Productivity..... Ughg

I'm writing this while simultaneously scrolling on TikTok. UGH. Why do I feel so frozen in the mornings? Getting started working is sometimes the hardest part of my day! I have no boss laying out tasks for me and telling me what to do. The boss is supposed to be me. Sometimes that feels freeing, and other times it feels terrifying. Why can't I put down the phone and get to it!!

I'm not writing these blogs to give advice from some higher level of knowledge or to feel superior; I'm writing these blogs to be transparent on this entrepreneurial journey of a regular girl with a TikTok addiction and imposter syndrome and low motivation at times and potentially some ADHD sprinkled in? And not a whole lot of knowledge on how to run a business or really do anything of what I'm doing. I'm writing this to the people like me who know there is more than the 9-5 to live for. I'm writing this to the people who feel scared like me, but who can't continue on living without having control over their own lives. I'm writing these to show you that you don't have to be special to break out of the matrix and go out on your own journey. I'm writing these blogs to the past versions of myself, who had no idea how I would even get to this point, and I'm still only at the very beginning.

So, with all of this being said... Let's talk about productivity.

Boy, do I really struggle sometimes. Honestly, I have other things that I should be doing right now. But here I am, writing this blog. When I have what feels like a million tasks in front of me, I FREEZE. I have such a difficult time sifting through and figuring out how to rank my tasks on a priority level. So I freeze, I scroll, I stress. I want to share some things that have helped me break free from the frozen ice chambers and get some energy moving.

Caffeine...

Listen, I am not one to rely on vices or advise to rely on vices. I rarely drank caffeine through college and really not at all in my adult life until I started working on a coffee farm, and then I got heavily addicted. BUT I will say that now that I use caffeine to my advantage, it truly helps. Just throwing this out there: you don't have to FEEL bad for using caffeine to help boost you up. For so long I felt weaker for using it, but let that sh*t go!! As entrepreneurs, we are walking a heavily wooded and rocky path, drink the dang caffeine and keep it moving.

Creativity!

On days when my freeze is extra frozen, I have to get up and move my energy in a different direction to release the frost. Dance, draw, sing, crochet, write! Whatever your creative outlet may be, do something to get the creative energy in your body moving and flowing. It might be a 20-minute detour on your day, but it's better to spend 20 minutes getting creative to boost your productivity rather than an hour of scrolling and agonizing how to get started on work items. You will honestly be surprised at the high you get and the mindset shift that is achieved by getting out of your head and channeling creativity.

DO NOT DISTURB

Put that phone on do not disturb, put on some music that helps you focus (I like focus EDM, especially caffeinated lol)

If something is on your mind that you need to get done, just do it first.

Working at home has its own challenges, and one of those challenges includes the giant pile of laundry staring at me from across the room... If there is something looming over your head to get done, just do it first! Its going to be in the back of your head all day if you don't give it some attention. Dirty dishes in the sink making your brain itch? Just get it over with so you can free up some brain space and free yourself from the shackles in your head.

Take Breaks

Don't just hammer through. Break your day up into chunks and take breaks once you complete a chunk. Need a scroll? Don't feel guilty about it, set a timer for 10 minutes and indulge in some brain rot. Just be sure that when the timer goes off, you listen to it.

Take a walk after each chunk! If you're like me, you're sitting at the computer most of the day, and even if you walk around for 5 minutes, it's better than nothing. You can also replace walking with stretching or a mix of both. Sitting for extended periods of time can cause hip flexors to become overly tight and cause back pain, so make sure you give them some love.

Planners/Organizational Tools

I am a planner girlllll. I have daily, weekly, and monthly calendars on paper that help me break up my tasks. It might not be the best way to do it, but I LOVE and NEED to have things on paper or it just gets lost for me. Check out some different styles of planners and see which ones work best for you.

I also use Notion as my online BIBLE of an organizer for all my clients. It has been extremely helpful having a home base where I can organize all my clients and personal data in one place. Starting a Notion world from scratch can feel overwhelming. I'll be coming out with a downloadable Notion template soon with what I have developed that works best for me, and hopefully, its helpful for those who need it too.

OKAY, It's finally my time to get cracking on my tasks for the day. Thank you for reading my creative outlet brain dump 🫶

-Sydnee