Tools for Productivity

It’s true that we all struggle with productivity from time to time. Sometimes it’s simply because we just don’t feel like doing our work. Other times, distractions keep us away. Or maybe we’re worried about work or something else. Productivity can be especially challenging for those of us who work from home. I know I’m not alone in being distracted by the television or the dirty dishes in the sink or even the temptation to run to lunch with friends.

The good news is that we can overcome these challenges using some tools and strategies. I’ll share some of my favorites here.

1. Know thyself.

You are unique, and because of that, you should not approach your work the same way your coworker might. I’m a big fan of personality tests and there are some important questions to ask ourselves in relation to productivity:

• Are you a morning person or a night owl (or maybe something in between)? I actually love getting up early to get work done, whether that work is exercise or emails. My neighbor is the total opposite, and gets her energy after everyone in the house has gone to bed. She could try and be like me and get up early, but why? Chances are she’d spend morning hours not getting much done (or not doing it well), just like I’d write an email full of typos if I tried to do it after 8 pm. This also relates to energy levels throughout the day. I plan to do my most challenging work in the morning and plan calls in the afternoon. When are you most productive on a given day? Pay attention, and plan the tasks that require the most metal output during that time.
• Are you an upholder, obliger, questioner, or rebel? This is a personality typing system developed by Gretchen Rubin, and I think it does a great job helping us manage our productivity. You can read more about it on her site, but in short, it refers to how well you respond to inner and outer expectations. (Inner expectations like your own goal to stay healthy and outer expectations meaning someone else counts on you to get something.) The largest group of people fall into the “obligers” category, meaning we respond best when someone else expects us to do something. Obligers should take advantage of this tendency and create outer accountability. For example, if you want to exercise more, plan to meet a friend at the gym. As assistants at Squared Away, outer accountability is built into our jobs…we meet (and oftentimes exceed) the expectations of our clients.
• What’s your favorite type of project? Sometimes, we get to choose what gets placed on our “to do” list. When choosing a new project, think about your own strengths. Do you like working with a team? Do you enjoy event planning? Do you get excited about numbers? Consider these preferences when signing up for a volunteer project or a task at work. When we have work we love to do, we get it done quickly and feel excited about it. Moreover, we do better work. When you have control over what you need to do, be sure to pick the projects and tasks that get you excited and maximize your strengths.

2. Make a “ta-da” list next to your to-do list.

List all the things you DID accomplish in a given day. (This idea also brought to me by Gretchen Rubin.) It’s easy for our brains to focus on all the things left to do, but what would happen, if instead, we thought about all the things we DID get done on a given day? Perhaps we could look back and feel a sense of accomplishment and achievement. And this feels great!

Beyond feeling great, tracking our accomplishments can be great for our careers. I’ve learned so much about accomplishment tracking personally after working with my client Alli Young. Alli, an expert in career advancement, shares her expertise through her platform The Forem. Alli teaches that there are five critical skills we all need to advance our careers, one of these skills being self advocacy. We cannot advocate for ourselves if we don’t keep track of the things we’ve accomplished. But it can be hard to remember what we accomplished yesterday, let alone last week! One key component of The Forem is that members are prompted on a regular basis to input their accomplishments. The Forem keeps track of these accomplishments and reminds members to share these accomplishments with their managers and those who influence their careers. This practice will move us forward in our careers and help us recognize everything we have done. And beyond that, I think when we recognize our accomplishments, we feel good and get more done.

3. Use a timer.

It worked when my kids were little and I set a timer for 5 minutes to pick up their toys and it works for me when I have a pile of work to do. There’s something about being held to a clock that can motivate us to keep moving. A lot of times, I’ll set a timer for 30 minutes or an hour and just work, knowing I’ll get a break when that timer beeps. Lots of people work in 25-minute chunks, with a 5-minute break, utilizing the very popular Pomodoro Method. (Surprisingly, it’s named after a tomato.) The timer can come in handy also when using time blocking, a technique so many of our assistants use to manage tasks and time.

4. Pay attention to what stays undone…and delegate.

We all have tasks that are especially hard to get done, and this can be for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, it’s a task that intimidates us, bores us, or gets us bogged down in details when we are a big picture kind of person. Often, we just have to power through these tasks. (Whether you like it or not, you have to brush your own teeth every night). But for many of the tasks we dread, there’s a way to utilize the strengths of those around us. Heck, I have three kids and because of that, I don’t plan on taking out the trash again until I’m an empty nester. You probably have tasks on your list that keep getting left behind, and maybe it’s time to delegate those tasks to someone else. Can you trade tasks with a coworker, partner, or can you hire someone to help you? (I think I know a pretty awesome group of military spouses that could help you get those tasks done!)

What are your favorite tips and tricks to increase your productivity? We’d genuinely love to hear.

Squared Away is comprised of military spouses who are your trusted assistants. We help CEOs, VCs, executives, and startup teams get their time back. US-based. #SquaredAwayLife #ChiefExecutiveAssistant

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