Adding something new into my life is overwhelming. I’m already struggling to manage work, family and study. Add in random tidbits like socialising, appointments, reading, baking, travelling adventures (the list goes on). Life is so full. And also chaotic. In saying that, I have plenty of pockets of time that go unused. Or should I say, wasted.
We need these pockets sometimes for self-care. But I find myself questioning if that self-care really is in the form of doom-scrolling Facebook for an hour? Or could it actually become a more meaningful and rewarding hour of my day? I’m not about to embark on learning a new language, or volunteering my time. These are great goals, but I’m not looking to throw myself off a cliff. I just want to find a useful way to utilise my time, and maybe do something just a little more worthwhile and “planned” in my so-called downtime.
Remember when I said “start small”? That’s exactly what I intended to do. Big change starts with lots of small change. Failure is a sure thing if I tell myself I’m now a person who goes to the gym 5 days a week and eats only greens. I could probably hold out for …maybe two days… but then I will revert back to me. Fundamentally, change is hard, especially if it goes against our natural personality.
My routine is definitely chaotic and unplanned. It’s usually rush around the house getting everything ready for everyone, and then off to work. Evenings are a blur of ‘getting things done’ and flopping on the coach and biding time until it’s socially acceptable to climb into bed. There has to be a less chaotic or unproductive way.
Enter micro-productivity. When I’m stressed (a lot of the time) I’m a micro-planner. I like to “list” everything I need to get done for the day, for tomorrow, for next year. I break it down into time slots and once it’s on paper I can focus solely on achieving, not planning. It’s time consuming, and I’m not going to preach it’s the best method. It’s what works for me. Once it’s out of my head, it’s clearly defined on paper with a time allocation – I can see whether it’s doable. I don’t want to micro-plan every day of my life; this is a coping mechanism when things get real tough.
Micro-productivity is more about setting in motion tiny, deliberate actions that catalyst to big change down the road. Lots of small – wins that only take a few minutes to complete. A five-minute burst of “productivity” in writing a part of an assignment, or deep -cleaning a shower, or throwing away those clothes that are so hideous you don’t even know why you bought them. By using these little pockets of time, that would otherwise be wasted (yep probably scrolling), I can chose to do something.
These little somethings might not be much, they might not powerful but they’re going to add up. I may not yet believe I have the energy to change my whole world, but I can commit to five minutes – even on the busiest of days.
Here’s why Micro-Productivity is so helpful:
It overcomes the feeling of overwhelm: we don’t start big tasks because they seem too big. Small, bite sized tasks become easy.
Finding 5 minutes every day is doable: Five minutes today, five minutes tomorrow. No problem. An hour today.. an hour tomorrow? (eek) Consistency for the win.
You only have five minutes before…: Great. Use this exact five minutes. What are you doing while you’re waiting for the kettle to boil for your morning coffee?
It gives you good feels: Ticking tasks makes us feel good. We feel achieved. Feeling good instils good habits. You get good, calm vibes when you see a clean kitchen of a morning. Are you likely to want to keep it clean? Absolutely.
Give me examples, PLEASE!
Waiting for the kettle to boil? > Drink a glass of water. We all need more hydrating. Easy win.
While you’re cooking dinner? > Clean as you go. Saves rock-paper-scissoring with your other half to see who is the chosen one tonight.
Sitting in the lunch-room at work? > Read a book, delete emails, make a to-do list… Crazy, but you could even go for a short walk. Anything is better than scrolling!
Waiting rooms > Listen to a podcast, meal plan or check in on your finances.
The possibilities are endless. By utilising time, bigger windows of YOU time open up. Just identify where your wasted time exists, set a micro-goal and don’t forget to celebrate to keep you motivated.
Shift the mindset from all or nothing to something is better than nothing.
What’s going to be your “something” this week?
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