A SURPRISING WAY TO BE PRODUCTIVE
It is Monday after the conference. I got back two days ago. One would think that it’s enough time to recuperate. I was 100% confident, I would be back into the groove of things by Friday afternoon.
Ha! Not so fast. I am not totally sure what’s contributing to such a lethargic state of mind. Is it because:
- I had to fly for 6 hours there and back within three days?
- Of the time zone change?
- There was so much great information, that brain went into overload?
- Adrenaline rush?
- Red-eye flights are never fun
- Lack of sleep?
- The body is exhausted, while the mind is racing
- The new possibilities
- New connections
- Overwhelm with what the next steps are?
- Overwhelm with what was left undone while I was away?
- The realization that I have to overcome certain fears and uncertainties in order to move forward?
Interestingly, making this list was quite therapeutic. I believe it’s because it’s part of the diagnostic process that we must go through, in order to figure out what’s happening. Before we move forward, we first have to identify where we are, what brought us here, what’s holding us back. (it’s just another good reason it’s step #1 in my productivity system).
What this weekend also taught me is that it’s important to build-in some recuperating time after a conference (or a meeting, or an appointment – anything where you’ve expanded a lot of your energy and yourself). In order to get my energy back, I learned that I have to just take it easy and not do anything.
This sounds like such a simple concept, but anyone who knows me, also knows that it’s the hardest thing for me. As a productivity expert, I always encourage my clients (and push myself) to act, act, act. Interestingly, in this case, the most productive thing is to do nothing. Let myself absorb what I’ve experienced. Stay in the conscious place, but active place. Just be.
3 More Ways To Increase Productivity In Your Home Office So You Can Get More Done In Less Time
Eliminate post-it notes. Although they are a great invention and I use them every day in the course of my work, I resist the urge of using them to post reminders around the office. Why? Because, they collect dust, they curl, they fall off, and ultimately add to the clutter. If I need a reminder, I set my outlook. If I must make a note for later, I write it down on my ‘to-do’ list, because effectively it becomes a to-do item.
A while ago, I wrote down my assistant’s fax number on a post-it note and attached it to the fax machine. “It’s just temporary”, I said to myself. Months later, the darn thing was still there, curling up and falling off. Every morning I would find it on the floor, grind my teeth, slap it back on, just to repeat the process the next morning. After months of frustration, I finally decided to take my own advice. I found 2 minutes (big deal, right?), got an adhesive label, wrote down the number, and pasted it neatly on the fax machine. I was very proud of myself. Small thing, I know, but it made me feel so good.
Place a coaster by your computer. It sounds silly at first, but believe it or not, it can play a part in healthier you this year. The coaster is in effect a reminder that a glass of water needs to be placed on top of it.
It’s no surprise that most of us don’t drink enough water. As decorators, we are always “on the road”, between clients, and on appointments, which makes it particularly hard. But when we are in our office, there should be no excuse. Water cleanses your body, makes you feel better, and ultimately increases your productivity. Although we know all the benefits, it is still very easy to forget it, while getting wrapped up in the office-day catch-up. The coaster is your reminder: if it’s empty, it’s time to get your water!
Go full circle. This is like saying: “Everything that goes up, must go down”. In the life of a designer (decorator, window treatment specialist, workroom, or installer) it’s about putting things back where their “home” is. But it doesn’t mean putting it back some day, tomorrow, or later – it means putting it back right away.
So if you’ve pulled out several trim books to match with the fabric, put them back right after you’ve found the right trim. If you’ve taken out a price book for a hardware order you’re working on, put it back as soon as you’ve completed that proposal.
In my GET IT DONE Mentoring Program, my clients particularly like this rule, because it’s so simple and they can easily implement it. Just remembering about it and catching yourself when you’re tempted to put something aside until later, is all it takes to make it work. Just remember, all your tools, reference materials, supplies, and files must go back full circle to where their designated home is.
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