Two simple steps to productivity

What goes hand in hand with work-life balance? Productivity. Most people want to find chunks of time to get what THEY want to be done, lamenting about the frustrations of what gets in the way. Lots of “if only” phrase pop up. “If only I had more time I would … ” “If only I didn’t have to do x I would …”

Once the excuses stop, the planning starts, using the freshest technique that has grabbed your attention. Bullet Journals. Spreadsheets. Apps and timers. You have great intentions, but yet, what you want to do, isn’t happening!
How do I know about this?

It’s because it is YOU. All over.

And it’s me.

It’s all of us as it’s human nature.

I LOVE research. It’s one of the things relish in my work. Digging through books and finding tips and techniques to apply to my life, business and personal development. I love it that much, it has become a whole part of The Balance Collective through the book club. In here, you may have read some of the books that cover, in part, work-life balance and productivity. From Grace Marshall’s “How to be REALLY PRODUCTIVE” to Dan Meredith’s “How to be Fucking Awesome”.

Over this time what I have noticed is two points underpin all things work-life balance. Irrespective of how you create your goal, where you store the information and how you celebrate, these two things will make or break you making it happen.

You won’t need a big budget; in fact, it is often free.
You don’t need a degree in Digital Technology to make it work.
You won’t need to get up before the kids!

It’s simply these two commitments:

1. Have a Deadline
2. Be Accountable to that Deadline

Let’s delve into these more.

Deadline
This can be the end game. An absolute date in the diary when you will achieve what you want to achieve. Or, it could be the date you will start something. Or even, if it’s a work-life balance goal that is about frequency not finality, then schedule in when it will happen.  So, grab your diary and get that date booked in. If you want, even put in the TIME too!

Accountability
Who will be responsible to, to make this happen? Someone who will know what you are planning and will make sure you tell them how you are progressing (and to possibly give you a stern talking to if you aren’t). Having a date in the diary is great, but how many of us have done that, yet told no-one. So, if you don’t do “it” then there are no consequences.
This person could also be someone who can support you and possibly get you unstuck what you do start slacking.

Now, here is an interesting insight, gained from personal experience. The “Accountability Person” doesn’t even have to be a real person. It could be a group that you are part of online, or even technology. I am part of a group that uses a Facebook ChatBot as an accountability tool. There are many of us that are racing to get our promised daily work, actions and goals achieved, with the threat of upsetting the “DanBot”.

A computer programme.

THAT is how powerful having a deadline and accountability is!

So, before you close this article down, have a think. It’s relatively easy to have a deadline in place. But who, or how, will you make sure you are held responsible?

Fancy an online, group approach? The Balance Collective with Clara has a weekly Accountability Post. You can start by joining us.