Tag: productivity

Identifying Obstacles: Factors That Could Interfere With Your GoalsI

Daily writing prompt
How often do you say “no” to things that would interfere with your goals?
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By Kavita Dehalwar

Setting goals is the first step towards turning the invisible into the visible, as Tony Robbins famously said. Yet, along the journey towards achieving those goals, one often encounters numerous hurdles and obstacles that can hinder progress. Understanding these potential roadblocks is crucial for navigating them effectively. Here, we delve into some common factors that could interfere with your goals and how to overcome them.

  1. Lack of Clarity: Unclear goals can be a significant hindrance. If you’re unsure about what you want to achieve or why you want to achieve it, you’re more likely to be derailed by distractions or lose motivation along the way. Take the time to define your goals clearly, making them specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
  2. Fear of Failure: Fear can paralyze even the most well-intentioned individuals. The fear of failure often stems from a concern about what others might think, a lack of self-belief, or a fear of stepping out of one’s comfort zone. Recognize that failure is a natural part of the learning process and a stepping stone towards success. Embrace it, learn from it, and keep moving forward.
  3. Procrastination: Putting off tasks until later is a common habit that can impede progress towards your goals. Procrastination often arises from a combination of perfectionism, lack of motivation, or feeling overwhelmed. Combat procrastination by breaking your goals down into smaller, more manageable tasks, creating a schedule or to-do list, and eliminating distractions.
  4. Negative Self-Talk: The voice in your head can either be your greatest cheerleader or your harshest critic. Negative self-talk can erode confidence, diminish motivation, and lead to self-sabotage. Practice self-awareness and challenge negative thoughts by replacing them with positive affirmations and focusing on your strengths and past successes.
  5. Lack of Resources: Whether it’s time, money, skills, or support, a shortage of resources can pose a significant obstacle to achieving your goals. Identify the resources you need and explore creative ways to acquire or leverage them. This might involve seeking out mentors or collaborators, investing in self-education, or finding alternative solutions.
  6. External Distractions: In today’s hyper-connected world, distractions abound. From social media notifications to unexpected interruptions, external distractions can derail your focus and productivity. Set boundaries, establish a conducive work environment, and practice mindfulness to stay present and focused on your goals.
  7. Unforeseen Circumstances: Life is unpredictable, and unexpected events can throw a wrench into even the best-laid plans. Whether it’s a sudden illness, a family emergency, or a global crisis, unforeseen circumstances can force you to reassess your priorities and adjust your goals accordingly. Cultivate resilience and adaptability to navigate these challenges with grace.
  8. Lack of Accountability: Without being held accountable, it’s easy to lose sight of your goals or slack off when faced with obstacles. Find an accountability partner, coach, or mentor who can provide support, encouragement, and accountability along your journey. Regular check-ins and progress tracking can help keep you accountable and motivated.
  9. Perceived Limitations: Sometimes, the only thing standing in the way of your goals is your own limiting beliefs. Whether it’s a belief that you’re not good enough, smart enough, or deserving enough, these self-imposed limitations can hold you back from realizing your full potential. Challenge these beliefs, expand your comfort zone, and adopt a growth mindset that embraces challenges and sees failures as opportunities for growth.
  10. Lack of Persistence: Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are most goals achieved overnight. Persistence is key to overcoming obstacles and staying the course, even when the going gets tough. Cultivate resilience, stay committed to your goals, and remember that every setback is just a temporary detour on the road to success.

In conclusion, while the path to achieving your goals may be fraught with obstacles, it’s important to remember that each challenge presents an opportunity for growth and learning. By recognizing these potential barriers and implementing strategies to overcome them, you can stay focused, motivated, and ultimately, achieve success in pursuit of your goals.

References

Burton, D., & Weiss, C. (2008). The fundamental goal concept: the path to process and performance success.

Dehalwar, K., & Singh, J. (2016). Challenges and strategies for the improvement of water management in Bhopal. European Scientific Journal, 12(2).

Godshalk, V. M., & Sosik, J. J. (2003). Aiming for career success: The role of learning goal orientation in mentoring relationships. Journal of vocational behavior, 63(3), 417-437.

Hall, D. T., & Foster, L. W. (1977). A psychological success cycle and goal setting: Goals, performance, and attitudes. Academy of Management Journal, 20(2), 282-290.

Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Stanne, M. B. (1989). Impact of goal and resource interdependence on problem-solving success. The Journal of Social Psychology, 129(5), 621-629.

Locke, E. A. (1967). Relationship of success and expectation to affect on goal-seeking tasks. Journal of personality and social psychology, 7(2p1), 125.

VandeWalle, D. (2001). Goal orientation:: Why wanting to look successful doesn’t always lead to success. Organizational Dynamics, 30(2), 162-171.

Best Foods to Have During Exam Season

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Focus on study can become all-consuming at exam time and nutrition might sometimes fall behind in the list of priorities. However, a healthy diet plays a vital role in achieving peak academic performance. So, here we present best foods to feed you brain during exam times which keep you in-track and help you prepare effectively.

An overall healthy diet is most important for keeping your body and brain nourished and ready to take on difficult tasks, research shows that certain foods may be especially important for brain health and promoting mental performance.

So the idea is to optimize healthy food intake through eating a range of foods from the five food groups:

  1. Vegetables and legumes/beans
  2. Fruit
  3. Grain (cereal foods) mostly wholegrain and/or high cereal varieties
  4. Lean meat and meat alternatives
  5. Milk, curd, cheese and/or alternatives (mostly reduced fat)

These healthy meals and snacks suggested below are packed with nutrients that support brain function, provide a slow and sustained release of glucose and are rich in resistant starch which supports your gut microbiome and gut-brain axis.

A common mistake many make during this crucial period is to eat poorly and unhealthily. Junk food, lots of chocolate, energy drinks and crisps are often eaten in place of normal meals to “keep energy levels up”. However, this is not only harmful to your long-term health, but can also negatively affect your exam performance.

The best way to feed your brain is to eat a wide range of foods from all food groups. However, when you’re hitting the books, it can be a little tricky to put it into practice. So, we’ve come up with some easy meal-swaps to give you the best diet for studying that will get your brain humming in no time. Eating well-rounded meals most of the time will help you study better, and lead to better results, both in the short-term and the long-term. While many of the brain foods we’ve talked about have immediate results (like caffeine), the best results are the ones that show up over time, such as the slowing down of age-related cognitive decline, and the decreased likelihood of degenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s.

PROCRASTINATION AND PRODUCTIVITY


Since the global pandemic, covid 19 had made a lot of changes in our ways of life, we are facing a lot of problems also. Nowadays, as most people and students work and study from home, their procrastination also increased. The habit of procrastination was present in most people, but this change to work from home increased this habit to a certain level. Procrastination is the habit of delaying an important task, usually focusing on less urgent, more enjoyable, and easier activities instead. The biggest challenge these procrastinators feel is the inability to start. The word procrastination originated from Latin “procrastinatus“, which itself evolved from the prefix “pro” meaning and “crastinus” which means “of tomorrow”. This can lead to make us feel guilty or ashamed and it leads to reduced productivity and makes a chance to not achieve our goals.

So it is important to stop the habit or reduce the habit of procrastination for achieving our goals. The first step to reduce procrastination is to realize that one is procrastinating. This understanding is important to tackle to this. If one is doing low priority tasks instead of high priority ones, and waiting for “right time”are the signs of procrastination. So realizing that you are procrastinating is necessary. The next step to tackle this habit is to understand why you are procrastinating. Lack of organization can sometimes lead to procrastination. The use of to – do lists to schedule tasks, can reduce this problem to a certain extend. Even a to do list user can still procrastinate. The fear of failure and poor decision making can lead to procrastination. So, after understanding that one is a procrastinator, and why you are procrastinating the final step is to adopt procrastination strategies. Various anti procrastination strategies are making to do list, organized tasks, prioritizing tasks, write down the tasks etc. Promising a reward after completing a task is also another method to avoid procrastination. Minimizing distractions like turning off social media notifications and television are another method to avoid procrastination. There are various mobile applications for users to avoid procrastination, and to stay focused for doing tasks. So by following these steps one can avoid the habit of procrastination and achieve their goals.

Six Reasons Why You Should Start Using A To-Do List

In a world full of distractions, with beeps and pop-ups ruling  most parts of your day and dozens of thoughts floating in your head, staying focused is a herculean task. Amidst all the chaos, one thing that can help you stay sane is the good old productivity tool – To-Do List.

Having said that, you should also know that it is a double edged sword. This age-old technique has a reputation of hurting productivity. The key however is in knowing how to use it effectively. 

With a lot of speculation and confusion doing the rounds about this tool, it’s natural that you may end up being double minded about whether or not to use it. Listed below are 6 points which can aid you in your decision making process.

Frees up a hell lot of space in your brain

Whether it’s the list of items you need to buy, the ideas that popped up while you were doing laundry or the schedule of the meetings you need to attend, cramming your brain with a hundred thoughts is definitely not something it would appreciate. By doing so, you are not only overwhelming the brain but also using up the energy and space that could otherwise have been used for more productive stuff. So please do yourself and your brain a favour – get it all out of your head, put it on a list and thank me later !

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Throws the ‘Oops ! I Forgot’ excuse out of the window

As much as we all would like to remember every single detail about everything, let’s face it, not many of us have that extraordinary memory power. So if you don’t have it written down somewhere, it’s only natural that you may forget some of the things that you really wanted to remember. To-Do lists are visual reminders of all the tasks that you wanted the brain to remember and when you have it right in front of you, it’s impossible to miss any.

Helps you to organise and prioritise the tasks

Prioritising the tasks and focusing on the most important ones can be challenging when you have a lot going inside your head. Without that clarity, instead of sending out that important email to your client, you may end up decluttering your closet. When you have all the tasks listed out right in front of you, it becomes much easier to analyse and sort out what needs to be done right away and what can wait.

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Acts as a roadmap to your long term goals

Suppose you are travelling from Chennai to Kolkata.You know your starting point and also your destination. But without knowing how to proceed and which route to take do you think you’ll ever reach Kolkata ? In the same way your long term goals are the end results that you want to achieve and the tasks act as your milestones which give you an idea about the route that you need to take in order to reach your end goal. By breaking down the long term goals into tiny actionable steps and putting them on your list, you get a clear idea on the course of action you are supposed to take.

Helps calm your monkey mind

There may be times when your mind suddenly decides to remind you about the gift that you need to order for your friend’s birthday while you are trying hard to focus and complete the article due for the day. It now becomes the responsibility of the brain to remember this and in an attempt to do so it loses focus on the task at hand. Putting this newly popped up task on your list takes the weight off the brain and gives your restless mind an assurance that it will eventually be taken care of.

Checking off an item on your list gives you that daily dose of dopamine

When you finish a task and check it off your list, your brain feels a certain sense of success. And as a reaction to it, it releases a small amount of dopamine which in turn makes you feel happy and good about yourself. Crossing out an item from your list is something that can instantly make you feel good and motivates you to take action on the remaining tasks.

Bottom Line

Your To-Do List should be something that motivates you to get up each day and work hard to crush those goals that you have set for yourself.It is supposed to elevate your overall happiness and not pull you down. Instead, if you find your list giving you nightmares or panic attacks, chances are that you might not be using it the right way. Figure out strategies on how to effectively make and use a To-Do List and try incorporating them in your process and I’m sure with the right strategies and complete dedication to the process you will definitely see the results. Good luck !

Assertiveness – An Essential Life Skill Everyone Should Master

Have you ever wondered how some people have a natural ability to express their opinions and views confidently, politely turn down the things that they don’t want to do and still manage to maintain a good rapport with people ? Do you think it is some superpower that they are born with ? Well, this superpower that they possess is called Assertiveness. And the good news is that with the help of the right strategies and dedicated practice, you too can develop this superpower.

What is assertiveness ?

Assertiveness is a healthy behaviour that helps you  express your views, feelings, needs and desires  in a calm, clear and reasonable way without  disrespecting the other person.It is a crucial life skill that enables you to stand up for your rights without undermining those of others’. Assertiveness doesn’t come naturally to most people. Often, they tend to respond passively or end up responding aggressively. At times people may also choose to respond in a passive-aggressive manner, which can be considered as a combination of these two types.

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Why do you need to be assertive ?

Passive people often end up doing things that they really don’t want to do in an attempt to please others and eventually it takes a toll on their self esteem and confidence. On the other hand, the aggressive ones, though most of the time manage to get their ways, often find their insecurities getting worse due to their behaviour and end up being lonely and dissatisfied in life. In the case of passive aggressive responses, it may work well initially, but in the long run, the guilt of not being open and honest with people starts weighing them down and affects their relationships with people adversely.

By being assertive, you are honest in your thoughts and words and express yourself clearly, while remaining empathetic and fair. An assertive person knows how to strike a balance between speaking up for himself and respecting the rights and beliefs of the other person. They are firm without being rude and also adept at handling their emotions. 

Well, it all sounds good in theory, but putting it into practice requires a lot of effort. Be prepared for the numerous sighs, eye rolls, I-Can’t-Believe-You-Said-No lectures, rants on how disrespectful and rude you are etc., that are bound to come your way during this journey of being assertive. But trust me once you have passed the initial phase of discomfort, you will find that it’s way less stressful and a lot easier to express yourself effectively.

How to be assertive ?

Have a clear idea about your core values and beliefs

Only if you have a clear understanding about yourself and your core values, will you be able to express yourself clearly and confidently. A good place to start is by assessing your behaviour, style and thought pattern. Identify those beliefs that prevent you from standing up for yourself. Look out for the triggers that blow your fuse. Dig deeper into your mind and identify your core values. Ask yourself  whether your actions and responses align with your core values. This understanding of yourself and your values is the foundation of self confidence which in turn is the cornerstone of assertiveness.

Speak up even if your voice shakes

Whenever you find yourself in a situation where you don’t particularly agree on the thing that the majority agrees with, instead of nodding along or yelling at them, try putting across your views honestly in a clear and composed tone. It might be difficult in the beginning and you might have a hard time controlling your emotions and tone. But with practice you’ll find your confidence and ability to articulate your thoughts gradually improving. Trust the process and keep practicing.

Accept both the bricks and bouquets gracefully

Whenever you are starting out on something new, you are bound to face criticisms and if you are lucky you might end up winning a few compliments as well. Accept both with an open mind. Graciously accept the compliments and train yourself to handle criticisms positively.

I.Wish.I.Could.But.I.Don’t.Want.To 

If you were to ask a people pleaser what scares him the most – dealing with Dracula or saying No – chances are high that his answer would be the latter. Well, saying No can be hard not just for people pleasers but for everyone. But it is one of the crucial skills to master on your journey of becoming an assertive person. Acknowledge the request and then give a short but clear and honest reply. Remember that neither do you owe anybody a justification nor an apology for your decision. In any relationship, people generally appreciate transparency and by being open and honest about your feelings you are doing yourself as well as the other person a favour.

Practice Active Listening

Active listening is a skill that helps you better understand the other person’s perspective. While being assertive, respecting and considering the other person’s opinions and views is as important as articulating your thoughts. So it is important that you pay attention to what the other person says. Don’t shy away from asking questions if you need further information or clarification. By giving the other person room to explain himself, you are laying the basis for a constructive discussion and by attentively listening to him you are giving yourself a chance to view things from his perspective.

Watch your tone and body language

To have the desired impact, it’s not enough that you express yourself respectfully and honestly but you also need to maintain an assertive body language and tone while you speak. A relaxed open posture, good eye contact and the perfect mix of firmness and composure in the tone play a vital role in projecting your confidence. And this applies both when you are speaking as well as listening. 

‘I’ vs ‘You’

While expressing yourself, one thing that you need to keep remaining yourself is that your focus should be on the issue and not on pulling the other person down. To get your points across firmly and respectfully, use phrases like ‘I feel’, ‘In my opinion’, ‘I would like’  etc . The impact the expression  ‘I feel that my choice would be better in this case’  makes is way different from the one  the expression ‘Your choice is terrible’ makes . The latter points fingers at the other person and ridicules his choice whereas the former gets your point across without engaging in the blame game. 

Take a moment to reflect on your progress

Every time, after you’ve faced a situation where you acted assertively or at least tried to do so,  take a moment to reflect on what went well and what did not. Remember not to be too hard on yourself. Taking time out to review your progress helps you in understanding how far you have come in this journey of being assertive. It also gives you an opportunity to identify your weak points and the areas you need to work on. Also, helps you in identifying your behavioural patterns and thought process better. Consistent practice, along with periodic reflection, makes sure that your ride ahead is safe and smooth

Final Thoughts

Assertiveness may be a natural trait for a lucky few, but for most people it is a skill that needs practice and time to develop. During this journey, if you find yourself slipping to aggressive or passive modes, at times, just keep in mind that even the person who has won the ‘The Most Assertive Person of the Year’ award may not respond assertively 100% of the time. Instead of beating yourself up for such occasional goof ups, focus your attention on learning from them and fine tuning your assertiveness skills. Good Luck !

Get More Done : Strategies for an Effective To-Do List

The term ‘To-Do List’ evokes different images for different people. For some it is that of a never-ending-ever-growing scroll of magic paper that gives them nightmares. For others it might come across as something only the boring folks, who schedule even their loo breaks, do. And then there is another bunch who considers it to be their life saviour which keeps them sane through the madness of their daily chores and tasks. 

Whatever be the image that you have conjured up, a fact that one cannot deny is that an effective to-do list is one of the simplest yet powerful productivity tools that can work wonders in increasing your overall productivity. 

Though it is one of the best and most efficient productivity techniques around, the success of it depends on how effectively it is being used. Moreover, if not used in the correct way, it can do more harm than good. 

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So, let’s now see some of the strategies to help you kick-start your art-of-making-the-perfect-list journey 

Pick a suitable medium

Choosing a medium that you are comfortable with is the first and foremost thing to be considered while making a list. It may differ according to the personal preferences of people. It doesn’t matter whether you choose an app or the good old pen and paper, what is important is to stick to the one that you have chosen.Having your tasks scattered across different mediums makes managing and tracking the tasks difficult.

Dump all those tasks eating up your brain to the list

Transfer all those ideas, goals and tasks to the medium that you have chosen. Don’t bother assessing its value or prioritising it (yet). For now, just dig out every single thing from your brain and dump it onto your list.

Identify the ones which align with your purpose

It’s important that you need to have a clear idea about what you want to accomplish in life and accordingly pick tasks that’ll help you realise your goals. Write down clearly why you need to do the task and how it adds value to your life. Identifying your whys gives the brain the much needed motivation and energy to tackle the task.

Break the list into multiple lists

So now you have a big list of all the items that aligns with your long-term goals listed right in front of you. This list will contain all your goals listed out together. Let’s now split them into separate lists . Three basic lists that you can use are : 

  • The Master List , where you keep a list of your long term goals .For eg: Write a novel. Here, you could categorise the goals as personal, professional, finance, health etc. 
  • The Weekly List contains all those items that need to be ticked off by the end of the week. This would essentially contain tasks which would help in achieving your long term goals, plus other things that need your attention during the week. 
  • High Impact List is the one that contains the tasks which are of the highest priority and needs your immediate attention. These might or might not be related to the other two lists. 

Apart from these you could also keep a separate list for the daily activities that you need to track. For eg : If Doing exercise is something that you want to track on a daily basis, then instead of adding this item to your high impact list, add it to a separate list which is meant solely for daily activities. 

You can come up with as many lists as you want. But I would suggest not to overdo it (then you might end up having to come up with another list to track the list of lists ! ). 

List down tasks, not goals on your list

Your master list is the one where you have all the goals listed and when it comes to creating weekly lists, you need to make sure that you break your goals down into actionable items and put those on the list. In this way, you get clarity on how to go about with achieving the long term goals. Make it as specific as possible.

Prioritize 

From the weekly list, identify the items that are of the highest priority and move them to the High Impact List. This is the list that you need to follow to keep track of the items that need to be completed by the end of the day. Sit with your list and identify the ones that are urgent and important and rank them accordingly. Setting priorities makes sure that you don’t end up cleaning your kitchen drawer when you have an important assignment due for the day.

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The shorter the better

One of the mistakes people make while creating a list is to cram up the list with as many items as they can think of. By doing so chances are high that you may end up not finishing most of the tasks on your list. And, there is nothing more depressing than staring at a long list of pending tasks at the end of the day. So keep it short. There is no hard and fast rule as to the maximum number of items that you can put on your list. Start with as low as three and experiment and find out the number that works for you. 

Set a time limit for each task and measure the time taken

Each person has a different pace at which he works. To find out yours, roughly estimate the time you think you would need to complete a task and once you are done with the task, compare it with the actual time taken. This way, you will have a realistic idea about how many tasks you can complete in a day and can accordingly decide the length of your list. 

Break bigger tasks into a set of smaller tasks

While you time your tasks, you might come across some tasks which need more time.Say for example, writing a blog post might not fit into the two hour window that has been allotted to it. In such cases, break the task down into a number of smaller tasks – research the topic, write, edit, select pictures etc. By breaking it down, you will have a clear step-by-step strategy listed right in front of you.Also, instead of waiting to check off that one big monstrous item, you can now check off 3-4 small items. That’s a pleasure in itself, isn’t it ?

Create a May-Be-Later-If-I-Feel-Like list

This is one of my personal favourites. All those items that you want to do but which are neither urgent nor important go on this list. Say for eg: learn to knit, may be something you might want to do but definitely not when you have a project release coming up the following week. 

Always expect the unexpected

As much as we all want everything to go as planned, in reality that’s not always possible. At times, unexpected events may pop up. So, it’s always a good idea to leave a bit of cushion time between your tasks. Not just that it leaves you with some wiggle room in case of emergencies but also provides you that much needed breather from the tasks on normal days.

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Block time for yourself

Always always always make sure to take some time out of your schedule to relax. Burnout is real ! So it’s really important that you find time to pause, breathe and relax. Adding break time to your list is essential to help the brain maintain its focus and energy levels. 

Revisit and Re-evaluate your list periodically

Constant evaluations and reevaluations are needed for this productivity tool to work effectively. At the end of each day set aside some time to sit with your list and reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Move those items which you feel are of low priority to your may-be list. Re-prioritise the list, play around with it and you will eventually figure out a strategy that works best for you. It’s all about experimenting, buddy !

 Make the list the day before

Though it is not a rule that you should make the list on the previous day, it is always better if you can do so. At the end of each day, after you evaluate your list for that day, you would already be in a state of mind where it is easier for you to figure out what items need to go on the list for the next day. Also, if you have a list of tasks ready right in front of you in the morning, you know exactly what’s on your plate for the day and hence you can use your morning energy on productive stuff rather than wasting it on planning your day.

Create a Done List

Even if you hate every other list mentioned above, this is one list that you are gonna love. It is a list of all the tasks that you have accomplished. Once you complete a task, along with crossing it off from the main list, add it to your Done List. That’s double the euphoria, you see ! This list is a reminder to yourself of how close you have come to your end goal and is an instant mood booster on days you feel low. Also, do not forget to celebrate even the smallest of your milestones.

Bottom line

Learning to make an effective to do list is not something that you can master overnight. It takes a lot of experimenting to figure out the strategies that work for you. There are no hard and fast rules here. Remember not to obsess too much with the idea of making that perfect list in the first go. Have patience and keep experimenting until you figure out a strategy that best suits your needs. Good Luck !

How To Break The Procrastination Cycle & Get Things Done

It’s 9 in the morning. You are fresh and focused and all set to work on that challenging project which needs to be completed urgently. You sit at your desk and fire up the laptop and while waiting for it to boot, you reach for your phone and then, as if on auto pilot, you find yourself opening Instagram (or Facebook or YouTube or news or whatever that is that you are obsessed with!) and start scrolling, and bam, the next thing you realise is it’s already 11, you are exhausted and you haven’t even logged in. Sounds familiar ? What exactly do you think happened here? Where did all that morning energy go ? Did the time just fly ? Well, this trap that most of us fall into is nothing but procrastination. 

What is Procrastination ?

Procrastination usually involves doing something easy or enjoyable instead of the unpleasant but important things that you are supposed to be doing. It is the irrational avoidance of a task or an activity. Most of the time we confuse it with laziness. Though outwardly both of them may seem similar and produce almost the same outcomes, they are fundamentally different.

Procrastination vs Laziness

Laziness is when a person is unwilling to put in the effort or energy needed to carry out a task. It is about avoiding responsibilities completely.Procrastination, on the other hand, is when a person has an intense desire to do the task and is even willing to put in the effort needed, but is stopped by an inner resistance or barrier that has been put up between his mind and the task at hand. Say for example, on a Sunday if you decide that you are not going to do anything but curl up on the couch and binge watch your favourite show, then you are deliberately making a choice not to do anything else at all on that day. On the other hand when you have an important assignment to submit and the deadline is fast approaching but you decide to put it off and  watch Netflix instead, then that’s a classic example of procrastination.

Effects of Long Term Procrastination

Long term procrastination can have serious adverse effects on our mental and physical health.The longer you procrastinate, the more overwhelming the task becomes, which in turn may cause anxiety, guilt and stress. Overall productivity of the individual decreases over time with procrastination and this might even lead to depression. As our mental health and physical health are deeply intertwined, a decline in one can have a serious negative impact on the other. Over time, chronic procrastination not only has productivity costs but also impacts our physical and mental wellbeing adversely.

Causes of Procrastination

Procrastination may stem from the need of the emotional part of our brain for instant rewards. When you have to deal with a task that is overwhelming or boring or unpleasant, the brain tries to find out ways to avoid doing it by replacing it with something easy or comfortable or instantly gratifying. And the momentary relief that the brain feels while putting off the task is the reward it gets for procrastination. And it’s our natural tendency to repeat things that we are rewarded for and thus this becomes a cycle rather than a one-off behaviour.

Procrastination may also be due to underlying mental health issues. People with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) find it hard to stay organized and have difficulties with time management which can make a task seem overwhelming. 

Those suffering from depression tend to have low self esteem which makes them doubt their ability to successfully complete a task. Anxiety also plays similar tricks on the brain and instills a fear of failure and lack of confidence in the person. 

Surprisingly, perfectionists are often procrastinators.The fear of doing a task imperfectly can lead them to putting off the task indefinitely. 

Certain other traits like poor decision making skills, lack of structure, ambiguity, absence of personal meaning and lack of instant gratification may also lead to procrastination.

How to Overcome Procrastination ?

  • If you are procrastinating because you find it boring or unpleasant, then try to focus on the long term benefits of completing the task. Identifying the long term benefits would help in aligning your present self with the future self. Also, it is equally important to focus on the consequences of putting off the task.  Think about all the ways in which not doing this task would affect you. Listing down the impact of avoidance of the task in the major areas of your life would give a realistic view about the situation and give the brain that necessary push to get you started on the task.
  • The brain finds it easier to deal with tasks which are unambiguous and properly structured. When you have a pile of half finished or pending  tasks, your brain goes into a state of panic, which makes focusing even on a single task difficult. Setting a roadmap with well defined milestones and breaking down the task into tiny manageable units can help in tackling those tasks which might otherwise seem overwhelming. Knowing what, how and when to do a task brings about a structure and clarity to the task.
  • More often than not, procrastination may also be a result of underlying mental health issues. Emotional regulation and stress management under the guidance of a therapist may be the best course of action in such cases.
  • In most cases, the biggest challenge one may face is in getting started on a task. For those struggling with the starting trouble, taking the tiniest possible first step would help in overcoming the inertia. Keep a timer for 5 minutes and tell yourself that you would stop after 5 minutes and get started on the task. Once you are successful in getting the brain to stay focused for those 5 minutes, then you are most likely to get into the flow of the task and continue doing the task. Just push yourself to take that initial step and the rest will follow.
  • Fear in any form – The fear of failure, fear of judgement or fear of rejection- holds you back from getting out of your comfort zone and is yet another reason why most people procrastinate. List down all possible fears and  worst case scenarios that you have conjured up in your mind. Once you have it all listed out right in front of you, analyse each of the scenarios. If you feel that your fear is logical and rational, then try and find ways to combat it. Cross out the irrational ones. Think about your whys and about what really matters to you. Ask yourself – Would you rather do it and face the consequences or give in to your fears and regret not doing it, years later ? 
  • The brain often looks for instant rewards. Putting off a boring or difficult task provides a relief which gives the brain the much needed instant gratification. Unless you give the brain a better offer, it continues to find ways to satisfy its craving for quick rewards. So rewarding yourself with a treat after the completion of a milestone would be a good idea to trick the brain into doing similar difficult tasks. Also focusing on and internalising the ‘feel good vibes’ that you get once you complete a difficult task would make the brain crave for such similar experiences which would eventually help in breaking the procrastination loop.
  • Thanks to scroll-culture, the attention span of most of us today has reached almost to the level of a goldfish’s. It just takes a beep from the phone or a mail pop up or even the sound of our own internal voices for us to get distracted. Not surprisingly, people who have difficulty in staying focussed on the task at hand tend to be master procrastinators. So stay away from the phone, close all those unnecessary tabs and if possible disconnect from the internet before you start an important task. When it comes to the constant chatter of your mind, try and find ways to calm it down through meditation or other calming techniques. You can also try writing down the random thoughts that come to your mind during a task so that they can be dealt with later. Assuring the brain that you have set aside a certain amount of time to deal with those thoughts will help in calming it down and bringing the focus back to the work that you are doing.
  • Last but not the least, rephrase your inner dialogue. When you tell yourself that you have to or you need to do a task, it creates an internal pressure on you to do it. The phrases ‘Have to’ or ‘Need to’ creates an impression that you have no choice but to do the task. Most of us do not like it when somebody forces us to work, even if we like the task. The rebel in you starts to resist and finds ways to avoid doing it. The conflict here is between you and your internal voice. So, be it any task,  rephrasing the internal dialogue to ‘I want to’ or ‘I choose to’ , puts you in a position of power. Here, you are not doing it because you have to, rather you are doing it because you want to. It makes you feel more in control and you start owning the work. Once this change in perception happens, it’s much easier to do the task, because hey, you are the boss and you are doing only those things that you really want.

To sum up, procrastination can be best described as the constant conflict between your present self and the future self. While the future self  has big dreams and goals for you and constantly comes up with ideas and plans for your bigger and better future, the present self pulls you towards the most instantly gratifying and comfortable option available. To break out of this habit loop, it is important that you learn how to manage your emotions and moods. I hope and wish that the tips mentioned above would help you kick-start your journey towards curbing procrastination. Good Luck !

The Ultimate Productivity Hack is Saying No

The ultimate productivity hack is saying no.

Not doing something will always be faster than doing it. This statement reminds me of the old computer programming saying, “Remember that there is no code faster than no code.”

The same philosophy applies in other areas of life. For example, there is no meeting that goes faster than not having a meeting at all.

This is not to say you should never attend another meeting, but the truth is that we say yes to many things we don’t actually want to do. There are many meetings held that don’t need to be held. There is a lot of code written that could be deleted.

How often do people ask you to do something and you just reply, “Sure thing.” Three days later, you’re overwhelmed by how much is on your to-do list. We become frustrated by our obligations even though we were the ones who said yes to them in the first place.

It’s worth asking if things are necessary. Many of them are not, and a simple “no” will be more productive than whatever work the most efficient person can muster.

But if the benefits of saying no are so obvious, then why do we say yes so often?

Why We Say Yes

We agree to many requests not because we want to do them, but because we don’t want to be seen as rude, arrogant, or unhelpful. Often, you have to consider saying no to someone you will interact with again in the future—your co-worker, your spouse, your family and friends.

Saying no to these people can be particularly difficult because we like them and want to support them. (Not to mention, we often need their help too.) Collaborating with others is an important element of life. The thought of straining the relationship outweighs the commitment of our time and energy.

For this reason, it can be helpful to be gracious in your response. Do whatever favors you can, and be warm-hearted and direct when you have to say no.

But even after we have accounted for these social considerations, many of us still seem to do a poor job of managing the tradeoff between yes and no. We find ourselves over-committed to things that don’t meaningfully improve or support those around us, and certainly don’t improve our own lives.

Perhaps one issue is how we think about the meaning of yes and no.

The Difference Between Yes and No

The words “yes” and “no” get used in comparison to each other so often that it feels like they carry equal weight in conversation. In reality, they are not just opposite in meaning, but of entirely different magnitudes in commitment.

When you say no, you are only saying no to one option. When you say yes, you are saying no to every other option.

I like how the economist Tim Harford put it, “Every time we say yes to a request, we are also saying no to anything else we might accomplish with the time.” Once you have committed to something, you have already decided how that future block of time will be spent.

In other words, saying no saves you time in the future. Saying yes costs you time in the future. No is a form of time credit. You retain the ability to spend your future time however you want. Yes is a form of time debt. You have to pay back your commitment at some point.

No is a decision. Yes is a responsibility.

Small Steps, Substantial Results

If you have ever studied finance, you would surely embrace the power of compounding. How money if compounded over several years can turn into an attractive sum. But, have you ever thought this rule of compounding is applicable not in finance but personal life as well? I read a book called “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. The principle of atomic habit will give a different perspective of doing things. Atomic means small, Habit means something which is inculcated in your daily routine that you cannot live your day without doing them. Some of the basic habits inoculated in everyone are like brushing the teeth, taking bath, sleeping on time. Similar to these, we can incorporate new habits in ourselves which will show amplified benefits after multiple years, just like how compounding works. This can be anything like reading the newspaper daily, practicing guitar for 10 minutes, doing a workout for 30 minutes. Anything small, but remarkable.

Why 1% matters

  • If we get 1% better each day, we will get 37 times better by the end
  • The habits don’t show results quickly. Therefore we give up because we don’t see any results coming but you need to understand the 8th wonder of the world. According to Albert Einstein, compounding is the eighth wonder of the world. 
  • Atomic Habits + Consistency = Life Changed

Screw Goals and Focus on System

Another idea the book highlights is focusing on the system and forget the goals. A similar idea has been put by Jeff Haden in his book The Motivation Myth. This is a very contrasting view as from childhood, we have been asked to focus solely on goals. However, the major driver of success is not the goal but something else. Before we find out that, let’s see what are the major problems with the goals.

  1. Winners and Losers have the same Goals. So it can’t be the goals that differentiate the people.
  2. Achieving a goal is only a momentary change.
  3. Goal restricts our happiness. We tend to think that we will be happy only once we reach the goal and thus agreeing to compromise with the present journey.
  4. Goals are at odds of long term success

So, if not goals, what is it that we should be focusing on. It’s the daily system or framework of the path towards the goal. In simple words, instead of focusing on output, focus on inputs. What will be the output is not in our control, but we surely can give our best by focusing only on inputs. The things we have in our hands. So, find a goal, research about the journey, then fall in love with the journey, forgetting about the goal and results. The purpose of setting goals is to win the game, the purpose of the system is to continue playing the game. If we focus on playing, the score just takes care of itself.

How to build Atomic Habits

Here are two of few tips given by James clear.

  1. Cue -> Make it obvious. Design your environment in such a way that you have fewer steps between you and your good behaviors and more steps between you and your bad behaviors.
  2. Craving -> Make it attractive. Do something which makes you enjoy that work.

Conclusion

So this was a reflection of one of the ideas of the best-selling book, “Atomic Habits”. If you have some time to invest, you should definitely read this book once. It will give a new perspective of getting things done and living life happily.

Life secrets of being productive

We all are kind of stressed during this pandemic lockdown, so guess we all are struggling a lot to being productive in our work, business, or whatever it is. 

Firstly, to be productive you should stop procrastinating all your work. Procrastination is your biggest enemy ever to achieve all your accomplishments.

Is there any difference between ordinary people and extraordinary people?

The thing is extraordinary people do all the work, same as ordinary people but with consistency and discipline.  You have to decide whether procrastination is more significant than all your dreams and goals and works. Aim it high. Stop squandering all your time and scrounge towards being productive.

Instead of hard work, do the right work. Writing is not an art, but the way you present and allures your audience to read with emotions is an art. In this world of copycats, exposing all your own style with uniqueness may be hilarious for one and ridiculous for another. Live your life with purpose. Live and achieve all your everyday goals, that this might be the last day of your life so that you will not regret your dreams.

Once you started working, do your work stress-free by being passionate and also satisfied. Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter you are an early bird or night owl. But ample peace while waking up to the day as well as relaxation and satisfaction while going to sleep.

When you have a pocket full of money, but not ample peace in your mind, it doesn’t worth it of being productive in your life. Real freedom is enjoying in your real-time. If you are procrastinating all your works it leads to stress, at the time, a lazy man cannot enjoy his money but a productive man can enjoy all his necessities. Enjoy the work you do. Align all your tasks and make them correlated to do for a long time. It is also better to take a break once a week and enjoy it because you work all the rest of the days.

God puts humans in this world with lots of hurdles to know well and behave in certain circumstances and we believe different people behave in different ways according to their attitude towards it. Be consistent in your work, have faith, and celebrate all your accomplishments. No one is going to congratulate you. People can join and you don’t need to satisfy the crowd, but with what actually makes you feel good with gratitude and satisfaction.

Once you are productive, you will start to stop all the scrounge useless things.  So always turn all your inspiring stories or person in life into motivation and convert them to practice and reality in your life to achieve your destination.  You get more advice and lessons when you read failure stories, to get success in your life. Don’t expect the results, it might be either winning or losing, both happen. Experience and explore it more, without procrastinating. Go through and grow through your atmosphere to become productive, with every result of the work you do in your life.

This is the #1 reason that is stopping you from putting your best efforts into studying

“Effort is the Key to Unlocking Our Potential.”
Our efforts can be hampered because of Distractions.

Distractions

Distractions can really hamper the ability to study properly.

There can be various reasons why someone is distracted. Finding the root cause is an important step because then we can come up with a solution for it. Some of the factors which can lead to distraction are:

• Music – Loud Music which is meant to distract your mind should definitely be avoided while studying as it can really affect your concentration.

• Phone/Tabs – These gadgets are the biggest problems in today’s era and are the root cause of distraction for most of us. It destroys your productivity and takes you’re your attention towards studying.

• Thoughts – Most of us are deeply focused on our thoughts instead of actually studying. Even if you’re reading your textbook, a thought can easily zone you out of studying.

• No motivation – Finding motivation in today’s fast-paced competitive world is extremely difficult.

• Friends – Your company you surround yourself with can make you or break you. Some friends exist to just distract you from your dreams.

• Games – Games can get overwhelming and can be extremely addictive.

• Movies and TV – In today’s era of OTT platforms, it has become a trend to binge-watch all the episodes of series in a go. Movies too are easily accessible.

Tips to Avoid Distractions:

• Brain Training
Training the brain can make a significant difference in avoiding distractions. The ABC technique has helped the majority of people and it has been proved to avoid distractions.
A – Awareness – Recognize your distraction.
B – Breathe deeply – Slow down, and think about what can be done to avoid the distractions.
C – Choose – The distraction can be dealt with in this step – either by being responsive to it or completely avoiding it.

• Meditation – Meditating can help to clear your thoughts, which in turn can help to be less distracted.

• Turn off loud music – it might be fun, but it can really distract your focus. Instead, use your headphones to switch on some calming study music which will increase your focus and cut down any external noise.

• Get organized with a to-do list.

• Switch off your phone, if that is not possible then use apps which block you from accessing distractive applications, use silent mode/DND, do not keep many tabs open. Switch off any other gadget distracting you.

• Break the overwhelming ocean of syllabus to study into small parts which can be easily achieved.

• Study in a clean, suitable area. Organize your space well. Do not study where you sleep – studying in your bed can lead to distracting yourself – to avoid that – avoid studying where you sleep.

• Don’t overburden yourself – focus on one task at a time as multitasking can do more harm than good.

• Reward yourself when you do not get distracted.

• Have a routine and schedule your distractions.

• Communicate that you are getting distracted – to the people who are distracting you.

• Take a break if necessary. However, stop procrastinating. “Do the work. Everyone wants to be successful, but nobody wants to do the work.”

• Sometimes things are not in your control – accept it.

Conclusion

Distractions can be intimidating but they can be fully avoided using certain methods.
Stop making excuses, have a healthy lifestyle, do not take stress, organize and clean your room, have discipline, make yourself accountable, and set a goal as these factors can help diminish distractions completely – you will definitely avoid distractions if you follow these as well.
Distractions can make you happy in the short term, but for long-term success, you need to study and work hard to achieve those big goals.

Productivity Obsession

We are living in a fast-paced world where everyone is always trying to do more. We are constantly bombarded with articles and self-help tips on how to manage time well and be more productive. The ability to get a large number of things done in the least amount of time is considered a quality that one should aspire to. This obsession with productivity, the repulsion to doing things slowly, or “wasting” time, and the perpetual need to prove oneself by what one achieves is a byproduct of the Capitalistic culture and attitude that we have imbibed. The worth of an individual is closely associated with how much she is able to contribute to society in tangible ways and the efficiency with which she does it. We often say that a person is not what they do but looking at how perceptions in society function currently, we are forced to reconsider if we really mean what we say.

One of the major factors that pervade this accomplishment-oriented culture is the idea of being productive. Productivity is supposed to be the ability to do more in less time, being focused on our goals, and always achieving what we set out to do. While these are good things in themselves, an obsession with being productive is detrimental to mental health and the quality of our lives as well. Many of the tips that we follow might end up being counterproductive as well. There are various myths about productivity that we hear and see around us; some of them in articles and blogs, others in books or videos. Again, while a few of these tips might work out, they do not generally function to make our lives better. In fact, many of us find that our inability to keep up with these advices make our days more stressful.

bored formal man watching laptop at desk
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

A common myth is that we are only being productive when we are doing certain kinds of things. Here’s an example: It is considered more productive to learn a new language or skill than it is to spend our time reading a novel. Being focused on productivity makes us feel like there are always “more” productive things we can do, when in fact the things we are doing can be considered good and productive things themselves. We tend to grade our activities and give those which do not fulfill certain criteria, such as new knowledge or public appeal, as lesser productive. We forget that rest and leisure is often much more needed for our well-being than stressing over learning something new. Another myth is that we can look at successful people and copy their habits to be productive. Some say that we should read one book a day because someone famous did so, or that we should wake up at a specific time. While this might be good habits in themselves, we are not to discount the individual personalities and circumstances of people. it is not just habits but a collection of events that made someone who they are, and many of these things are outside our control. This often leads to comparison which almost never brings contentment.

Another important point to note is that being productive should not mean continuously being occupied with a specific kind of activity since that would just lead to burnouts and even repulsion after some time. People who tend to take regular breaks, spend time with themselves, and even “waste” time by doing nothing or engaging in seemingly irrelevant activities, are able to direct their energies better when involved in their actual work. It is not a better use of time but a better use of energy that lets them accomplish what is to be accomplished. Obsession with productivity is also closely linked to a culture that is becoming increasingly self-focused to the point of being egotistical. It can lead to us being so focused on getting things done that quality is sacrificed for quality, in order to have the feeling of having done more in lesser time than having done fewer things but of better quality. We must always keep in mind that taking rest itself is sometimes more “productive” in the long run than indulging in and spending our energies on anything that comes our way.

8 habits on how one can be more productive

We all know some or the other person who is a do-er, always getting things done. They know how to do their tasks effectively and on time. The one who manages to finish 2 hours task in just 30 minutes. You could even describe them as robots because no one can work the way they do.

Ever realized what makes them so different? How come they are so productive? Well, one can’t be that in one night, it will require building certain habits.

Habits of Highly productive people

  • Always do the most important task first: No matter how difficult an important task is, always make sure to do it first. This will help in reducing your procrastination level and help you in time-management. It’s easy to spend the whole day ticking off the small tasks from your to-do lists, but it won’t help. As you might cross the deadline of the tasks that were supposed to be done urgently.
  • Be away from distractions: It is not necessary to pick every phone call. Your friends can wait but your work can’t. Make sure to cut off from social media when you are working. Turn off all the notifications if you think it can disturb you.
  • Know your work habits: Are you more capable of doing things alone? Are you more efficient in working during the night instead of the day? How much break you need in a day? Analyze it, figure things out, and do the tasks accordingly.
  • Get bored: You must have never thought in dreams that being bored can also come out as a productive habit. Being comfortable with boredom is necessary. Get more comfortable doing nothing or sit idle. This period can be helpful in thinking- can be an idea, situation, or anything. Be at ease during this time.
  • Use 80/20 rule: 80% of the results will come from 20% of the efforts. This rule is been followed by most entrepreneurs and businessmen. Highly productive people identify 20% of the most important task that they have to do in a day in increasing efficiency. Then, they look for ways to cut down the rest 80% of the task or schedule it for later, to find more time for things that make a bigger impact.
  • Break tasks into smaller pieces: Break your large to-dos into smaller ones. Set more small goals for every task. This becomes more specific, will give you the best results, and reduce your stress.
  • Work before you get inspired: There are a lot of people who come across saying they need the motivation to do the work. Highly productive people instead focus on getting the work started, no matter they are inspired or not. Taking action is what leads to motivation. Start working and the motivation will follow.
  • Don’t be a multi-tasker: When you multitask, you aren’t doing multiple tasks at once, instead, you’re switching your focus between things. Every time you switch the task, you have to refocus on others. Although multitasking is ok sometimes, try to avoid it most of the time.

 

 

Why it’s okay to not be productive right now

Pandemic or not, your self worth is not proportional to your productivity

Like me, if social media has become your only out to boredom, you may have noticed conversations about the notions of ‘productivity’ rocketing. Whether it is your twitter mate updating you with their daily baking sessions or an Instagram friend showing off the pages and pages of work that they finished, or your family groups bombarding you with motivational posts about how to spend your free time, if you have any. There’s so much pressure right now to make the most of this ‘free’ time. It’s exhausting to even try to keep up. The rhetoric around productivity is so romanticised, glamorised and even glorified. However, every time I come across a reminder to be productive, I find myself thinking whether is it really a practical thing or can being productive everyday be a damaging to oneself?

As a university student doing her under graduation, the increase of workload, since the onset of Coronavirus in India, hasn’t gone unnoticed- being given a task after task, a deadline after deadline took a toll on all students. At the start of lockdown, I had internals, I was constantly pulling all nighters revising for the tests, completing assignments and keeping up with the daily workload of the online lessons. In this sense, it felt like nothing even while being locked up in our homes. There was always something that had to be submitted, something that needed to be revised or something that I needed to start working on. I was trying, as was everyone, but oftentimes, it felt like all the efforts amounted to nothing in the end. The workload didn’t end with the end of the semester, having to take-up internships in the middle of a pandemic caused immeasurable pressure and paranoia. My work plans are disrupted by distractions, I find myself unknowingly overextending and the balance between work & free time has become invisible. Not to mention the stress is unavoidable, and I constantly find myself waking up wishing for the day to end.

Is there anything that can be done?

Last year, if someone told us that we would be trapped inside our homes in a state of quarantine due to a deadly pandemic, we would have laughed it off. So, at the time our worst and unimaginable fears are coming true, being plunged into uncertainty does not mean that we have to function effectively alongside it. And therefore, being productive is no longer as important as it was before.

It is of utmost importance to acknowledge that not everyone is fortunate enough to be able to use this situation to hone their skills, try new hobbies, explore new passions or build something unforgettable. In the midst of rapid unemployment, losing your loved ones, anxiety caused by separation from friends and family, isolation and loneliness, bad mental health is inevitable- and that’s okay. It’s okay not to be okay, it’s okay needing to take time off. It’s okay to listen to your body. Don’t be mad at yourself for not being able to deal with the situation as efficiently as your friend or your parent or your Instagram mutual. Getting out of the bed at a reasonable time is a task enough. Not putting off taking care of yourself and your needs is a task enough. Keeping up with your friends and checking up on them is a task enough. Spending time with your family is a task enough. Doing these tasks is no where near the perfect productive day I imagined – and it won’t be for a long while. I was meant to be getting excited about interning opportunities and travelling more and capturing more. Now when everything has gone south, the task of prioritising yourself is a rebellious act.

How can we change this mindset?

If you’re anything like me, university and work mean that I can not entirely ignore all my responsibilities in favour of self-care. Prioritising what you have to do is a good start to make sure you can do what needs to be done. Practice different methods or working. For me, sitting at my desk for more than 7 hours, staring at the laptop screen is quite overwhelming, mentally exhausting and doesn’t leave me feeling fulfilled. Taking breaks to perhaps watch an episode from a show that I’m currently hooked to or to mindlessly scroll on twitter ensures that I feel the balance.

This unsettling environment can be taxing. Forgive yourself for making mistakes.