Train yourself to be fully present for one task at a time, Focusing your energy is key to burning through your to-do lists. Rather than trying to finish multiple things at a time when you have competing demands, focus on one task instead; try to get it to a good place and move on to the next critical task.
“Fear of failure kills productivity” says Jeff Leisawitz, productivity expert and author of Not F*ing Around. “When you hesitate with plans and ideas simply because you fear an unfavorable outcome, your productivity grinds to a halt. In the proper perspective, failure is a guidance system that ultimately leads us to the results we desire. Under a fearful perspective, it kills productivity, growth and motivation.”
Instead of being too afraid to move at your job, embrace the idea that you might mess up sometimes. If (and when) you do make a mistake, first try to understand what went wrong, then tweak your game plan. Oh, and just try to make sure your mistake isn’t a huge one.
One of the worst productivity killers I see is flagging email, or marking it as unread to (supposedly) help you remember to come back to it later. Although this process may seem productive and a perfectly sensible way to keep track of what you need to answer, the opposite is in fact trueThis doesn’t actually tell you why you flagged the email—nor does it help you plan, prioritize or take appropriate action at the right time. Create a system by which you file emails into folders according to what action you need to take. Otherwise, archive it or delete it.
Unless it is for the sake of brainstorming, avoid complaining. Complaining and stressing on what isn’t working is a great distraction. However, complaining about them is not going to get you closer to figure out a solution. It’s important to train your brain on how NOT to linger in negative situations. This is key to being able to identify innovative solutions and ensures you do not get burned out.
If you keep finding yourself with employees or persons who are unable to follow through, you may be with the wrong personality type for the work or event at hand. These folks can’t even identify themselves as “Debbie Downers”.
Say goodbye to the energy vampires in your life, the negative souls who steal your enthusiasm.
Positivity is infectious and surrounding yourself with the right people will be contagious.
Written by Jorge Sanchez
