Time-Saving Hacks That Actually Work- Part 2
Last week, we explored the strategies top performers have for analyzing progress and reaching new heights. Unpacking procrastination as a pattern of response was key to understanding how to replace feelings of insecurity with positive reinforcement that leads naturally to greater motivation and productivity. This week's session will focus on three brain-hacks geared toward boosting both time management and output capacity.
The first thing is simple. You are more likely to do something if you have already prepared and stepped it through. This means if you are not wanting to procrastinate on Monday, then on Sunday night you will project plan. This is not actually writing down the to-dos of the day. This means actually focusing on the project you have to do that day. Think about the big projects you have coming up and write out the big steps it is going to take to accomplish each project with a timeline for each of them. Then you will work backwards from that to create tomorrow's to-dos. If your mind can't see completion. You don't know the path or have clarity on the path to complete something, your heart will ask to pause. Even if you are super passionate about it. If there is no clarity then there will be no change. Knowing your next three steps isn't enough. Your mind needs to see the steps it will take to take it to completion. You need to lay out the big key activities you need to do to get it done. From there, list out the timeline for each of those activities. Then, break those activities down into tasks. Once you have the task you will aim for the daily to-dos.
Next, this is a little related to the first step but also a little different and more immediate. What I am talking about is visualizing and affirming what you are about to do. Visualizing your day before it even starts is a great way to prepare for what might come. It helps you become more aware of the tasks ahead, allowing you to make better decisions and be more productive. Visualizing each step in the day can benefit your overall performance, making it easier to handle any struggles that may arise. Visualizing allows you to hone in on possible solutions in advance and take proactive steps rather than reactive ones. Taking the time each night or morning to visualize your day will set a strong foundation for success, ultimately helping you achieve better results and reduce procrastination.
In addition to having a sense of order, creativity, and visualization in your planning, socializing your agenda is also essential. Talking it out with someone creates an external commitment to follow through. You may not realize it or think much of the act of "sharing" what you plan on doing but this socialization of your goals is key for overcoming procrastination. Making time for a conversation, whether in person or via an online call, to speak openly about your objectives gives them more weight and presence. That way, if you fall behind, you can draw on the reminder that your buddy was already made aware; this socialization provides an extra layer of accountability necessary to keep yourself on track with all of your projects.
It is so important to speak through your dreams than you can ever imagine. People don’t do this because they are worried about how they will look. We may be tempted to push our dreams away and focus our attention on other things, rather than speaking up and sharing what we want to achieve. This is often a result of fear - fear of judgment and criticism from the people around us. Unfortunately, that fear can lead us down a downward spiral of thought, weakening our self-confidence and motivation. It goes something like this: You’re worried about how you look so you don’t tell anyone. Now you are not socially accountable and have no social cheerleading. You’re worried about what other people think. Now, in your brain you start to tell yourself, “well if other people are going to think I’m crazy why should I do this. I may look stupid if I do this. This could be a risk.” Then the brain will automatically say, “then why even imagine this for yourself anymore? If you can’t imagine it for yourself then why even plan it?” this turns into a downward spiral. Which then leads you to doing other things, aka procrastination.
Taking control of your workload and learning new strategies to boost your productivity is essential. That's why three brain-hacks are presented here that are geared toward enhancing both time management and output capacity - project plan, visualize, and socialize your agenda. By taking the time to assess the current utilization of your resources, create a goal-oriented timeline for the project, and identify ways to measure progress, project planning ensures that the task ahead is well-considered to bring about efficient results. Visualizing yourself achieving goals will act as an inspirational tool for pushing yourself further, ultimately leading towards high performance. Lastly, socializing your agenda by getting confirmation from others on tasks not only gives you accountability but it also grants you access to valuable resources from people sharing their own wisdom. These three powerful brain-hacks can help make working smarter more incremental in accomplishing desired outcomes.
As Always: I hope you loved today’s blog. I hope it stretched you, challenged you and grew you in some way. If so, I would stop right now and share this with someone else who may need to read these words. It would also bless me big if you take 30 seconds to leave me a review. Lastly, go sign up for the newsletter where every week brings you insight into creating the home of your dreams to finding balance between family and business. It’s designed as a one stop shop for moms on their journey towards success getting them closer to achieving their goals with God in the center of it all. I pray this blesses you.