7 Ways to Boost Your Productivity, Even When Your Motivation Is Running On Fumes

Did you ever hear about the procrastinator’s club? The story goes that it’s slated to be a great organization for like-minded people, there’s just one problem: the leaders and its members haven’t gotten around to organizing any meetings.

OK, this anecdote probably deserves to be shelved along with ‘An Anthology of Dad Jokes’, but the meaning is clear to anyone who hears it, and just as relatable. Hell, even as I sat down to write this post I’d already spent a couple days delaying it.

How often do you find yourself in a similar situation? You’re sitting at your desk, staring blankly at either your computer screen or textbook, and some of your worst emotions are competing for dominance, namely boredom, anxiety, and frustration. What an unholy trinity!

For good measure, an old friend known as guilt might drop by to say ‘hi’ too. Good luck getting back to work with THAT house party in your head.

Why is it so hard to focus on – and accomplish – our responsibilities, you might ask? Is our mind hardwired for self-sabotage, are we lazy, or just unmotivated? In all likelihood, the answer is D) none of the above whew.

Truth be told, procrastinating stems from an innate desire to avoid discomfort and to seek a pleasurable distraction at any cost…which is why we can somehow find enjoyment in organizing the sock drawer if a stack of bills are patiently, oh so patiently, waiting to be paid.

So, since we’ve reached a consensus that procrastination is normal, let’s now acknowledge that despite its commonality, it’s not helpful, shall we?

In order to stay focused on your responsibilities, there has to be a real (or perceived) reward from their completion, and the biggest reward comes from a little friend known as dopamine. Getting this fix is easy, and best of all, it’ll help you feel good WHILE you’re productive. Now that we’ve got that out of the way we can focus our attention on strategies to help stay, well, focused. Stay with me now, your sock drawer can wait ;)

Here are 7 steps to get you well on your way to finishing your tasks and getting that dopamine hit you so crave and will have totally earned when you’re done:

1. Use the Pomodoro Technique

Translated as the “Tomato’” Technique, this strategy reduces tasks into small ‘slices’ rather than large, overwhelming ‘chunks’. Many university students now swear by it and there are even YouTube channels dedicated to pomodoro sessions (yes, there’s a channel for everything nowadays).

What’s great about this technique is that the tasks are timed, usually for about 20 minutes or so, and then followed by a short break before the work resumes. This is repeated for several cycles, and with these videos playing in the background you not only get to enjoy ambient music while you focus, but also have a work partner on the other end of the screen to keep you motivated.

2. Move during your breaks

This is a GREAT way to fill your time when you need some distance from your work. If you’ve been staring at the screen or page for so long that the images are now blurring together, then start moving. Stretch, do a set of jumping jacks, push ups, or if you’re really driven, burpees.

If that’s not an option, then go ahead and choose another activity that does work for you.

Exercise, in any form, will give you a rush of endorphins, break you out of a mental funk, and help you get fit. By doing this, you also get the benefit of sending reward signals to your brain because while you might not be working in those moments, you ARE doing something productive.

3. Set a false deadline

There’s a saying that some people work best when under pressure, while others work ONLY when under pressure. Regardless of which category you fit under, false deadlines are sure way to get you hyper focused, and with a little leftover time to spare.

Next time you have a project, try moving deadlines back by a few days to help you avoid last-minute panic, or worse, the consequences of not getting your work done on time. This technique works great for appointments as well, especially if you have a tendency to run late, so shift those schedules back by 15 minutes and see how that works.

4. Close. Those. Tabs.

Don’t lie, I know you let yourself get distracted by other websites and apps when you’re supposed to be working. How do I know? Because WE ALL DO IT. The temptation of scrolling through videos, creeping on an ex, or listening to a crime podcast is often just too powerful for us mortals. This means that to slay the beast of time wasting you must avoid it altogether. You can do it, just close the tabs. Right now.

5. Have someone hold you accountable

It’s well known that people are more likely to behave themselves if they know they’re being watched. Like children, we adults sometimes need supervision too, and letting someone know what you have to get done and when will more than likely help you stay focused. Being accountable to someone other than yourself adds a healthy dose of pressure and is a reminder that someone is counting on you to get the job done.

6. Practice delayed gratification

There are scholarly articles which suggest that instant gratification can worsen procrastination habits. We won’t delve into that here because as the saying goes, ain’t nobody got time for that! What you do have time for, however, is postponing whatever you hoped would distract you from what you need to get done.

Yes, there are productive ways of filling up time that isn’t spent on your main tasks, but whichever way you slice it, they’re still distractions. Try stretching your work time a little further before each break, even if it’s only by 5 minutes. You’ll get more done, enjoy your well deserved break even more, and feel better and more focused as a result.

7. Have a bigger reward for yourself at the end

That’s right, reward yourself at the end because you’ve earned it. What’s great about celebrating a job well done is that it not only supplies you with those endorphins as mentioned earlier, but also serves as a target for you to reach while you’re still working on your project.

Knowing that you have a Netflix session, a bubble bath, drinks with friends, or a hobby to enjoy after you’re done is a target for you to fixate on, knowing that the sooner you complete this task, the sooner ‘play time’ can resume. Now isn’t that a lot more fun than rearranging your sock drawer?

The next time you’re staring at your workload and waiting for the tedium spell to magically break itself, go ahead and apply the techniques that work best for you. Whatever you apply will be time well spent, and don’t forget to indulge in that reward…at the end, of course. You’ve got this, so hop to it!