Hello dear readers.
But tell me honestly, how many people do it easily and easily? Most will answer that it is possible with great difficulty, and often it does not work at all.
Willpower is good, but not enough
You can force yourself to do something, but this personal resource is either not enough, or not enough for a short time.
Such pressure on oneself is exhausting, leads to a stressful state. Ultimately, a complete shutdown occurs. Psychic energy ends, a person gives up what he focused on, and actually forced himself to do.
It turns out that willpower alone is not enough. Why is this happening?
It's just that our brain is so arranged that it works on the basis of past experience, when we have repeatedly given up and retreated in case of failure. As a result, he in every possible way resists everything that causes a large expenditure of energy and time.
This is the main and main reason why it is so difficult for us to carry out what is set as a goal for the long term.
It's impossible to work productively without pleasure.
The second reason why we cannot take on what we need to do is displeasure. We tell ourselves: we must do, because we must, and that's it. Without any emotion.
This “tuning” of the brain is not effective. Most likely, it comes from laziness to think, what is important at the moment? What will affect success and well-being? What will ultimately bring us satisfaction? Instead, we "evade", do some routine things, do whatever (mostly easier)avoiding what needs to be done. How to work productively in such conditions? - but no way, complete "zero", pastime.
However, it is known that the most productive part of humanity achieves outstanding results, directing their efforts to mastering the most difficult skills.
Obviously, such people achieve high results for one simple reason. They get satisfaction from the acquisition of complex skills, and are not "scattered" on small and unnecessary things that take only time without bringing results. Hence the conclusion about the following feature -
About your favorite business
By doing it, you can achieve a lot. Why doesn't it work? Yes, we just do not know which successful business is our favorite, and we certainly confuse our favorite business in the name of success with our favorite doing nothing, or doing something that is easier and does not require effort.
Avoid this situation, and understand what necessary business beloved, most likely possible, but only if we start doing what we see after. Without starting something, we will never know what is enjoyable and what is not.
You can do a lot and be busy all day, but just work and work tirelessly, doing like everyone else, is not enough.
Difficult start
When it is necessary to do something difficult and long-term, we very often postpone for later, for some indefinite future, the timing of which for us is in the fog, that is, they are not.
The protective function of the brain is also affected here. He simply simply avoids unnecessary stress, and clings to any opportunity to postpone a difficult start, pushes in.
This leads to an unpleasant result. We spend most of our lives doing what is more familiar, easier, and not doing what needs to be done. We go to work, perform simple and uncomplicated tasks, do the same at home, and as a result we find that over the years, it turns out that nothing special has been done, and most importantly, much has not been achieved.
To start is to finish
However, despite our laziness, there is an amazing phenomenon. If the group is perfectly different people give an assignment to do something, and at the same time limit them in time so that it is clearly not enough to complete the assignment, then the majority, 90 or more percent after the allotted time, want to stay and finish what they started.
This means that we, almost all of us, have a desire not to stop. And we do this not because our brain works like an automaton, but because it is unpleasant for us to stop without completing the work we have begun. We are in discomfort!
Why, then, do we postpone, don’t start, delay the implementation of the necessary things?
The reason is most likely that we set ourselves a task so big that we want to avoid it, or we don’t think through all the details. We are intimidated by our own uncertainty.
In this case, the solution apparently can be only one - just start without thinking about the consequences, and start with not the most difficult one, and maybe even with the problem. For example, in the morning you don't want to do it - you just need to start a light warm-up, and then everything will "roll" like clockwork.
Need a rest
To begin with, we will begin, and we will get involved in the case, but there is one danger. We begin to spur ourselves on, not allowing ourselves to rest. It seems to us that the more intensively we work, the more efficiently and faster we will do it.
But this approach is fundamentally wrong... In fact, this leads to fatigue, and it is no longer possible to work productively. We forget that people are cyclical. On genetic level a person is programmed in such a way that he must observe daily cycles lasting from 90 to 120 minutes for activity and for sleep - rest.
It was also found that the best susceptibility and performance of people occurs when alternating between work and rest. A rest period of 15 to 20 minutes is sufficient to maintain high performance. Cycle: 90 minutes (one and a half hours) of work - 20 minutes of rest can be quite acceptable. Then the question of how to work productively will be decided by itself.
Do in cycles and in order
By adhering to such cycles, it is helpful focus on just one thing, not to be distracted, and at the same time to carry out all the cases in sequence. Trying to do everything at once reduces productivity and leads to wasted time. If you are distracted by another task, then it takes up to 20 minutes or more to return to the previous rhythm of the cycle.
And so that things do not seem "terrible" and difficult, it is useful to break them in your goal into pieces, easy and concrete. Then the brain will not consider the goal as a huge and difficult task, and will not "sabotage" its implementation.
And the last thing, like money, loves counting
Experimental results show that it is important to assign yourself a deadline for completing work. Such self-discipline increases the ability to successfully complete what was started by at least 80%.
At the same time, the effectiveness of self-control increases sharply if it is possible to calculate what has been done in any way. It does not matter at all what and how we calculate. It is important that such a quantitative calculation is possible and done.
Let's sum up the RESULTS
Willpower alone is not enough. Sooner or later, we break down. Turning a task into a favorite thing fundamentally changes everything, and it goes with a bang.
The beginning can be difficult, you just need to start, that's all, and not think about the consequences. The beginning gives rise to the pleasure of the finished.
You cannot "drive" yourself to work. Alternate busyness with rest, for example, according to the scheme 90 → 20 → 90 (in minutes), etc.
Doing things better consistently. Simultaneous multitasking is our enemy.
To counteract brain sabotage, break down tasks into small ones, write them down, and set deadlines.
The efficiency and completeness of cases increase with the quantitative accounting of what has been done.
I wish you success in your business!
P.S.
It is better to plan your day the night before. If you try to do this in the morning, then you will not be able to effectively plan - there is no time to think over and weigh everything. In addition, in the morning there may be urgent matters that will interfere.
I came to work at 10:00, not at 8:00, because until 10:00 no one does anything anyway, they only drink tea. And I can't drink so much tea.
No office, no dress code. You sit, for example, in a cafe, on the beach or in the kitchen of your own apartment and ... you work. For those who do not like closed office spaces, this is just a godsend. And hardly any of the office clerks would refuse such a chance - to perform tasks at the time and in the place that he chooses. However, you can always find both positive aspects in such situations, and negative ones. After all, you need to have impeccable self-organization in order not to succumb to the temptation of "doing nothing". And especially if the situation is conducive to this.
Personally, I spend most of my time on the road and know firsthand what it is like to solve several issues at once, to build a plan for the day so that every minute is worth its weight in gold. In addition to my main business, I give a lot of energy to the Revolverlab.com resource. And even here I can solve important business issues, being hundreds of kilometers from the office where my startup is located.
How to motivate yourself to work in the office
On the one hand, an office worker can easily plan his day, clearly planning and distributing work for the whole day. On the other hand, it seems that there is a lot of time and it is not easy even for the most responsible clerk to organize it correctly. And what to do, one wonders? But what ...
1. Make a work plan for the day
When you come to work, you don't need to immediately open your browser and check your e-mail. Restrain this impulse for at least the first hour. As a rule, it is in the morning that there are no meetings, urgent matters and even conversations in the smoking room. And most people try to relax by leafing through emails or deleting spam. Spend the first 40 minutes planning your entire day. If you don't, then I can say with 100% certainty - you will sit for three hours, just leafing through your mail and answering letters.
For example, you can choose a time for calls, and make them one by one. Set aside one hour to check your email or social media. After that, do not return to them throughout the day.
3. Do not set your watch to winter time
Do you think I'm kidding? No way! I get up an hour earlier than other people, and this is the most productive hour of the day. Because all the distractions are still asleep.
4. Do not spray
This is incredibly difficult, but try to choose only three important tasks for one work day. And throw all your strength into solving them in due time. Be sure to take short breaks between them to give your brain a break.
5. Be punctual
If you value your time, then you simply have to value the time of the people around you. You have no idea how much time I sometimes spend with latecomers to tell them at the meeting what happened in those five minutes of their absence. And then it turns out that there are those who are already 10 minutes late ... For many of us, such a waste of time is an impermissible luxury.
6. Avoid difficult tasks during the last hour of work.
Allow yourself to relax and, for example, tidy up the documentation, while listening to your favorite music. Relieving stress is sometimes very helpful.
7. Do not turn on the Internet unnecessarily
If you cannot control yourself, use special applications that will simply throw you out of the network. Finding such services on the network will not be difficult.
8. Know how to say "No!"
But on the other hand, there is a dog at home that needs to be walked or children needing attention. And often work from home is not perceived by others as something really serious at all. Households do not hesitate to distract you with household trifles, friends constantly call at inconvenient times, motivating this by the fact that "well, you are still sitting at home, that you should listen to my next problem?" How to deal with this? How to manage to complete all the work on time, without leaving for the night or making up for the weekend?
11. Work behind a closed door
It is difficult to maintain a working attitude if the TV is on or children are constantly breaking into the office. You need to have a room that will be your office, and you need to make it clear to family members that they do not need to enter without an invitation.
12. Listen to music with headphones
It would seem, why in headphones? What if I sit at home all alone? I can say for sure that this will help you to distract yourself from the environment and fully focus on your duties. Unless you are a writer, of course. Because the latter need perfect silence.
13. Dress code at home
Even at home, start your morning at nine sharp. Dress as if you are going to a business meeting - it helps to get in the mood for work. Incidentally, this method of self-discipline has long been used by news announcers. Even if the camera never focuses on the presenter's shoes, the announcer will still wear dress shoes, not house slippers. Because even this small touch tunes in to the working wave.
14. Do small tasks during calls
Only put away children's books or toys when you are on the phone. So you can control the order in the house and solve simple business tasks.
15. It is forbidden to eat in the office!
Lunch break is not the time to spend at your office desk. Moreover, it is not advisable to eat at this table. You need to set aside time for rest. usually monotonous. The most you can do is go to the grocery store once a day. No coolers, no trips to the dining room or smoking room, and other benefits of office life. Therefore, set aside a separate place for lunch. You should be at least a little distracted by getting up from the chair and leaving the office.
16. Eight hour working day
Don't get distracted by small things. Imagine how much time you would spend on the same job while in the office. And do it at home at about the same time. And then there will be a serious motivation to do everything much faster, so that a couple of hours remain in reserve. Isn't it a bonus?
17. Every Sunday is a day off
At least one day a week, you need to completely disconnect from work. On this day, it is advisable not to approach the computer at all, because for you it is a working tool that will vividly remind you of your responsibilities. And then, you must admit, it is much easier to work, knowing that the day off is coming soon.
18. Several laptops for different tasks
If possible, buy a second laptop or computer solely for work. You can't even imagine how the separation of two laptops into work and entertainment can help. When one is on, your thoughts are directed to the working channel, when the other is on, you can allow yourself to completely relax.
19. Appreciate your productivity
For example, I am full of energy in the first half of the day. Therefore, I try to do most of the work between 8:00 and 15:00. And in the afternoon, I can afford to relax a little and go to yoga or the gym. By the way, being there, I try not to think about work for at least a couple of hours.
20. Record successes
Constantly record your progress towards the goal. Especially if the customer has given a task that surpasses everything that you have done before in complexity. Mark in your mind or in writing everything that you did well.
How to get work done on the road
I work at a frantic pace and sometimes I can visit several cities at once in one day. Naturally, on the road, there is a need to do something useful. And then it is on the road that you can be visited by many thoughts about the development of any projects.
21. Convert working papers to electronic format
I have long been accustomed to keeping all the information on a laptop, tablet and smartphone. Trust me, the last thing you want to do on a train or car is trying to sort through a pile of papers. Only at first it is difficult to keep all the data in the phone, you will get used to it very quickly and simply cannot work any other way.
22. Plan developing "courses for a month"
I have to travel around the country by car too often. And I decided that wasting time on the radio was an impermissible luxury. Therefore, now I am organizing for myself something like developmental courses. For example, I can listen to audiobooks by Viktor Pelevin for two weeks, and I devote the next two weeks to business trainings in audio format. I can take a "course" in classical music. How can this affect work? In general, not at all, but it will definitely give you much more than a regular radio.
23. Solve small tasks in transport
Minor matters can be easily dealt with on a plane or train. For example, I can tidy up the desktop on my laptop or clear my email inbox from spam.
24. Search for Wi-Fi
Look for free Wi-Fi, since trains should definitely have it. So you can connect to it using your phone, and do most of the work on your laptop.
25. Caching e-mail
I found a big plus for myself in email caching. Because in this case I can work even in a bunker where there is no Internet connection.
How to be productive in cafes or restaurants
There is one technique that personally helps me to work more efficiently. I take my laptop and go to the nearest cafe with free internet. It's good in the office, but monotony ruins creativity. We can say that for me cafes and restaurants have become a kind of replacement for an office study. I advise ...
26. Make useful contacts
In the beginning, when I was just developing my business, I decided to get acquainted with the owners of my favorite coffee houses. We often became good friends, and the experience they shared with me was in many ways useful to me at that time. If you work from home, then such business acquaintances will definitely work for you.
27. Minimize your work time
Leave your laptop charger at home. This can be a good motivation to finish work ahead of schedule and before your work tool shuts down.
28. Create your own rules
For myself, I have already worked out a couple of unspoken rules, which I always try to adhere to. For example, I always sit facing the wall, not the street. And I choose a place in the corner, away from crowds.
29. Internet is not always needed
If I need to finish work that does not require the presence of the Internet, then I am looking for a cafe without access to Wi-Fi. Because, again, I am very distracted social networks, checking Revolverlab's mail and all kinds of news feeds.
30. Choose the right incentive for yourself
Let's say I need to finish a job in an hour. So, I try to finish it 15-20 minutes earlier, while not allowing myself to order more than one cup of coffee, no matter how hungry I am. Believe me, such "self-torture" can be a good incentive.
Working in a coworking space
I think this item will be useful for freelancers who have to work from home. When you work a meter away from the place where you just slept, the mood and atmosphere in your head, to put it mildly, do not set you up for work. Someone can force themselves to perform all work tasks productively, but to someone this moment seems completely destructive.
I can advise the latter to look for a place where the atmosphere is conducive to productive activity, where you do not have to put additional efforts to somehow motivate yourself. They do a good job with such tasks. Although here there are moments that distract from business. I advise you to read the tips below to stay focused for a long time.
31. Surround yourself with the "right" people
The fact is that coworkers can be both an asset and a liability for you. For example, designers absolutely do not need a company of programmers who spend all day writing code. And the latter have nothing to do in the company of free artists. Always try to be around people you like. Believe me, productivity will grow exponentially.
If the work you are doing requires some special knowledge, ask, perhaps, among the coworkers around you, there will be those who can give you good advice on this matter. Perhaps this way you will find yourself a good project partner.
33. Create your silence
When at least two people are sitting in the same room, you don't have to rely on silence. But instead of getting annoyed and cursing everything in the world, try to create silence for yourself. How to do it? Well, for example, buy a pair of good headphones and turn on a track on repeat that tunes you to the working wave. This is much better than breaking your voice and proving your innocence in the struggle for silence.
34. Don't waste your time
Do not keep open windows that you do not need to work: chats, social networks, Twitter, etc. Try to concentrate on working out the allotted time, and then, when all the tasks are completed, without a twinge of conscience, give yourself an hour for "doing nothing."
35. All the people around you are potential clients
Imagine that everyone around you is evaluating you and how you work. Perhaps at first it will be a little wild and unusual, but then you will feel the result.
36. Secure your workspace
It is difficult to concentrate when there is a person behind your back and, moreover, discussing some nonsense without hesitation. Ask people to have conversations near their workplace. They are unlikely to argue with you.
37. All working tools should always be at hand
Keep all the things you need for work. Finding a notebook, pens, and an additional phone is a distraction from the workflow.
38. Demonstrate your busyness
Use headphones in coworking offices. This will be your indicator of employment for the rest of the people.
39. Connect people to your project
Ask people around you to give you good advice about your project in exchange for their help. Believe me, it can be very useful to find out the opinion of a stranger about your site, article or product.
40. Tired - get away from the computer
If you are tired and understand that you cannot do without rest, immediately get up from your chair and go outside. It is advisable to spend at least half an hour outside the workplace and away from the monitor. Moreover, do not open "instagram", "facebook" and "classmates". Better book read or treat yourself to something delicious.
Finally
That's all. If you follow at least half of what is written above, productivity will not fail to increase several times. Personally, I try to do everything exactly as described, and I can say that I do not suffer from lack of time or excessive idleness.
There is a mood when it is simply impossible to force yourself to work, and talkative employees, social networks, pubs and toys only make it worse. The work is worth it and will not go anywhere from you. How to shake off the embrace of laziness and start doing something?
Here are 6 tips to save your antiproductive day.
Such a lazy mood can visit you not only at work, but also at home: because of it, you continue to sit in a dirty apartment, staring at the monitor, and instead of a healthy dinner, make yourself dumplings.
So, in order not to clean up the rubble at work and at home, I offer you six ways to force yourself to do something right now, and not in the distant "tomorrow."
1. Cleaning - first of all Maybe your table is in perfect order, but during the day all the rubbish appears on it - papers, documents, notebooks and pens, cups of coffee. The first thing to do when you feel like you're stuck at work is to clean up the desk.
Lying things distract you, even if you don't realize it, and the cleaning process itself helps to clarify your thoughts. It's the same at home, if you can't bring yourself to do something, start by cleaning: wash the dishes, make the bed, take out the trash: usually one action is enough to start the process, and you no longer sit on the sofa until you do all that is needed.
2. Start with small things Usually they advise on the contrary - to start with the most difficult and complex projects so that they do not hang like a stone over the soul, but we have an emergency situation and a sharp decline in productivity, so difficult things will only make you procrastinate even more.
Make a few small tasks and check the boxes next to them in the to-do list. For example: cleaning your desk and sketching out a plan for the day. When you see that something is done, your mood improves, and you can take on more difficult tasks. Easy tasks will serve as a warm-up for you, just do not get carried away, 2-3 tasks will be enough, otherwise you will be doing nonsense all day.
3. Choose one task So, you have warmed up, now the main thing is to save the result. So that social networks and entertainment sites do not drag you in again, cut them down, remove everything that does not concern work or your primary task.
Select one task that needs to be done right now, write it on a piece of paper and glue it on the laptop. Make it visible and start doing it. When you're done, write the next one, and don't get distracted by anything else in the process.
4. Change your place Your workplace is saturated with melancholy and unproductiveness, colleagues are chatting nearby, for example, Friday. Try changing places, for example, take a laptop and retire to another room, or go for a walk outside (given the weather, you can also go into the corridor), while thinking about what and how you will do in the remaining time.
For home, this also helps: just go out for a walk, for example, buy yourself something in a nearby store and return home with a ready-made action plan.
5. Set yourself a timer You have decided what you will do, and now set yourself a timer for 15 minutes, and during this time completely immerse yourself in the business. Only a quarter of an hour, then you can get distracted again (you must promise yourself this when you set the timer).
You'd be surprised how much you can get done in 15 minutes of concentration, even if your business actually takes 3 hours or three working days. When you see this, inspiration will wake up and the work will go.
6. The glass is always half full No matter how little you do this day or the previous day, try to stay positive. Look at what you have done and promise yourself that you will do more tomorrow, or better, make a plan that includes everything you do tomorrow.
That's all, we hope the tips will help you overcome sudden laziness at work or at home.
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