When was the last time you had a great idea while you were super busy? Creativity doesn’t flow when we are juggling multiple tasks.
And yet we invite constant activity into our lives like the Ocotmom invited children (she has 14) into hers.
Could Mozart have created Requiem and The Magic Flute if he had owned a smartphone? Could he have written through the distractions and interruptions that come with the device.
Do your friends ever freak out if you don’t immediately respond to a text message? I’m sure they are good friends but do they really require an instantaneous response?
Technology has given us wonderful accessibility to information as well as connectivity to others. These are good things but we can have too much of them. To become your most productive, you may need to take a trip back to the 1970s.
Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to embrace your inner disco queen or exercise your fingers on a rotary phone. But to Clear the Path to improved productivity and a groovy lifestyle, I’m offering you these suggestions:
Be Unavailable: Just about every work phone system has a Do Not Disturb function, yet it is rarely used. Get in the habit of being unavailable to the rest of the world, even if it’s just for a short amount of time. This can put you into a high productivity window, where you can focus on your most important task.
You and others will learn that your presence is probably not required 24/7. Just because we have the ability to stay constantly connected with one another, doesn’t mean we have to do it.
Triage Your Problems: Doctors know that every medical problem is important. But they’ve also learned that the most urgent cases need to be treated first. Practice the same thing with your responsibilities.
This is also an excellent way to keep you from only focusing on easy tasks. I’m sure some doctors might love to put bandaids on cuts all day rather than perform complex procedures. But if he or she only does the easy stuff, many of the patients will suffer.
Respect Your Time We have a limited amount of productive time in our work lives. This is when you are performing at your peak level.
A common mistake is to think that by working extra hours, you’ll become more productive. Often, adding extra time to your workday only burns you out. It’s a seductive trap to think that you can trade things like sleep for extra hours on the job. Ever notice that well rested people tend not to be disagreeable at work?
Treat your time like a fine glass of wine. It is meant to be sipped and savored. Don’t gulp.
