“Unproductive” is just about the worst kind of day I can have. Even if the car won’t start, the traffic is heavy, I spill my coffee down my front and I forget to pick up the kids. If I’ve been at all productive? That’s a good day!
I’ve found it’s almost impossible for me to be productive when I’m totally stressed out. So, in order to get back to being productive, I know I need to reduce my stress.
The problem is, for someone who values the concept of stress reduction as much as I do, I have to admit I find a lot of stress reduction activities really unproductive. No matter how awesome the benefit of, say, a sensory deprivation tank might be, I’m betting you would open the tank to find me having taught myself a synchronized swimming routine complete with costume suggestions and lighting effects. Sitting still and relaxing just doesn’t come naturally to me.
For you, maybe a good day is a day of accomplishment, focus, contribution, balance, or order. Success comes in many stripes. But whatever our favorite kind of day, having one of them often requires a little bit of planning. For example, better, more productive days are had when we:
- have a clear sense of what we want to accomplish
- are realistic about what might get in our way
- have extra resilience to bob, weave and bounce around setbacks
So what if we had an easier way of knowing what kind of days were our very best kind of days? And what if we were better at creating more of those days by identifying obstacles early and overcoming them quickly? What if we had the power to turn a worst-kind-of-day around mid-stride and help that day be its best version of itself?
How to Reduce Stress and Be More Productive
This exercise is designed to help make better, more productive days. The 4 simple steps in this worksheet and video bundle are based on the neuropsychology of motivation and allow you to:
- Lower your stress response
- Shift into higher level thinking
- Increase intrinsic motivation
- Have a clear and aligned next step to move forward
If you’re ready to overcome unproductive days altogether and get focused on the right things for maximum accomplishment AND less stress, consider these next steps and let’s make it happen.
Be Uncommon.