Introduction

We often dread the pile-up of tasks and responsibilities at work, fearing that we’ll let people down if we don’t meet expectations. Here we explore key strategies for improving productivity: Awareness, Observation, and Experimentation.

Awareness: Don’t Let Problems Fall Through The Cracks

The first step to improve productivity is awareness. Being aware of your productivity issues forces you to confront, rather than ignore, your current work habits. Ignoring problems in the hope that they will go away is a common but foolish approach. Going for a walk can even help you maintain this awareness, letting you reflect on your responsibilities and how you can meet them.

Observation: Turning Over A New Leaf

Observation is the next step. By observing your habits, you can pinpoint the things that make you less productive. Perhaps your productivity decreases significantly when you receive that one dreaded email, turning your inbox into a mess. It’s essential to intervene at the right moments to keep things in check.

Once you’ve identified your problem areas through observation, the next step is to experiment with solutions.

Experimentation: Never Get Twisted Up

Don’t get twisted up in the vicious cycle of unproductivity. Experiment with different techniques to keep your tasks from piling up. For example, heading to a new coffee shop every time you need to clear a lot of emails can create a positive trigger, making you more focused on the task at hand.

Vocabulary

Before we conclude, let’s go over some key vocabulary used in this post.

  • To “let people down”: To disappoint or fail to meet expectations.

  • Turn Over: To change something significantly, for better or worse.

  • Dreaded: Regarded with great fear or apprehension.

  • Silly: Lacking common sense or judgement; foolish.

  • Twisted Up: In a state of emotional or mental distress.

  • Intervene: To take part in something to prevent or alter a result or course of events.

  • Vicious: Deliberately cruel or violent.

  • Indictment: A formal charge or accusation of a serious crime, also used metaphorically to indicate that something is severely flawed.

  • Compassionate: Feeling or showing sympathy and concern for others.

  • Shut: To close or make unavailable.

  • Tape: To record sound or video.

  • Fall Through The Cracks: To be overlooked or forgotten.

Conclusion

We think productivity is about compassionately observing yourself, having the awareness to recognize when tasks are falling through the cracks, and having the courage to intervene and change your habits. Rather than dreading the work that piles up, taking proactive steps to address issues can make a world of difference in how we feel about our workload and, ultimately, how we perform.

To discuss these topics more, ask your partner question like:

  • “Have you ever felt trapped at work?”

By sharing experiences and strategies, we can all become more productive and less prone to letting ourselves and others down.