A Positive Mindset in 2022 - What does productivity mean to you?
A Positive Mindset for Productivity in 2022
Or: How to keep your motivation fires burning in 2022
This is the first in a series of blog posts about productivity and motivation.
I recently put out a digital reflection journal for 2022 (grab a copy here for $2.00!), designed based on my own experiences with productivity and what truly motivated me as I tried to move forward with my goals and the tasks that needed completing.
As I shared in a previous post regarding motivation and productivity, there was a point in time where I felt that the months would pass and I hadn't done enough with my day. It often left me feeling blue and completely depleted of any motivation. So I took some action, tried different productivity 'hacks', and figured out what it was that did and didn't work for me.
And the first thing that I realized I have to reconsider? As always, and as any good student will know, we begin our exploration with definitions.
What does productivity mean to you?
Everyone throws around this word, but I get the feeling that we all have very different and personalized ideas of what this means. Is your productivity the same as my productivity, or do we view the concept from two very different perspectives?
I had to reconsider what I meant by productivity. Did it mean completing writing-related tasks every day? Did it mean completing big tasks alone? Did it mean completing work-related tasks only? What could make me satisfied at the end of the day?
I had to figure that out before I could move forward, because no number of productivity hacks could save me if I didn't know what kinds of methods worked for me, specifically, as an individual.
In the process of considering what productivity meant to me, I realized two things. The first was that I measure my productivity and satisfaction at the end of the day by seeing if I'd been able to do any writing or any work on passion projects that I have, of which there are many. The second was that I had been overlooking tasks that I did on a regular basis simply because they weren't writing-related, study-related, or work-related. Things like chores, self-care, gardening, and so on - all important tasks that take up time and energy, and yet I was treating them like background noise. And here's the thing:
They're not background noise!
The understanding that I had been ignoring a huge part of what I was doing on a day to day basis made me realize that that probably had an impact on why I felt I wasn't doing enough at the end of the day. So, I made a note to keep track of these parts of my day, too.
Almost immediately I felt better about my days. I'd remind myself that, even if I didn't get to do as much writing today as I wanted to, or even if I didn't finish that project I've been working on, I still accomplished lots of other things in the forms of chores (cooking, laundry, dishes, organization, etc.) and self care.
And that's not nothing. In fact, those things are pretty necessary to the successful functioning of an adult. They're integral parts of our routines and daily lives. Trying to measure your productivity while ignoring entire sections of your day that are taken up by other tasks gives you a highly imbalanced look at what you've actually accomplished during that day.
But maybe this isn't something you suffer from! Maybe this is just me! In that case, we go back to the main question: What is productivity to you? What makes you feel satisfied at the end of the day when you're getting ready for bed?
Are you like me and need to complete one writing-related task or a task related to a personal project before day's end to feel happy with your day? Or maybe you have something else you enjoy doing that leaves you feeling like your day is complete?
This could be anything - taking a twenty-minute walk while the sun sets, or taking an hour to work on your vegetable patch, or reading something for an hour, or working out, or creating art - whatever it is, if you have something that you know makes you feel content at the end of the day because you did it, try your best to work that into your day.
In other words, redefine productivity to suit your needs and your lifestyle. Sometimes, we aren't even aware of what we use to measure our productivity. For example, it was a while before I realized that if I didn't work on something that I was excited to work on, I didn't feel satisfied with my day. When I made the decision to factor in at least some time working on things I enjoyed and wanted to work on, like writing or working on a passion project, as well as making sure to keep track of other tasks I accomplish throughout the day that were previously completely ignored, I was able to feel much more productive.
So, that's something to think about. What is it that you need to do to feel productive and satisfied with your day? If you're already productive and doing lots of stuff with your day and yet still feel unproductive, try to get to the root of that - why do you feel that way? What aren't you doing that you feel like you want to be doing?
And remember: relaxing and getting some time to just enjoy life is also an accomplishment. It doesn't need to be work all the time!
Once you're settled on what productivity means for you, it's time to move on to the next question: how can I apply a positive mindset to my productivity?
~⭐~
Grab the 2022 Reflection & Productivity Journal here for $2.00! Try out a full-month sample free here!
Check out my psychological thriller Apartment. Add it to your TBR on Goodreads!
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