Productivity is great when it helps you get to your goals.
But sometimes we can take productivity too far. It can get to the point where we feel like we have to be productive at all times. And when that happens, then work life and home life bleed into each other until there’s no distinguishable difference. And life isn’t fun anymore; it’s just a constant quest for productivity.
But the thing is… there’s not even much productivity in this lifestyle.
Because a life of constant go, go, go means we’re never giving our all to anything. Instead, every area of our life gets a little piece of us — but never our all.
And that’s exhausting.
So here’s the secret on how to be more productive AND to enjoy life at the same time!
Be Here. Completely.
Wherever you are, be there. Be fully engaged.
If you’re at work, focus completely on work. Get knee deep in your marketing goals, spreadsheets, and sales numbers. Stay there.
Don’t try and handle home stuff while you’re at work, because you’ll be pulled in multiple directions and nothing will get your full attention. {link} A coworking space is a great way to separate home life from work life.
Likewise, when you’re at home, focus completely on home. Play with your family, cook the food you love, and manage your household. Be there. Don’t open your phone to “quickly” check an email. It will pull you attention away from where you actually are, and you won’t even end up giving the email the attention it deserves anyway.
Wherever you are, be there.
Jim Rohn sums this up perfectly: “When you work, work. When you play, play. Don’t mix the two.”
When you let work and play seep into each other, you’re never giving one the full attention it deserves.
Not only is that life draining, it’s the opposite of productive!
How to Be Where You Are
This concept is an easy one to grasp, but much harder to implement. Just how are you supposed to turn off your brain? How are you supposed to ignore the emails when you’re at home? How are you supposed to ignore the nagging feeling of missing out on family time when you’re at work?
It all comes down to a schedule.
Schedule work hours and schedule play hours.
Decide now when you’re going to be off from work. Saturdays? Now you know that every Saturday is family day all day. It’s already scheduled.
When does your work day end? 5:00? Now you know that 5:00 until bedtime is family time, every day. And when you’re at work, don’t stress about the chores you need to do at home. They’ll be waiting for you at 5:00.
Compartmentalize your schedule, so you can compartmentalize your brain and have the peace you deserve at both work and home.
Rest and Recovery Is Essential
The thing is, you deserve this. You deserve balance in your life, and you deserve to feel happy and at peace.
And if that isn’t enough to convince you, think of it this way: Just like you need to work to provide for yourself and your family, you need to rest to provide a happy brain for work.
It’s a circular situation. You can’t stay in work mode all day, or you’ll miss recovery mode. Without traveling around that circle, you’ll suffer.
The bonus? When you embrace this concept and lifestyle, you’ll shed an awful lot of guilt — because now fun time is actually fun time.
Encourage (Enforce?) Your Team to Do This Too
And if you’re in charge of a team, make this a non-negotiable part of your work culture. Everyone gets scheduled time off. And everyone gets to go home at the end of the day, without expecting that they’ll log back on to do work in the evening.
This will make your entire team happier, which will help your entire company.
Coworking Connection in Murrieta and Temecula is a great way to help you keep home life at home, and work life at work. We love our clients and want the best for them. Give us a call at 1-800-762-1391 to set up a tour, or stop by. Our affordable options will help you take your work to new heights.