The Ups And Downs of Productivity

We all have ups and downs when it comes to our productivity, but what really makes us successful, what makes us progress, what makes us grow, is how we handle the times when we slow down. Start your week. Great. Start your week with a coach. I'm your host, Certified Hike Performance Coach, Sean Butner. And we're going to talk about something that'll help you advance in your life this week. So let's go. Today on Start yout Week with the coach, we're going to talk about our productivity. You know, one, it's the middle of the year, halfway through 2022, as recording this video, which means that it's time to reassess, right? So in January, if you're with me, you probably did your New Year's revolution where we kind of poured, plotted out our big goals for the year and now it's time to check in, right? And I think also at this particular point in time, it's time to reassess and to shift our gears because with the summer coming up, we have vacations. A lot of times it feels a little bit more relaxed. It slows down. You know, fall is usually when a lot of projects fall, trying to get in before the holidays. That's when we do retail does its best business and people are starting now to build towards that. Right? So the inclination for a lot of folks is to slow down, to go into vacation mode. But the people that are really going to succeed this year in 2022, with the economy slowing down, with everything going on, are going to be the people that can rejuvenate, right? Can take those moments to rest, but can also really double down on the things that are going to be meaningful, that are going to advance their jobs, their businesses, their health right now and help them get an edge for the rest of the year. So that's the whole idea of today in this blog. It's how are we going to reassess to make sure that we crush the end of 2022. So, so, and this is really relevant for me because this week I had one day where I woke up and just could not get motivated, right? Maybe you've had a day like that too, where, you know, you're just kind of irritable and grumpy. And, you know, I was doing my breathing exercises, I did my meditation, I went for a walk. I was doing everything that I could to get into that creative space where, where I wasn't resisting, just doing everything right. And you know, I had lack of sleep. It got really hot here in Berkeley. And so without having AC at night, it was way warmer. I was like sweating and like, you know, it was a whole mess, right? But that, that's what happened. But it was hard for me to recover. And so I feel like that's like a metaphor for the year where like, maybe the first half for many of us wasn't as on point or wasn't as focused or wasn't as productive or results driven as we wanted. And so, you know, you have that bad time and if it goes on for like a day, like it's human nature that we are humans, we're not robots, that happens. But if it consists, if it becomes a pattern, if it goes over a long period of time, it's just us not managing our productivity well. Like, that's a little bit of a forward thing to say, maybe a little bit challenging, but it's true if you think about it, right? If we are seeing a pattern and we don't change it, we don't do anything to change it, then that's on us. So that's kind of the, the idea I'm saying with a smile today. So, you know, my productivity, that earlier this year, like, I've done a lot this year and thinking about it, like, it's not being effective in the way that I want it to, you know, so sometimes too, you're just working really hard and you're not really getting to that, the results that you want. And so it's time to, you know, let go that frustration, let go of maybe some of those habits that were preventing you from moving forward and then getting back, getting centered, getting ready to change and do something new, to learn from it and move forward. So if that's you, I'm cheering you on, right? I'm in that boat too. And just like that story that I was in the middle of, really, of having that bad day, how do you turn that around? Right? And so what I did this time around, after all the ABCs, all the basics, you know, making sure I was hydrated, making sure I was eating nutritiously, trying to get as much sleep, doing the meditation, doing the breath work, eating, know, moving the body, when those things weren't working, I was like, okay. It reminded me of this idea of active procrastination, right? So if you have a list of 10 things you're going to try to get done in the next, you know, six months and you have like your most important things to do, like, I just need to be productive and maybe trying to really focus on this secret project that I'm working on, Right now that'll come out probably in the next month is what it's looking like. Just to kind of tease that. But instead of working on that, I shifted gears into something else that I needed to do that was less of a priority. Right. Just to kind of is it. Instead of doing, like some stuff with videos and stuff, it was a writing type task, and it shifted. I was able to sit and focus and get that done, even though I didn't feel like, super productive or super in that the kind of, like, flow creative space. Right. But it helped me shift me from feeling stuck in that feeling into doing something that gave me a little bit momentum. And after that, that's when things started to loosen up. I was able to get back to what I needed to do, and it took me a day to do it right. But the rest of the week, I was on point, so that's super important. So as we're thinking about reassessing, as we're thinking about how do we get back into our productivity, whether you had a moment like I did, or it's gone along for a little bit too long, you know, how do you really get back into your productivity? Right. And so I'll highlight again some of the takeaways from my experience this week. And one is, are you covering the ABCs? Right. Because if you're not, that's usually a place to look at. So are you hydrating? Are you eating nutritiously? Are you getting enough sleep? Are you connecting with friends and family? Because we do have that social aspect that we were reminded is so important. And so that is one. Right. It's also, how can you get a small win? Right? That shifting tasks for me really is just about doing something that I can say, oh, I accomplished that, so that I can then say, okay, like, that's done. What else do I got to do? And so getting that momentum by, you know, shifting doing things in a different order, doing different things can really help you get grounded in your productivity again and get you that momentum, get you feeling a little bit more effective. And even if it's like, okay, like it's something that needed to be done that is now off the list. So it frees up space to do the more important things. Especially, like, you know, the third thing is to try to identify the most important things and do them as soon as possible. But when that doesn't happen, Right. Then what? Well, you shift tasks again, like. Like I did. And then. So the first idea is take care of the ABCs of productivity. The second is to shift or do things in a different order to kind of kick in some novelty in your brain to maybe see if that will just doing things a different order or doing different things triggers that novelty so that it becomes a little more fun. Third thing to really do when you're in that productivity rut is to maybe just take a long break. Maybe that's when you take a day to just think about your life or think about any. Go read some books that have nothing to do with what you're doing in your work or, you know, can be a different flavor from your relationships or switching up what you're doing for your health. Like just kind of shift your focus in order to improve it. Right, that, that's kind of the idea there. And I learned that in my programming job, you know, when doing software that sometimes when you're staring at the code for too long, you have to go for a walk. You have to, you know, go make a cup of coffee or, you know, play some music or, you know, like literally on, on my guitar or just listen to something kind of inspiring to kind of shift that energy. And then fourthly, I, I think it's super important to engage your community. You know, sometimes if you can't change your energy, you can try to shift it by getting in a group of people you trust that you, you love. And I'm an introvert, so I tend to just, if I'm feeling in a bad mood, like I need to fix this myself. But reaching out to fellow coaches that have really helped me along the way, like mentors or people that I've hired as coaches or my peers, since I am a high performance coach, always is inspiring. Right, because we're doing the same type of work. But having people that know you and that can cheer you up or shift that energy is entirely powerful too. Not that you should rely on them to always do that, but sometimes just getting around a good energy can help pull you out. So that's a very important thing too. Excuse me. So that's a couple of ideas on how to shift out of a productivity rut. But as we're talking about that too, you know, again, if it's just a day at tops, maybe two, where you just can't seem to shift out of it and happens once in a blue moon. Be a little bit, give yourself some grace, give yourself some permission to shift your focus, to take a day or two of rest, to then get back into the things that are meaningful, the things that you got to do, the things that will really make a difference in your life and you'll be fine. If it is a pattern, it's time to. How do you interrupt it? Right? You shift it. You get around people that have different perspectives, different energies. You make sure you're taking care of the basic things that can help you get to that next level and you'll see it shift. And this is again, engaging with other people in coaches is why people hire coaches. So if you are looking for that relationship where you'd be like, I need someone that has positive energy, I need someone that has a process that can get me thinking about my life in a different way and in a way that will help me advance quicker, that'll help me achieve what I really want in my life, that'll help me be my ideal self. Then you have to sign up for a free strategy session with me. You can go to my website, SeanButner.combook and go through the steps there. You sign up, you, you take a questionnaire slash application. So it helps me understand where you are in your life and some like quick wins. So that when we hop on your strategy call, we're building you a customized plan based on the science of high performance to make an impact in your life. And everyone that goes through it that I've worked with absolutely loves this call. And if we really like each other, if I think I can help you, if I think we're a good match and a good fit, then we talk about the coaching relationship after that. If not, we had an amazing call about your performance and you walk away with a plan and what your next steps are and it doesn't get much better than that. So it's an actionable plan. It'll leave you with habits that can help you level up and I'd love to do that for you. So just go to SeanButter.com book. You can see the link below in the blog here. Love to do that for you. And with that said, guys like that's make sure that the rest of 2022 is amazing, that we don't get caught up in distractions or in, in a rut of productivity or when we're just not right. You know, don't sit there for too long, ask for help. You know, sign up for that strategy session, engage your communities, if that'll work for you. I don't particularly have any. I'd love to work with you. You know, if you have a different way, definitely make sure you're engaging that. Ultimately, I think if we're all advancing, if we're all progressing, the things that we want in life, we'll be happier, and that'll have a ripple effect out in the world. And so that's why I do this, this work. I just want to make it a better place than how I found it. So hopefully you have that same idea, too. All right, that said, go with. Live with more joy, more personal growth, and more impact in your commun Sam.