The Plight of Productivity

In 2017, I quit my job at a bank to pursue my passion of authorship. Said another way, I walked away from a reliable paycheck, health insurance, and a grown-up schedule to be my own boss. Leaving the corporate working-world meant losing a lot of my financial assurance, yes, but its selling point was its liberation from waking up before the sun came up to put on uncomfortable clothes, paste a smile, and perform uninteresting work-tasks until 5pm that afternoon. I just wasn’t feelin’ it.

So, I followed my dream of being an author. Realistically, that meant a few things: no steady paycheck, no outside accountability, no alarm clock, and no need to get dressed or leave my house if I didn’t want to. I was mostly excited about it, only a little nervous. One thing I knew, at least: I had to set some boundaries. Namely, boundaries on my relaxation/laying around to ensure my productivity.

1. Set goals. I work well when I make lists, so that’s what form my goals take: daily to-do’s. Some people use vision boards, and some keep it logged in their heads. I need to write them down or they go flying out of my head at the first shiny object. As long as your goals are realistic, broken into smaller parts, and get you closer to where you want to be, you do you.
2. Recognize your needs. Work toward your goals, but don’t forget your individuality in the process. I’m not a “wake up early and feel inspired!” kind of person, but rather an “eat breakfast, play with dog, it’ll come when it comes” kind of gal. Typically that means I’m at my computer with hot tea, an empty bladder, and forcing out words on the keyboard until they start to make sense. Everyone has their things, and I wasted a lot of time trying to change mine to something with a more “I wake up with the sun and write until lunch!” kind of vibe. I finally accepted I just need my dog, and I need to sleep until 9am if I want to get anything done that day. I’m kidding, but only a little bit.
3. Take breaks. As much as I want to be a book-and-content-writing-machine, I can’t. My brain simply won’t allow it. There’s a lot to say for stepping away from something, eating a snack, taking a walk, or going to the bathroom, then coming back with a new perspective. All of the above will help stave off you from overworking, overstressing, or overpopulating your schedule.
4. But get it done. Waiting for the afternoon to start writing and/or taking cracker breaks isn’t an excuse to procrastinate and/or not cross things off my list. I wouldn’t rob myself of that satisfaction. If there are things you want to accomplish, you have to just do it.