When we are overloaded and overwhelmed by a bloating to-do list, we automatically start working even longer and squeezing even more things into existing working hours. We practice multitasking, rush from one meeting to another, secretly check email under the table in the meeting room, start working early in the morning and finish only at night. Our goal is to reduce stress and workload. But actions at the same time have the exact opposite effect: we experience even more stress and are loaded to our ears.
Or we say something that we think will impress others, but in reality only causes rejection. We try to cheer up our friend, but for some reason we upset him even more. We give an inspiring speech to our team, but somehow we just dampen our enthusiasm. Every time we do this we are shocked. "What happened?" - we are perplexed. As a result, we spend long days trying to fix what we broke with our automatic reaction. We spend countless hours and a lot of energy thinking about the words we have spoken; discussing your behavior with others; drawing up a plan for further action - and sometimes we get to the toilet in a roundabout way, just so as not to run into someone who was reluctantly offended in the waiting room.
Press pause
When we live and work dynamically, and become fixated on productivity, we lose our garden—literally and figuratively. And we need to get it back. I recently had lunch with Rajeep, the CTO of a large investment bank. When we returned to his office after spending an hour together, he had received 138 emails. We were talking, and the sound of new messages was heard again and again. “How can I keep up with everything?” - he asked me. He could not. Rajeep's department has almost 10 thousand employees. “I don’t have time to think,” he complained.
I don't have time to think. Perhaps the six most terrible words uttered by a leader. They no longer scare us because they are familiar to many. We don't need 10 thousand subordinates to feel the lack of time to think. Almost every one of us feels this way. And it's not that we're unproductive. We are incredibly productive. We make deliveries. We make decisions. We form and distribute budgets. We manage our teams. We prepare applications. In a sense, productivity is where the problem lies. In an environment of manic productivity, we miss the most important thing: the ability to learn lessons. In busy everyday life, we rarely deeply analyze our experience, listen carefully to other people’s opinions, and evaluate how the results of our decisions will affect the future. All this takes time. We need to slow down. But which of us can afford it? Therefore, we think little and limit our personal growth.
My solution to Rajeep's problem? Remember where he thinks best and make it a habit to be in this place every day. I myself began to practice different variations of “garden walks” every day. One of them is physical exercise in the fresh air. If I go off on my bike, go for a run or go for a walk, I almost inevitably come up with something and look at things differently when I return. This is my favorite and most reliable garden in which creative ideas grow. Another way is writing. As I write, ideas evolve, and these sessions subtly expand my worldview. There is no need to show someone what you write - the principle of a personal diary works great here. And you don't need to devote more than a few minutes to this activity.
We draw up a work plan
I have always done this, but nevertheless, many people skip such a thing as planning their working day and simply because of the inability to keep all their affairs in their head, many do not work effectively and have little time.
Of the simplest ways to draw up your work plan, I can advise you the ABCD method, try it and you will immediately notice improvements.
Meditate
Meditation provides many benefits: it renews, helps us comprehend what is happening to us, makes us wiser and calmer, helps us not to go crazy in a world that feeds us with information and connections, and much more. If you lack a business case for devoting time to meditation, how about this: Meditation makes you more productive. How? Strengthening your ability to resist distracting impulses. Research shows that resisting impulses improves relationships, enhances trustworthiness, and improves productivity.
How should you meditate? If you're just starting out, the simpler the better. Sit - on a chair or on the floor on a pillow - and straighten your back so that you can breathe easily, set a timer for the time you want to devote to meditation. Once the timer has started, close your eyes, relax and don't move - just breathe - until the alarm sounds. Focus on inhaling and exhaling. Every time a thought or impulse arises, give it a little attention and focus on your breathing again. That's all. Simple, but difficult to do. Try it today – for five minutes. And repeat tomorrow.
Keep your desktop tidy
Contrary to the popular internet adage “genius reigns over chaos,” a cluttered desk is not conducive to productivity. You will be forever looking for the item or piece of paper you need, losing important things on the table, wasting time on endless searches.
Therefore, keep only what you need on the table, and let it all lie as neatly as possible and in its place. This will help bring order to your thoughts.
Doing, not planning
A few days ago I received an email from my friend Byron: “Peter, I haven’t been very diligent in exercising for the past five years, but now I want to go back to the gym. I realized that among the three components - mind, body and spirit - the body remains my weak link. We need to fix this. But I find it VERY difficult to motivate myself. Any ideas?" No, Byron's problem is not motivation. The point is to start taking action. Any attempt at self-motivation will only increase stress and guilt, widening the gap between motivation and action - between the strong desire to exercise and the first step towards fulfilling this desire.
Perhaps everyone is familiar with the situation when the mind sabotages intentions. We decide to go to the gym after work, but when the time comes, we think: “It’s too late. I'm tired. I’ll probably skip it today.” We decide to meditate, but look at the clock and come to the conclusion that “there is no time for this.” The secret is simple: if you want to do something, stop thinking. Stop the internal dialogue before it even starts. Don't let yourself get hooked. Stop arguing with yourself. Make a concrete decision regarding an important matter and do not doubt it.
The sun is your useful assistant
If you work at a computer every day, you've probably noticed how light affects your productivity and working condition. Too dark lighting has a bad effect on your work efficiency and also impairs your vision.
During the daytime, the best solution is to place your workplace near a window so that the sunlight illuminates you well. This will help increase your productivity by 15%, and you will not feel drowsiness and fatigue.
In addition, sunny color is good for bones and general well-being. Do not forget also that the computer must be placed so that the sun's glare does not fall on it, otherwise it will be uncomfortable for you to work, and you will often be distracted.
If it is impossible to place the work area in a place that is well lit by the sun, or if you are used to working in the evening, you should use a lamp that simulates daylight.
This will also increase your efficiency by 15%, and it will also be much easier for your eyes to perceive such lighting than from conventional light bulbs.
Concentrate
The goal determines the return you want to receive. The concentration zone determines the activities that are worth spending time on. The goal is the result. The zone of concentration is the path. A goal points to the future you intend to achieve. The concentration zone connects you to the present. In the field of sales, the goal is formulated, for example, the desired income or a certain number of new customers. In production - the amount of cost reduction. Meanwhile, areas of focus in sales may include proactive communication with potential clients, and in manufacturing, areas worth exploring to reduce costs. Of course, these two approaches are not mutually exclusive. You can have both a goal and a zone of concentration. Moreover, some will even insist that both are necessary, since the goal indicates where you are going, and the zone of concentration indicates how you plan to get there.
How does chewing gum improve productivity?
Oddly enough, regular chewing gum can also help in the fight to increase your productivity. Studies have shown that chewing it can improve work efficiency by 10%. So, if you like to chew gum during the work process, know that this is only a plus for the quality of your work.
In addition to this amazing feature, chewing gum will help cope with problems such as depression, stress and anxiety, which so often accompany us in the age of information overload. This is another reason not to deny yourself this habit.
Don't blame others
We begin to blame others as children, usually to avoid parental anger and punishment, but also to maintain self-esteem and protect our self. Later, this behavior becomes a habit and continues into adulthood. I - and I'm sure you too - constantly encounter people who point fingers at others. In companies, this sometimes happens at the departmental level: if the sales department doesn't perform well, it blames the product, and the product creators blame the ineffective sales team or nod on manufacturing shortcomings. Blaming an entire department or product is safer than blaming an individual because it doesn't have to be personal, and it feels less defensive. However, such behavior is unproductive, since the involvement of the accuser is visible to the naked eye.
If you are not to blame for what happened, then you don’t need to change anything. However, if something happens due to your fault, and you do not admit it, then in the future you will probably make the same mistake, which will give rise to new accusations. This is a vicious circle, walking in which has never led anyone to anything good.
Write shorter
Researchers say that if you write long e-mail letters of more than 140 characters, then you most likely simply do not know what you want to say. Of course, this barrier is very conditional, but there is a grain of truth in this statement.
Try to express your thoughts as briefly, clearly and clearly as possible. This will make it easier for both you and the recipient of the letter. However, you should also not forget about the simplest etiquette of business correspondence - greeting the interlocutor, signature at the end of the letter, polite business tone, etc.
Read also: 7 tips on how to prepare for an interview
Say thank you
John, the CEO of a small trading company, emailed Tim, an employee several levels below him, to praise his performance at a recent business meeting. Tim did not respond to the letter. About a week later, he found himself in John's office as a candidate for a vacancy - it was an opportunity to grow to the level of management. John asked if Tim had received his letter and he said that he had. Why didn't he answer? Tim said he didn't think it was necessary. But he was wrong. John deserved at least a “thank you” in return. Tim wasn't given a promotion. Was he rejected solely because he didn't thank John for his positive feedback? No. Was his disregard for gratitude one of the reasons John decided to look for a better candidate? Without a doubt.
You could argue that we are all too busy with work and life to take the time to exchange pleasantries. If John is that sentimental, he can't be CEO at all. He has fallen behind the electronic age, in which unanswered emails are the norm. If Tim does his job well, that's enough. People are paid to do their jobs—they don't have to give out "thank yous." Thanking your CEO for a nice letter is nothing short of sycophancy. I am ready to argue with all these statements. It doesn’t take much time to respond “thank you,” but it is an expression of concern. John is a brilliant CEO who is loved by his subordinates, management and the company's shareholders. It provides its employees with conditions for rapid career growth and outstanding work results. Leaving someone's message unanswered - an SMS, an email or a phone call - is not a generally accepted norm; it is a gap in the dialogue that many often complain about. Tim may be good at certain areas of his job, but he can't be said to be "good at his job" if he doesn't give credit to the people around him. And finally, “thank you” is not sycophancy, but a sign of politeness.
The book is provided by the publishing house "Mann, Ivanov and Ferber"
