TW: This article may be difficult to apply to for people with anxiety, depression, or EDs. If this is you please realize this article can be difficult to follow and won't be as effective for you.
Hey everyone! I'm back again this week with another article on a similar topic of productivity. That magic word that's been floating around the internet lately, but for a lot of us out there it feels too hard to achieve.
The reality is that no one's life is full of productive moments. Somedays it's easy to get out of bed and work, while others it's more favorable to stay in bed to binge watch videos.
Though, social media will convince you that your life needs to be perfect 24/7. It can be very discouraging to scroll through your friend's and family's accounts to see how much more successful than you they are. Even sometimes a complete stranger can discourage you of your progress and make you feel incapable of being a productive person.
No one is that productive.
Social media is a highlight reel of our lives. It's safe to say that if you actively post things online, someone else who may not know you personally thinks that you're more put together than them. Yeah...I know right? It's hard to picture that, but just imagine how the people you view that way feel. They could have that exact same "Who? Me?" reaction.
In order to not drag my introduction out for too long (though I find it necessary to talk about these kinds of things especially on topics like this), I'm going to get to the point. I hope that this helps!!
Ily!! You've got this <3
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
I. Goal Setting
II. Is Planning Necessary?
III. Motivation
IV. Self-Care v. Self-Sabotage
° 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 ₒ 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 °
I. 𝓖𝓸𝓪𝓵 𝓢𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰
The most crucial step.
In order to be productive, you need a final destination. Otherwise you're just floating around aimlessly doing things that only look productive.
Be honest with yourself and what you want to achieve. Start with the bigger picture (your final goal) and narrow it down into manageable goals.
Ex.
I want to eventually: Ace my driving test
In order to do this I must: Be a good driver
The habits of a person with my goal are: Practice driving frequently, take driving courses, and have patience.
Once done, you now have what you need to achieve daily in order to eventually reach your goal. Think of it this way, as long as you are able to complete these steps daily you have been productive. Even if you don't have a big goal you can also apply this to other things.
Such as cleaning the house, doing homework, and other types of chores.
Regardless, the take away is that you should know what you want to get to when you're about to start the day.
II. 𝓘𝓼 𝓟𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓝𝓮𝓬𝓮𝓼𝓼𝓪𝓻𝔂?
Ehhh.
Here's my bias: I do not like planning. I think that I end up wasting time and creating stress whenever I try to. Maybe this applies to some of you who also don't enjoy following strict routines. Personally, I freak out if I can't follow the routine specifically (I know that spontaneity is a part of life, but that just escapes my mind whenever I'm following a plan lol).
Life should be experienced, not methodically calculated and in timed chunks.
However...
You do need a plan to be productive. If you have a healthy mentality with schedules then definitely use one. Incorporate your goals and steps you need to reach in them to make the most out of time in your day.
On the other hand, if you are like me make a loose list of daily tasks. You won't feel pressured to follow a strict guide everyday, but you'll still get things done. Make sure you actually do what you need to do. You've got this!! You are capable!
III. 𝓜𝓸𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷
You don't need motivation to get things done.
Motivation is a good feeling that you get sometimes and makes you feel good about reaching your goals/being a productive human being. That's really all it is though. It's just a feeling as much as you may want to think it's permanent, it's temporary much like any other emotion.
The issue with motivation comes from when you don't have it.
Not everyone is motivated to do things all of the time, but if you push through this you'll be far more productive. Learning to cope with off days and understanding that life is a process will make you feel more relaxed about doing things therefore allowing you to actually want to complete your goals.
My best advice for this is to get a good playlist to pick you up during off days, following positive influencers, and taking things one step at a time; but still progressing. If you are struggling with mental health, allow yourself a break every once and a while along with contacting a real professional.
IV. 𝓢𝓮𝓵𝓯-𝓒𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓿. 𝓢𝓮𝓵𝓯-𝓢𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓽𝓪𝓰𝓮
This one is a tricky subject...
Is it self care or self sabotage? I always ask myself this question whenever my lazy little brain convinces me to take a "break." Sometimes it is self care and I continue doing whatever I am with no regrets (because you should always let yourself take rests when you are no longer able to catch up with the business of life). Other times it's self sabotage.
These two are completely separate things that should never ever be confused for the other in order to avoid any issues.
EXAMPLES
• SELF CARE: Pampering yourself, hyping yourself up, cooking whole meals, dance breaks, spending time with your fave people, watching a movie, catching up on influencers you follow, taking breaks from technology, going out for some coffee, etc.
• SELF SABOTAGE: Not making the bed, overindulging in food even if you aren't hungry, avoiding showers, completely giving up on your goals for more than five days, spending the whole day mindlessly online, etc.
If you do catch yourself in a rut of self sabotage, try turning the activity into a self care one. Afterwards, check back on your energy to see if you can try to get what you need to do done.
You can do this!! Believe in yourself and be your biggest cheerleader as you push yourself into achieving your goals. Remember how much more fun and easier it gets after the first few weeks :)
Thanks for reading!!
xx
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