Productivity/Adulting

[Splain | 2,591]

In high school/college I always had to come up with ways to trick myself into doing my homework before the last possible minute. Now, as an adult, I'm finding it tricky to stay on top of things that don't have concrete deadlines or accountability (like house projects, hobby projects, side-hustle stuff, books I'm tryna read, exercise, even video-game related stuff sometimes) and it turns out my general success-or-failure at staying on top of that stuff has a strong effect on my overall happiness.

I've tried productivity tools and methods here and there, and they work for a time but I haven't found a perfect thing that sticks. Does anyone know the secret?

[Tulpa | 3,537]

Self-rewarding?

If you finish X, you'll treat yourself/buy that game you want/give yourself some game time/etc.?

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

Self discipline is the secret, and unfortunately you cant’t look outward for it. For it to stick and be something that you can live with for the rest of your life, it Has to be pure willpower.

[a3quit4s | 4,126]

The things you are putting off really aren’t that important to you. Find things that are? Or you are just burnt out. Maybe relax a little bit

Edited August 25, 2023 by a3quit4s

[DefaultGen | 5,436]

Productivity tools are a waste of time. You dive into Notion or Obsidian, then you're spending hours making your productivity tool more productive and juicing every last gram of potential productivity gains!, rather than actually just doing the stuff you're supposed to be doing.

I have a single text document with Today, Soon, and Someday headings that I throw all of those kinds of things into. Never had a better system.

[portabello | 99]

Start building smaller, more realistic habits in your routine and slowly challenge yourself to keep up and add to it. Easier said than done, but just start with baby steps and you’ll be running before you know it. 

I recently set a goal for myself to read 1 new book a month. I think it’s realistic and I’m already 2 months in. 12 books a year is wayyy more than the 0-1 I normally read.

I’m also a fan of visuals. Make a daily, weekly, or yearly checklist and actually print it out, tape it to the wall and check the boxes. It can be a really simple but effective reminder.

[Kguillemette | 1,547]

I plan my leisure into my life first. I find myself way more productive that way. Its like the old saying, "pay yourself first".

[Dr. Morbis | 2,092]

I hate to say it, but like MrWunderful said, you can't look outward for it; if you need someone or something else to light that fire in your belly, then it's never going to stick.  Looking for outside help is literally the first step in passing the buck.  Take the initiative and own [whatever it is] or don't, and your state of mind will respond accordingly...

[fcgamer | 4,754]

I know the secret, with the caveat being not one method is going to work for everyone as every person in the world has a different personality, which in my opinion plays a large role in the matter.

I've been working on writing a book on this very subject to pair with a larger wellness/success/lifestyle brand I'm currently working on. For the record, the past two years of my life I've been more successful and have accomplished more than I have over the past fifteen years. 

A few suggestions:

1. If you're not "feeling it" one particular day, don't force yourself into doing something. I've seen some studies where some authors will force themselves to write, for example, every day even if they aren't feeling it. In my opinion this sort of thing actually works against productivity and the quality of whatever you are doing generally turns out to be rubbish. Save it for a day when you are feeling it.

2. Go for the "low-hanging fruits" here and now. Just finished dinner? Wash those dishes, NOW! Cat threw up on the rug? Take care of it, NOW! Make it a habit to take the extra two minutes, otherwise it will just build up into a dreadful monstrosity.

3. Each day we have a few non-negotiables, i.e. work, sleep, necessary time with the spouse / kids / pet, taking a dump, etc. We can't really remove these things from the equation, so that means we have to work what whatever time is leftover. Don't waste your time, manage it. 

4. Accept flexibility as well as failure. Bob asks you out for drinks after work as he's going through a rough patch with his wife? Don't blow him off because you were planning to hit the gym. About ready to dominate the pile of garbage in the garage but the wife wants you to take the kids on a picnic? Don't fret. 

I am of the opinion that if one tries to make things too regimented, it will fail. Unexpected, uncontrollable aspects will eventually creep in, and you'll then feel fed up and frustrated, either because you didn't do what your scheduled dictated you do, or because you did stay with the program and missed out on something else. So recognize that things will come up, and just try to stick to whatever you are doing 80%.

[fcgamer | 4,754]

Here are some of the things I personally do:

1. I work on projects, hobbies, stuff around my abode for about two hours after I get home from work. Then the rest of the night's mine.

2. One day towards the end of the week, generally Wednesday or Thursday, I'll go out for dinner and take the night off. This is to help recharge so I can maintain a high productivity.

3. Weekends are for me, period. Sundays are a bit different because I generally have band practice then (and will soon be replacing that with busking downtown), but it's a different kind of work. Obviously if you have a massive yard, for example, you may need to work on the weekend but then I'd likely just plan to do whatever on Saturday morning, from 7 to lunchtime or whatever, maybe then treat myself by going out for lunch.

4. Another big thing: I physically handwrite a list of what needs to be done. I do it every morning, then make notes of what I think I can get done and when (i.e. over lunch break, after work, etc), as well as projects that don't need to be completed now. Imagine the things that you want or need to do as different shaped pieces falling from the sky, and the amount of useable time you have in a day as a pit, i.e. like Tetris. Figure out how best you can make things fit.

The reason I always handwrite the lists is because I find just the act of writing it keeps it fresh in my mind and helps me focus. I then keep the list in my pocket and take it out throughout the day, to keep me focused.

5. Depending on the kind of job you have, if you have a job where you generally have a lot of downtime and can watch cat videos or surf VGS or whatever, maybe instead put that time towards one of the other things you want to do. The most recent volume of my Family Bits series (should be published in the next few days, just waiting for it to pass the review process) was written almost entirely during time that I had to be at work, but had no duties to perform. 

[DefaultGen | 5,436]

11 minutes ago, fcgamer said:

Go for the "low-hanging fruits" here and now. Just finished dinner? Wash those dishes, NOW! Cat threw up on the rug? Take care of it, NOW! Make it a habit to take the extra two minutes, otherwise it will just build up into a dreadful monstrosity.

I never read Getting Things Done but this is one thing I picked up from my wife I think. If anything would take less than 2 minutes, you have to do it now. It prevents little stuff from building up.

[fcgamer | 4,754]

I think something like reading fits nicely for when you're winding down at the end of the night. Maybe just brew a cup of tea and read a good book, before heading off to bed for some quality sleep in preparation for another productive day.

[DefaultGen | 5,436]

I’m too busy thinking about werewolf usually

[Reed Rothchild | 9,588]

• Go to work all day
• Take care of the kids all evening
• Squeeze everything you need to need to do into that tiny window from 9:23-9:45 by doing everything as fast as possible.  Who care what gets washed in hot water!
• Freedom by 10pm!

Glad I could help @Splain !

[fcgamer | 4,754]

On a different note, I really hate the usage of the term "adulting", the general mundane tasks it often refers to are things we should have been taught to do whilst growing up. I mean, some folks can't even take a vacuum across the carpet or wash their underwear....oh wait, I know a guy in his fifties that struggles with both those things. Either way, this word is just icky and gross.

[Code Monkey | 2,014]

I guess it depends how much you like a sedentary lifestyle. I can't sit still long enough to ignore things, once a show finishes, I have to get up and start the dishwasher, take out the recycling, look out a few windows, put my controller away. Watch another show, look for more things to do.

If you really enjoy sitting around and doing nothing, I can see how that can be hard. Do you suffer from anxiety? If you start thinking about everything that needs to be done, it can make you quite anxious and just avoid starting anything. It's hard knowing all of the things you have to do and knowing that tomorrow you'll just have to do them again.