The to-do list is growing by the minute, you are pretty sure no one has clean socks anymore, and you are firmly planted on the couch. Sound familiar? Productivity is something I am working on within myself, and I thought I would share some of the tips I am trying to live by to keep me productive and accountable!
1. Dealing all the way with an item before I sit it down, that means anything in my hand needs to go back to its home and not be left out. For instance- if I have the baby’s bottle, I can take it all the way to the sink and wash it rather than just sitting it down somewhere and having to touch it again later. I am saving future me from having to touch the item multiple times.
2. When I am leaving a room if I think about it I will grab an item that doesn’t belong. There are toys everywhere in our house, as I am leaving the laundry room I can grab the toy in the floor and look back on number one to get it all the way taken care of.
3. Set a timer- when I am just not in the mood, but I know if I don’t do something I am really going to regret it, I can set a timer for 15 minutes. It is amazing how much can be accomplished in 15 minutes. I can clean the countertop, mirror, and toilet in the bathroom in that amount of time.
4. Three leads into 4, an object in motion stays in motion. If I am up cleaning for 15 minutes I will likely decide to keep going. This is important to lean into and not think well I already did my one task, time to sit down.
5. Reward yourself! I love coffee. I also love Dr. Pepper. In the mornings I like to head to the kitchen to clean anything I didn’t get to the night before. I make sure the sink is empty and the counters have been wiped down before I make my iced coffee. Nap time is when I get a lot done during the afternoons so after I complete my tasks then I will either grab a Dr Pepper or another iced coffee.
6. Slow your roll, that to-do list can be three feet long but it’s still achievable. You eat an elephant one bite at a time and you clean a house one step at a time. Even if not everything gets done in one day, checking anything off is an accomplishment.
7. Take a break- yes I said an object in motion stays in motion, and we know the other part of that theory is an object at rest will stay at rest. If you are feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, tired, or just unmotivated- take a break! While chores are necessary they shouldn’t be life sucking and something you force yourself to be miserable to do.
These tips can be used for any scenario- writing a paper, giving a dog a bath, gardening, whatever it is you need to accomplish! Good luck with your tasks!
