3 Ways to Be More Productive in Less Time

I sit down at my computer, feeling focused (to-do list in one hand and coffee in the other) and within minutes, one of my kids texts with a request for breakfast to be delivered. I’m chalking that up to a combination of poor planning and back-to-back Zoom classes. 

Even though I’ve worked from home for 10 years now, working from home during a pandemic presents some unique issues: constant interruptions (no matter how micro), wifi demands, God forbid you photobomb your kid’s Zoom, screens, kids, stress! 

Let’s face it. There’s a lot and likely some room for improvement. I’ve implemented these few steps to get more done with my random moments of focus. 

Create a family schedule.

I immediately felt some relief when I mapped out everyone’s classes and free time in the morning. Now I could see when I’d have bigger chunks of time for those bigger projects. I use these chunks to time block specific activities, so I know what to expect and can be more efficient. 

Create a success list.

A running to-do list is helpful as a brain dump, but not ideal for getting things accomplished. For that we need a success list, where you prioritize high-stakes activities and then break them down into tiny steps that can happen in 20 min increments. 

I know twenty minutes may seem short, but I read somewhere that if you are a mom working from home, you are interrupted every 3 minutes or so. So, narrow those tasks down as much as possible.

The One Thing

Although we pride ourselves on multitasking, it turns out that multitasking is literally just doing a bunch of things not very well. Having a bunch of windows open or projects going can be stimulating and provide that desired dopamine hit for sure, but we are better off just focusing on one thing at a time. When everything feels urgent and important, everything seems equal. Develop an eye for the essential.

What’s your one thing? 

What’s one thing you can do so that everything else becomes easier or unnecessary? What’s that one thing that you can focus on to move closer to your goal? That one thing will likely take willpower, so do it first, while your willpower tank is full. Willpower has a limited battery life and can be recharged with downtime. 

Before you rush back to your to-do list or dozens of open windows, drop a comment below and tell me what helps you be productive and move your goals forward during challenging times?