How I Became More Productive
A shift in how I viewed my goals
When the quarantine started, I noticed that for some odd reason, my motivation to complete the various tasks required each day had dropped substantially. The gym may have been closed but I have a variable dumbbell set I could have used instead for working out. Sadly, they have remained unused since March. I listened to audiobooks frequently while commuting and when that also stopped, my time spent each day listening to books had also dropped. Thankfully, I managed to stay on top of writing, but it had the external motivation factor of money to thank.
What this change in my lifestyle made me realize was that I was functioning on autopilot, so to speak. I was not waiting for motivation to occur, because I was doing it without thinking about it. So, I’ve found various ways to recreate that sense of autopilot.
Isolating Tasks
Instead of keeping the weights in my room, I opted to put them in my basement. This forced me to create a tiny commute from wherever I was to the basement so I could get my workout in. It might seem pointless but it’s one of the main reasons why gyms work well. When an area is created for a sole purpose, often those who visit find themselves focused on that for which it was created. There are fewer distractions by isolating these tasks.
Writing every day also became easier when I moved my computer to a separate part of the house. Much like working out, when there are fewer distractions around me it is easier to complete tasks. I didn’t do this before the quarantine, but after trying the gym methodology on other aspects it worked well for me.
This also helps prevent going back and forth between tasks. It’s better to complete a task without taking any breaks from it, so one remains focused. Harder to get distracted when these separate tasks are located away from each other.
Consistency
The autopilot effect can’t be created if one keeps changing their routine. This is why it is important to relatively do the same activities every day or at least every week. For example, I used to find it hard to workout in the mornings due to a lack of energy. Eventually, this stopped being a problem because I just stopped thinking about it. The workout itself got easier due to experience, but the process up into that point never got easier.
This became true with my Japanese study as well. I used to mull over how much I had to review every day, but eventually, I stopped thinking about it and just did it.
The cement can’t harden if one keeps adding water to the mixture.
Progress
This one is a bit of a no brainer, but once I started implementing these tactics I saw progress start to grow once more. This then added motivation on top of my routine, which made it even easier for me to complete tasks. I said I didn’t rely on motivation to complete tasks but they’re still a welcome boost. However, progress likely doesn’t come for those who aren’t consistent. Curations on medium, understanding more Kanji, being able to lift more weight; all of these aspects help push me further than before.
Final Thoughts
You may feel lost after the quarantine turned your whole life upside down. It certainly felt that way for me, but I couldn’t wait to rely on the motivation to get things done. I had to create the terms for myself. Create a system of your own that will help you complete tasks and you will find progress too.
