You've Been Unproductive! Now What?

Unproductivity is a common virus that we all want to stay away from but couldn’t. The virus becomes deadly when combined with guilt. You would know that you have been unproductive all day but still won’t move an inch away from the couch you have been lazily lying on. When to-do lists fail to do the job, you need to find new ways to motivate yourself.

We have listed five interesting ways to help you get more productive and be on track to achieve your dreams and goals.

Five ways to motivate yourself and be productive

1. Figure out what productivity means to you

Different people have different definitions of productivity. For some, reading a book is being productive, while for others, it is cooking a good meal and savoring it. Define what productivity means to you. Never confuse productivity with your hobbies.

Some hobbies can be productive while others aren’t, necessarily. For example, your hobby might be binge-watching your favorite show, but that doesn’t fall under the category of productive things.

Never consider the universal definition for productivity, instead define what it means for you. One way to figure it out is to identify things that give you a sense of satisfaction and don’t make you feel guilty for spending time on them.

If you have things figured out, it becomes much easier for you. People often fail to tick off all the activities on their to-do lists because people set activities based on others’ definition of productivity. If the activities on your list actually benefit you, you will be more motivated to finish them and get that sense of satisfaction.

2. Scheduling your activities

Instead of setting up loose to-do lists, create a well-listed plan with strict timeframes, and monitor your activities. Before building a schedule, monitor your activity on an unproductive day and then determine where you are performing well and where you need to bring the change.

Based on this data, devise a detailed schedule that provides ample room for some relaxation and me-time. This way, you would feel motivated, and you can notice the progress in your day-to-day activities.

Instead of writing down the activities, go for Quire, an online project/work management software. With Quire, you can set-up realistic schedules/plans/goals and track your progress accordingly. This way, you will be tempted to achieve more than the previous day, and slowly you will be able to ward off your demotivated days.

3. Avoid procrastinating

You must've noticed people around you procrastinating work all the time. The monster has perhaps gotten hold of you too. But what if we provide you with a way to ward off procrastination from your day-to-day life? Here’s the trick. Use Quire to track your stats. Once you are done with a long-pending task, you would be able to move the task to the done tab. This way, your goal would be to finish as many jobs as possible. This self-satisfaction alone would help you push your limits and get productive.

Read more on how to procrastinate properly.

At the end of the day, view your stats and understand what can be done to improve your score. This positive motivation would be enough to gradually get you away from your procrastinating habit and improve your productivity.

4. Allot a slot for the self-reflection time

Reflection time is a must to make sure that you are not unproductive. Many a time, we forget to include this in our normal to-do lists. Thus, we lose track of what we have done and what is yet to complete.

Realization time is not to be confused with me-time. Me-time is to help you do some cheat works and be contented with the schedule you formed. Instead, spending some time in self-realization and introspection would help you analyze the activities of a day and give you an idea of what is realistic on the list and what isn’t.

It is during the realization time you understand how you can be a better version of yourself. You can even tweak the definition of productivity you laid out at the beginning. Considering your productivity motto as a business idea and tweaking it to suit your lifestyle would make you more productive and motivated than ever. Realization time is the same as the time you spend planning and analyzing to refine and set the goals according to the current scenario in a business.

5. Arrange reminders

If you live with someone, tell them to constantly alarm you when you are off-guard for more than a particular time. The constant reminders will help you focus on what’s important and remind your brain that you are indulging in something non-productive.

If you live alone, don’t worry; Quire can do that task for you. Set regular reminders and word it attractively to instill a sense of motivation to get back to your work.

But there is a hidden danger when you resort to this step. If the reminder instills a sense of guilt, it can take a toll on your mental health. Always arrange the reminders in such a way that it reminds you why you started or planned the whole schedule and what your dream goal is.

Positive reminders would not only help improve your productivity rates but also help you mentally prepare to work more towards what brings you happiness and satisfaction.

Conclusion

Increased productivity rates can indeed bring you success, but that doesn’t mean all you do should be a success. If you start working out, but couldn’t lose that number of kilograms you thought you would, don’t be disheartened. Productivity isn’t all about success. It’s about training your body to be active and indulging in something that makes you a better person.

If your goal is built with the only motive of achieving success, you are bound to get demotivated, and that’s when you tend to be even more unproductive. So, tweak your goal from achieving such and such to being satisfied. You will surely see the magic!