What’s your gentle productivity approach
(or do you just let it all slide sideways?)
It’s finally school holidays here, so for me it’s time for some more gentle productivity.
For the last ten days we have been in end-of-term mode — ‘a liminal space’ as my fancy friend calls it ?— which is neither one thing nor another and when lift club schedules are like shifting beach sand beneath my feet.
But now the holidays have arrived like a sigh of relief.
And alongside that welcome out-breath comes a slightly unwelcome realisation.
Term-time holds me (in terms of productivity, anyway).
Here’s an example: during term-time, I run four times a week — winter or summer, rain or shine. My alarm wakes me and I hit the road within ten minutes. 5km later I am home, I feed the dogs, wake the teen, splash through the shower and throw myself into the business of the day.
This morning, there was no need to spring out of bed immediately — because I didn’t have to leave the house 90 minutes later. I wriggled deeper under my blankets, ruminated on how chilly it was out there, and stayed put.
You can see where this is going, can’t you?
Before I knew it, I had decided that I could run later. Actually, I could run tomorrow because — holidays! And taking the weather into account (beautiful day here in Cape Town, by the way) it seemed a shame to waste it indoors…
Suddenly, my day had changed shape altogether.
Even breakfast had got shifted, can you believe that? ?
Of course there’s nothing wrong with taking a break from high productivity
In my opinion, taking a breather is essential to help us straddle the varied roles we all embody daily. It’s as refreshing as a dewy morning as long as we recognise it for what it is — refreshment — and make the most of it without letting everything we usually do slide sideways into a messy heap which is difficult to untangle later.
We can shift our schedules towards gentle productivity and come up with a new day-shape that works for us while still maintaining certain priorities.
“I memorise the structure… and let that hold me.”
I remember during my early days as a Toastmaster watching someone give the most incredible speech. She held us spellbound with a performance that flowed and soared until it came to a dramatic close. And with no notes!
Afterwards, I asked how she did it, because memorising word for word often produces a wooden result, and she smiled and said, “I memorise the structure… and let that hold me.” I’ve used that approach ever since, and not just in speechifying.
I imagine a day as a series of lily pads
I’m the frog ?
I know there’s a starting lily pad and an ending one. I know what each of the intermediate lily pads needs to encompass and what order they need to be hopped. I know which ones can be left out if I’m running short of time. That’s my mental picture and I find it’s a flexible structure that holds me.
What’s your seasonal productivity strategy?
School holidays / month-end / summer time / tax-filing season — our commitments and energies ebb and flow at different times of the year.
In times of pressure we’re so focused on output that high productivity is often easier to keep going.
But what about when the stakes feel lower?
How do you keep going? I’d love to hear from you.
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And if you are looking for ways to just keep going gently, try this post.