Let’s face it, we all like our lie ins on weekends (and weekdays if we can get away with it). We like it when someone else cooks us dinner and when someone else cleans up those dirty dinner plates. We like it when another human being empties those rotten bins with leaking bin juice before running us a nice hot bath with just enough lavender oil that allows us to flirt between the lines of drowsiness and full on sedation. Oh yes, being inactive is something so many of us proactively seek out. But this my fellow opportunists, is where the road must end on this joyride of convenience. We shouldn’t expect the whole world and his dog to do every laborious task in our lives. But most of all, we shouldn’t think so little of ourselves. Ofcourse we are capable of taking out those damn bins (and having a sneakily slug of that vintage bin juice in the process). So while that thought marinades in your mind let’s move on swiftly to 4 ways to pull your finger out, I mean pull one’s socks up hehe:
- Timetable: as creatures of habit I encourage each and every one of us to put pen to paper and plan out a weekly or daily schedule. Although some (including me) may not be the biggest fan of routine it is at the end of the day essential to actually getting sh*t done. It allows you to break down bigger, more challenging tasks into measurable and manageable portions.
- Make Lists: leading on from getting a routine in place, if you find that in your day you must juggle so many tasks I suggest ranking them in order of difficulty and the time taken to accomplish them. Ranking tasks is a great way to prioritise and will make you more productive in my opinion. I use this method all the time.
- Don’t Overthink: oh maybe I should go to the gym, ah but I’m halfway home now. I’ll just take tofu round the block a few times. But the gym would be better. I know, let me just order a pizza. My point here is that sometimes it’s best just to act on impulse. If you give yourself too time to think then you give yourself too much room to procrastinate.
- More Sleep: some amongst us may scoff at this one, others will be definitely onboard. Whatever your stance is on sleep know that only 3% of the population can survive on 6 hours or less sleep per night, the rest of us are modern day sloths so just except it. Don’t fight your body, get the rest so then you won’t feel the need to go through the daily coffee dialysis routine as soon as you get to the office.
So there’s 4 and not 5 tips that I hope offer some help on how to become more proactive. It’s easier said than done, I know, that’s why I write. Good luck!
**Please note this article is intended solely for ERIC Mag, and I will link to the article on their site if/when it becomes live.
The Neon Squid 