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to place value on finding balance in life. Messages to toss aside hustle culture mentality and embrace a simpler, more purposeful, peaceful life are great—the problem is that in addition to our regular jobs, multiple "regular life" things still have to get done!
The productivity process I am sharing with you here can be used to improve productivity in life while simultaneously allowing you to find some balance. At least, that's what I use it for. Sure, you can apply it to a certain area of life like a 9-5 job or a business process, but as a 20+ year stay-at-home mom turned freelance writer turned graduate student, I use it to make sure none of my to-dos, big or small, work-related of regular life related, get lost in the shuffle.
Managing life means juggling multiple tasks regardless of how purposeful and peaceful you want to live. Bills have to be paid, doctor visits scheduled and kept, cars maintained, meals planned, gifts purchased, bathrooms to clean, events to plan and/or attend, work projects accomplished, and the list goes on and on—a list full of regular life responsibilities AND work responsibilities.
As a side note to all the mama's out there, being a stay-at-home mom or parent IS a full-time job. So when I refer to "work" vs. "regular life," that applies to you too. I don't know about you, but I cannot afford to hire out all my life tasks to free up time. I feel lucky to be able to do grocery pick-up orders to save time and, when I can afford it, grocery delivery orders! Years ago, as I juggled my many hats and responsibilities, I needed a way to keep track of it all. I came up with the productivity process I am sharing with you today. I'm just an average mom with writing dreams, new career aspirations, in full-time graduate school, and a home to manage. I am not a productivity expert, but this works for me! Let's dive into this productivity process. It truly transformed my life and continues to moving forward.
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What is a productivity system? My inspiration.
The process is inspired by a tool I found in a book by Donald Miller I read a long time ago. He is an author-turned-business brand coach. I'm not 100% sure which book, but I think it was Scary Close. The productivity plan was called the "Story Brand Productivity Schedule," and it doesn't seem to be available directly from Story Brand—at least not for free. It may be available through one of his paid programs.
I read the book and learned about this process in 2015. Over the years, I have adapted this inspiration and other journaling and planning tips to fit my needs, eventually developing what I am sharing with you today. Check out these productivity resources:
Shoppable books! Click a book to view!
A peek at my original inspiration:The Power of Three Productivity Formula
The productivity schedule that inspired my process is rooted in the power of three, also known as the rule of three. A planning principle that promotes organizing information, like your to-do list, in a way that is easy to process and accomplish. Simply, it involves identifying your three top priorities for the day and prioritizing those items above everything else.
Many professional planning workshops and books use the power of three to identify and prioritize yearly, monthly, and daily professional planning. I took inspiration from this mindset and applied it to daily planning. There is no rule for what your three priorities for the day need to be. Your priority items may include simple, quick tasks that you have been putting off but need to be done, or they may include more time-intensive tasks. Your three daily priorities will change every day. They are specific, not broad, like "go to work." The magic happens when you set your priorities and start crossing them off and alleviating your subconscious from the essential tasks hovering in the back of your mind. Those subconscious to-dos deplete your mental and emotional energy, resulting in that stuck, spinning-your-wheels feeling. Setting your three daily priorities and accomplishing a priority task results in a lighter, almost relieved feeling, helping you focus on the next thing! The Brain Dump To-dos
Another part of my productivity process includes a brain dump to-do section, where I place all my other tasks outside my daily top three priority section. Sometimes, I start here and then choose my top three from this list. All of these to-dos may or may not be checked off "today" but often transfer to the next day. Placing them on the list helps me remember them.
Something amazing started happening to me as I began using this method of selecting my top three and brain-dumping the rest of my to-dos. I started checking off a LOT of things on my list. Maybe not every day, but enough days throughout the week that by the end of the week, looking back through my lists, I was pleasantly surprised. Brain dumping is a proven method that helps relieve stress and overwhelm. Brain dumping in the form of creating a comprehensive list helps you clarify your priorities and helps with cognitive processing and memory. This means it helps me know what to do throughout the day. Instead of ruminating over what I am supposed to be doing or getting distracted by social media, my brain can quickly recall something on my list. Hustle Culture vs. Productivity | What's the difference?
Interestingly, the term "hustle" originally had negative connotations, meaning to shake someone down, rob them, or trick them for benefit or gain. Now, the term hustle is associated with aggressively pursuing success. We live in a time when the term "side hustle" permeates social media messages advertising ways to "get ahead" and live your dreams.
Hustle culture involves an intense focus on productivity and a relentless pursuit of success, which is achieved through long working hours, constant multitasking, and general overworking. The problem with the hustle mindset is that it quickly leads to burnout—the relentless pursuit of goals often ends up with giving up because the approach is not sustainable or healthy. Finding and using a productivity process based on prioritization and stress-reducing task management is the opposite of hustle culture with the potential to yield better results. How this productivity process helps me with writing.
It's easy to see how this productivity process helps with work, or personal to do's but how does this help me with writing?
In short, it helps establish balance in life so I can write, and hit publish or submit. I can get so caught up in working on writing projects that everything else piles up and ends up in a state of complete chaos. When this happens, everything suffers–including my writing. Implementing a simple productivity process helps me manage necessary life tasks that fall outside of my writing projects and goals. A good brain dump in the form of a to-do list clears my mind, freeing up space to think and write well. Managing my time and appointments helps me focus during dedicated writing time. Another way this simple process helps me with "writing" is with all the non-writing tasks that accompany being a writer. Writing is about more than writing. There is a long list of associated non-writing tasks that go along with writing today. Especially as a self-published, freelance writer. Non-writing, writing tasks may include:
Working these items into my daily productivity process helps me actually do them! My Productivity Process
It is simple enough to write or draw in your own journal or on a piece of paper, or you can download a free PDF version here.
In addition to applying the power of three method for setting three main priorities for the day, this process includes some self-reflection and a time block, appointment keeping section.
Healthy Productivity
While optimizing productivity is important it is also crucial to strive for healthy productivity. Healthy productivity includes mental and physical health. Maintaining a good balance will help you achieve your goals without compromising your well-being.
Be gentle with yourself and understand, productivity can ebb and flow. Some weeks you may feel more motivated than other weeks. Seasons of life can impact your ability to accomplish things too. It is important be sensitive to your internal and external cues and adjust your expectations of yourself. You might also enjoy these posts:Pin these for later!
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