Happy new year! How is the start of 2022 for you? If you’re struggling to get back into your groove, you’re not alone. Returning to a state of productivity after time off isn’t easy anytime, but it’s especially complicated in years like this. I’ve even noticed that the cooking channels aren’t showing their normal resolution-focused healthy eating fare this year. I guess we’re all in the same boat!
But if, like me, you need to figure out how to get back into your Zone of Productivity, here are a few things that have worked for me over the years:
- Set up a workspace if you’re working (or applying for work) from home. For me, this is a dedicated area in my living room, with a desk and the whole 9 yards, but it doesn’t have to be quite so formal if you don’t want. It just needs to be a space you set up for convenience and then use for your work-y stuff and nothing else.
- Set up a schedule and stick to it. For me, that means setting the alarm, taking care of the dogs, having breakfast, and working out. Your routine may look different, especially if you’re not a morning person, but having a schedule of some sort will help you not only be productive when you need to, but also keep your work and non-work times separate.
- Schedule the tasks you need to accomplish. I’m writing this in the hour I set aside this morning with the title “blog” in my calendar, which came after my block called “a.m. emails.” When I’ve had times with generic titles like “tasks,” I don’t actually get anything done, so now I give detail.
- Add those breaks. Just knowing I have lunch in the middle of my day means I can focus on the stuff that isn’t as fun, like my year-end finances and my marketing for the year.
- Tidy up. This is my biggest struggle, but when my workspace, at least, isn’t chaotic and messy, I can focus and get things done. There’s some degree of clutter that, for me at least, is inevitable, but I try to start post-vacation times with that out of my direct eye-line, and to remember what it’s there for so I can tackle it when I need to.
I hope you find something in my tips that’s helpful to you! Happy new year, and let’s do what we can to make this year a decent one.