basic level, calendar blocking is putting everything you need or want to do in a space of time on your schedule.

Now of course you can keep adding things to a to do list, but those tasks can add up to infinity and you do not have infinity when it comes to your time. What you want happen means more realistically understanding when you have the time to do it and then scheduling it in so you can actually make it happen.

The goal of calendar blocking is not just scheduling the time to do things. That's not just what it's about. It's about maintaining complete focus for those appointments once they pop up on your calendar and treating your tasks as appointments. 


#2 | Tech Tools

I fell in love with Asana the first time I used it and I'm still in love with it now.

I have a lot of tasks that are repeated, whether it's daily, weekly, monthly, or some other interval. So for instance, every Monday I always update a spreadsheet of my metrics for the previous week. Asana allows you to replicate the tasks with the new due date. When I mark it complete it also works on all my devices. I have a MacBook and an iPhone, so I need something that works on both platforms. 

It is easy to get up and running and really, really quickly I was able to dig in and start using it straight away. The best thing is that it's FREE. There is a premium version that offers more features, but I haven't found the need for any of them yet. The free version does everything I need it to do. 


#3 | Productivity Methods

Setting Your Priorities

Part of my daily routine is choosing my top priorities for the next day and it makes all the difference. It really gives my day so much focus and clarity. This is part of the Ivy league Productivity Method that I use (& will have a YouTube video on in a couple weeks). 


The Scrum Method

This is actually what I use when I was creating and launching this podcast over a year ago and I mentioned it in episode three as well, way back in the day. 

The way it works: think of it as a project to project. So let's say the project you want to get done this week is to get your website done. What you can do on Sunday is map out all the things that need to be done in order to have your website completed. You're going to map all of that out and create a backlog. 

I like to use a whiteboard set up for this. So, on your whiteboard you can draw three columns down. 

  • The first column is a backlog: write down all the different tasks on each sticky note and put them down the column

  • The middle column is “doing” 

  • The final column is “done”

It's really, really simple. Throughout the week when you're getting stuff done, taking one task at a time and visualising each step. Whatever that task is, move it to doing, do the work, get it done, move it over one by one. And honestly your focus will be incredible. 


Pomodoro Technique

This technique means that basically whatever you're working on is super focused. You shut down Facebook, turn off any distractions and you say, “okay, right now I'm working on editing the sidebar of my blog. That's what I'm going to do for the next 25 minutes straight.” 

After 25 minutes, you get a break for five minutes where you don't do any work. You'll feel like you want to keep working, but you have to force yourself to get up, go for a walk, stretch, grab a drink, don't think about work for five minutes straight. Then you come back and then you're going to do it all over again for another 25 minutes and then a five minute break, up to one hour. A full Pomodoro would be two hours of work, which is four sessions. 


FINAL TIPS


Take Regular Breaks

That's what's great about the Pomodoro technique because it encourages you to take regular breaks.

Having frequent breaks is so important when it comes to knowing how to be more productive. Your brain runs on the fuel of glucose and just like your car, if it runs out of fuel, it's going to break down. So not only is it important to keep it top top, but you also need to give it time to recharge.

Instead of struggling for two hours and achieving very little, why not rest and get twice as much done in the next hour. I know what I'd prefer. 


Schedule Days Off

You also want to make sure you're scheduling one big break into your week as well. Rather than waiting until burnout forces you to take time off because you just can't function any longer. Think about planning ahead and scheduling more days off in the future. 

Taking a day off when you don't actually need a day off might feel a little selfish. You might even feel guilty, but if you plan it in advance, you can use it to your advantage and unexpected day off because you're ill or burnt-out is a much bigger problem. 

Remember, happiness equals high levels of productivity.

Let’s chat in the comments - what’s your favourite productivity habit and which ones that I mentioned in this episode are you going to implement first?

 
Everyday Blogging TipsHolly Suttonhow to be more productive, productivity, productivity tipsComment