We are living through a very strange time. And with good reason, many of us may be scared and scattered.
Of course, we are trying to make the best of the situation and one way to do that is to experiment with and understand our own unique Productivity Flow ™.
We also have a choice of how we will spend this time that we gained during the lockdown.
We can use this time to experiment and understand our Productivity flow™.
Productivity Flow™ is a system that I created. It allows you to find and focus on the essential priorities so that you can create a lifestyle filled with the satisfaction of doing what is most important.
Twenty years of spiritual practice and ten years as a Productivity Coach helped me design this approach based on self-knowledge – and now I would now like to share it with you.
Productivity Flow Guidelines:
The intention of this blog post is to motivate you to get to know yourself so that you can plan accordingly
- Planning is not for controlling. It is the practice of being aware of how your calendar looks and how you spend your days, thus making sure you work on what is most essential to you.
- Do not strive for perfection, strive for awareness of how you work/flow, and how you adjust to changes in your schedule.
The Productivity Flow™ system is divided into three parts:
Part 1. – Well Being Flow
Part 2. – Professional Flow
Part 3. – Unwinding Flow
Part 1. Well Being Flow
If there is one thing I know about productivity it is this – there is no real efficiency without your well-being and so you need to recharge daily to be your best self.
We will work on creating a sustainable Productivity Flow, where the time we recharge is equal to the time we execute.
Step 1. Make your Well- Being priority #1 in your life, and it should stay priority #1 until it is as natural as brushing your teeth. What this means is you put time and energy into making it happen and that it stands before any other priorities.
Step 2. Define your Well Being Flow (WBF). I have outlined a simple WBF that I and many of my clients have had success implementing. Based on my experience all 6 practices are essential to one’s overall well being.
Practice 1. DAILY – Sleep – 7-8 hours. If this is not something you do start to work on creating an environment that enhances sleep.
Practice 2. DAILY – Meditation – Connect with higher energies to be filled with light (positive energies) and feel centered, calm, and more focused on what is essential to you. Start with 5 minutes a day and build on it. You can find beautiful meditations here.
Practice 3. DAILY – Eat well. Start simple. Consume less processed sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and increase your intake of vegetables/fruit. Take time to understand what is the right way to eat for you to feel energized. If a particular food makes you really sleepy it is not a good sign.
Practice 4. DAILY – Get Physical. Sex counts. Plus some activity once a day where you move your body: Walk, Bike, Yoga, Swim, Dance. Try for 15 to 20 minutes but even 5 minutes counts if you are just starting out.
Practice 5. DAILY – Journal. This could be as simple as listing 3-5 things you are grateful for. Use the opportunity to process what’s on your mind to gain some clarity.
Practice 6. DAILY – Hug someone and tell them that you love them. Plants & Pets count, especially now during the lockdown. My cat Oreshka thought her name was I love you :).
Additionally, a monthly or quarterly session with a therapist or energy healer (or both) to make sure you process your thoughts and feelings so that they do not block you.
Take time to implement this and see what works for you. Flow with it, do not try to be perfect. If one day you sleep 5 hours and eat a donut, it is all good. ALWAYS BE KIND to yourself.
Part 2. Professional Flow
I have observed that most people are highly efficient between 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM. There are exceptions of course. However, I will use the above time frame as a reference point and you may adjust based on your most effective hours.
But first! Find out your chronotype.
“Chronotype” is a scientific term for your body’s internal clock. It governs many aspects of your life and knowing what yours is will make your life not only more productive but more joyful. Your personal chronotype impacts what time of day you’re the most efficient, creative, more focused, and much more.
To read more and understand your most efficient time click on the link
And now that you know your most efficient time of day let’s get on with creating your Professional Flow:
- Create a Focused Environment.
Step 1. Do #socialdistancing from social media during your work hours. It will allow you to stay focused and be less distracted.
Step 2. Plan between 2 and 5 Focus Sessions per day depending on how much time you have.
Focus Sessions are 50-minute increments without any interruption. They help focus on the task you wish to accomplish.
- Based on your chronotype plan to use your most efficient hours.
Step 3. Based on your priorities create a weekly plan with 3 big tasks that you commit to achieving by the end of that week.
Step 4. Plan your day before looking at your emails or your phone.
- Keep your energy stable and light.
Step 5. I drink a lot of water, hot water with lemon, herbal teas, and green tea. It is good for you and it makes you want to pee which is a good thing as you need to make sure you are not sitting at your desk for 3 hours without moving your body. You need to move. Plan one walk per day if it is possible for you.
Step 6. Do not eat a lot of heavy meals during your work hours. Eat light, nutritious meals that keep your energy at a stable level.
- Daily recap.
Step 7. Commit to a daily recap of what you accomplished and what you will move on to the next day. Learn from challenges and celebrate successes. Write down 3 things that you accomplished and feel proud of.
Step 8. Do a recap at the end of your week as well. Write down 3 successes, 3 challenges, lessons learned, and how you will do things differently the following week.
Part 3. Unwinding Flow
By 6 pm I have been quite focused and productive and so I now allow myself to be more random. I let myself be a bit lazy, I slow down and see how I feel. I often have plans for the evening but I give myself permission to NOT stick to them 100%.
It is a time where I speak to friends, cook something special (like bake cookies, make my own hummus, grill chicken), do an advanced self-care routine like massaging my body with avocado, or learning how to do a face massage.
I try not to over Zoomsocialize. I allow evenings to be slow and relaxing.
I also make sure not to spend too much time on social media or on my computer because I have already spent 7-9 hours on it.
My intention for this time of day is romancing the ordinary. When I cook, I may listen to opera and burn some candles. I create a beautiful environment around me to uplift the energy of my lockdown castle.
Conclusion
Find a flow that works for you. Create a lifestyle where you experience the dynamic interplay of doing less yet achieving more, the ability to be focused yet relaxed, feeling calm, and energized at the same time.
My wish for myself and others is that this Slowdown time will allow us to build new routines. And so when the virus behind us we do not go back to being crazy busy hustlers. We become mindful of human beings who do what is essential to ourselves and to this Earth.
