… that is the question (apologies to Hamlet!)

I’m finding it hard to be productive right now. Cold, grey, rainy days in mid-July are yuk!

Plus it’s Monday as I’m writing this, and the song ‘Rainy Days and Mondays‘ keeps going round in my head 🎶  I’ve justified a little browsing for the Youtube link as ‘research’ for the blog … any excuse! 

But the point is, on days like this, it can be hard to feel motivated and get stuff done. And, no coincidence, one my clients this morning was saying how she keeps procrastinating and will even do the dishes instead of sitting down to do a painting.

So I’m going to share with you a couple of the strategies she’s going to use now – we worked them out with the conscious mind and then created a subconscious belief using PSYCH-K®  to support her new actions.

1. Make a To Do List

 a) There’s always a long list on my desk, so to keep it doable, I write out a short and simple list for that day, picking 3 – 5 items. I put a couple of small tasks at the top to do first because I know I’ll feel better when they’re done, and that spurs me on to the next thing.

 b) I include a bigger task which might need to be broken down into smaller chunks, and name what that smaller chunk is. That way, when you come to it, you know what bit of the bigger job you need to tackle. 

c) This then brings into play my ’20 Minute Rule’ – I give it a solid 20 minutes of my full attention, and usually find that I keep going and get it done (or make real headway with it).

Just start and do it – it feels so good to tick it off the list that your momentum builds and next thing you know, it’ll be lunchtime and you’ll feel satisfied and less stressed.

2. Give Yourself a Chance

By turning off your phone and notifications and emails so you can focus uninterrupted. Every time you get distracted by some little thing, it takes your brain 64 seconds to get back on track and refocus – that’s a lot of time wasted by just glancing at notifications!

3. Make a To Don’t List

This  is a great concept from British academic Rachel Botsman – here’s a good article overview.

4. Pattern Interrupt

Take a break to eat, get a water, go for a walk – in other words, top up your tank and reboot – especially when you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed or about to distract yourself (with the dishes or Instagram or whatever)

Go out into the fresh air (grab your umbrella if needed but GO OUTSIDE!) for just 5 minutes and walk. This breaks the stuckness and stops you going onto autopilot and avoiding stuff. When you come back inside, return to the To Do List task, and pick up where you left off.

Okie dokie artichokie. I hope these help you feel more accomplished and less stressed this week.

As always, you can book a free Curiosity Call if you’re a new client. 

Or for existing clients, book an appointment if you need support, strategies or positive new subconscious beliefs.