Productivity Hack: Take The Decision Away From The Moment
Okay, so I’ve been pulling myself out of a bit of a system breakdown lately.
Confession: I’ve never been the kind of person to procrastinate. I like knowing what I need to do and when I need to do it, and I definitely don’t like leaving things to the last minute. That’s when my Anxiety Ninja comes out to play, and I hate that bitch.
So I like to keep her locked up. Preferably in a dark closet where no one visits her, because I’m mean like that. Okay, I think I’ve gotten a bit off topic here…moving on.
The reason I fell into system breakdown mode is because I stopped making planning a priority and by the end of the day I’d suffer from what some might refer to as decision fatigue.
Basically, my brain is freaking tired. If you follow me on twitter, you already know that by the end of the day I can’t even be trusted to make a decision around what to eat for dinner.
The way I combat this in my daily life usually is to take the decision away from the moment. That’s why I’ve always been a big fan of planning. I just like knowing things.
I like to think of it as designing my day. While I try not to deviate from the daily plan, everything is loose and flexible. This habit has become especially handy now that I work for myself. The system breakdown I’ve been suffering through lately could be a very easy and comfortable place to unpack my bags and live. I don’t want to do that.
So how do you take the decision out of the moment? Well, here you go.
- Meal plan. This doesn’t only save you dollar bills at the grocery store and prevent you from wasting food, it helps if you’re like me and suffer from decision fatigue at the end of the day. Knowing what to prepare/what you’re having for dinner eliminates the what do I feel like dilemma.
- Schedule cleaning. Coming up with a cleaning schedule keeps you from dreading surprised guests…or running out of underwear. Your days are busy, I get it. If you leave cleaning up to when you have a free moment, you know you won’t do it. Trust me, I know…I spent too many hours folding clothes this weekend. When you break your cleaning down daily tasks, you also avoid spending hours on one specific task. Fun tip: Maintaining a clean house is less work than cleaning a dirty one. Scheduling it out also forces me to keep up with it–because once something is on my todo list, it’s harder for me to ignore.
- Schedule tasks. This one comes particularly handy for me as a business owner. It’d be really easy to fall into the Netflix trap or the overwhelm trap. In order to avoid both of these, I take some time on Sunday evening to plan out my week. I pay close attention to deadlines making sure to offer myself enough time for revisions and life. Knowing exactly when I’ll tackle a certain project or task helps keep me from feeling like I have too much.
- Designate days. I typically work out on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Knowing that helps me avoid the guilt of “missing” a workout on a Monday. I typically hit the Chiropractor on Wednesdays and Fridays, that lets me know I can set up shop at the Amelie’s down the street so those would be good days to knock out content. Knowing your habits helps you to be productive.
