Year: 2021

Why Peak Productivity Matters

Productivity is embedded in the business vernacular, associated with optimum work output to maximize profitability. Truly being productive means using your time effectively to get the most critical work done.

“Productivity is being able to do things that you were never able to do before.”
– Franz Kafka

Personal productivity engenders a sense of accomplishment, control, and empowerment. When we function at peak performance, hitting milestones and completing deliverables, the rewards are both intrinsic and extrinsic.

Here are five productivity behaviors that you should master:

1. Set the stage.

Create a work environment conducive to peak performance. If you are working from home, carve out a dedicated space so that your mind automatically shifts into productivity mode when you cross the threshold into that area. Keep the area unfettered from clutter, entertainment devices, and other distractions.

2. Get the most critical activities done first.

The following is a process to reduce stress and complete the most important work.

• Create a to-do list using whatever tool you are comfortable with, such as Outlook Tasks, Microsoft To-Do, OneNote, or even a planner notebook in hard copy.
• Over the course of the day, add tasks you need to accomplish, assigning a date and priority ranking, and remove items no longer relevant.
• At the end of the day, review your list and select two or three priorities for tomorrow. Reschedule tasks that aren’t as important or appropriate.
• First thing the next day, review your list again. Make adjustments to accommodate rush requests, competing priorities, and new events.

3. Avoid multitasking.

Rather than allowing emails, social media, and personal business to disrupt your day, schedule two or three breaks to address these items. Some people block off time to read business emails as well. Knowing that time has been set aside to attend to some issues should reduce anxiety and keep you focused. Worry is a distraction that erodes productivity.

4. Take care of yourself.

When you’re working on multiple projects and people depend on you, it’s hard to pull yourself away. Working straight through the day is counterproductive, though, and the stress will ultimately impact your overall health.

Block out lunch in your calendar so people cannot schedule meetings with you during that time. Getting away from your desk is necessary to clear your head and re-energize. Eat healthy meals, listen to music, stretch, take a walk, meditate, have a cup of tea, or close your eyes for 15 minutes. Whatever your preference is, guard this time for yourself.

5. Remember Parkinson’s Law.

In 1955, Cyril Northcote Parkinson said that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” This is known as Parkinson’s Law, often referenced during discussions about low productivity. Although the statement had been a commentary on government bureaucracy, it has application for many of us.

In the absence of a tight deadline, there’s a tendency to work at a slower pace until a whole day is occupied on activities that could have been wrapped up in a fraction of the time. To avoid this, try the Pomodoro Technique. With this approach, you would set a timer for working on a task, incorporating time for breaks. This is essentially self-imposed urgency to improve your focus on the task at hand.

Leverage the principles of Workplace Culture and Neuroscience

Georgetown University defines neuroscience as “the study of how the nervous system develops, its structure and what it does.” Neuroscientists observe the brain and its effect on behavior and cognition. We can leverage learnings from neuroscience to understand how to improve productivity. According to a research article in Scientific American, productivity increases when people take physical and mental breaks from work. These breaks restore attention, strengthen memory, and promote creativity.

The challenge is the American workplace culture. There are no federal U.S. laws that guarantee paid time off, sick time, or vacation. Even worse, many Americans choose not to take advantage of the vacation benefits they have. Use these benefits, and resist checking work emails until you return.

Busy Is Not the Same as Productive

Sometimes, we confuse being busy with being productive. Think about the times when you worked all day and came home exhausted, yet you felt like you hadn’t accomplished anything. It’s frustrating.

“Focus on being productive instead of busy.”
– Tim Ferriss

I hope this productivity guide inspires ideas on how to be more productive. What steps will you take to increase your productivity? Reach out to the Leonard Productivity Intelligence Institute to learn more.

Why You Have Negative Thoughts?

If you are reading this article, it may be because you consider yourself a negative thinker. Congratulations on taking the initiative to learn how to get rid of negative thoughts. Combating negativity starts with self-awareness. Don’t waste your energy looking for someone to blame or beating yourself up. Brené Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston, describes blaming as simply “a way to discharge pain and discomfort.”

Here are a few reasons why you may experience automatic negative thoughts:

• Lack of self-confidence, which often happens when you develop a self-image based on the words or actions of others

• The belief that you are the victim of circumstances and that you have no control over the events in your life

• Imposter syndrome, which is when people “attribute their accomplishments to luck rather than to ability, and fear that others will eventually unmask them as a fraud,” as explained by the American Psychological Association (APA)

Productivity Tips to Get You Started

These productivity tips may help you learn how to stop negative thoughts:

• Change begins with you, so acknowledge your responsibility in the process.

• Avoid playing the role of victim, which promotes feelings of self-doubt, humiliation, self-pity, and rage.

• Learn from your disappointments rather than letting them weaken your resolve. Try to identify solutions for the future.

• If you feel unworthy of your accomplishments, break your silence and reach out to mentors who can provide support and encouragement.

• Forgive yourself for mistakes, and forgive others who have berated you for those mistakes, reminding yourself that we are all human and imperfect.

• Shun negative self-talk and know that failings are growth opportunities.

How to Get Rid of Negative Thoughts Through the Principles of Neuroscience

Having negative thoughts does not mean something is wrong with you. We would all look pretty silly smiling continuously. Scary. Sadness, jealousy, hesitation, and dismay are normal emotions. This is different from chronic negativity, which is essentially a continuous loop of negative thinking that causes stress and inhibits your capacity for joy in life.

Neuroscience is an example of next-level thinking in learning development. Psychology Today defines neuroscience as a “rapidly expanding discipline” that “examines the structure and function of the human brain and nervous system.” By studying the brain’s ability to produce new connections and circuits in the nervous system, neuroscientists have developed a better understanding of how our thoughts can produce neurochemical changes.

When you habitually think negatively, you are essentially programming your cells to expect more of the same. On the other hand, the power of positive thinking can strengthen the connections in your brain that release chemicals correlated to good feelings. Looking at negativity from the perspective of neuroscience may be different from anything you have considered.

Here are ways to stay positive using neuroscientifically backed methods:

• Practice self-awareness by catching yourself thinking negative thoughts, starting from the moment you awaken.

• Enjoy inspirational books, poetry, art, and quotes that reflect optimism.

• Start a gratitude journal to record everything you appreciate about your life, and refer to it as a reminder of all you have.

• Think in terms of solutions and opportunities rather than problems.

• Know that you cannot control everything, and accept what you cannot change.

Impact of Negativity in the Workplace

From a project management perspective, controlled negativity is not such a bad thing. Project managers are skilled at harnessing negative thoughts to prepare for factors beyond their control, using tools and processes like risk management and lessons learned.

A negative attitude within the team is more troublesome. Individual negative behavior has a way of cascading to the rest of the team. Team-building exercises are often used to create an environment where team members can feel comfortable airing negative thoughts about the project and working together to come up with solutions.

What Have You Got to Lose?

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by transforming negative thoughts into positive actions. Charles F. Glassman, author of “Brain Drain: The Breakthrough That Will Change Your Life,” stated that “believing in negative thoughts is the single greatest obstruction to success.”

Trust in the science that you have the power to rewire your brain by channeling your thoughts into positive energy with a focus on self-awareness, gratitude, and acceptance. You can achieve next-level thinking.

For more productivity tips that you can apply to your workplace and your own life, contact me today at the Leonard Productivity Intelligence Institute.