{"id":26667,"date":"2014-07-10T20:23:27","date_gmt":"2014-07-11T04:23:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=26667"},"modified":"2014-07-17T01:52:02","modified_gmt":"2014-07-17T09:52:02","slug":"7-unconventional-crazy-ways-increase-productivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-unconventional-crazy-ways-increase-productivity\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Unconventional and \u201cCrazy\u201d Ways to Increase Productivity"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Being productive is one of the phrases we hear over and over again in our day-to-day lives. In some contexts, it means doing work when you\u2019re supposed to. In others, it\u2019s all about cleaning the house during your days off.<\/p>\n

Whatever your personal definition is, however, we can all agree on one thing: some days, productivity can be as hard to find as a unicorn in a haystack.<\/p>\n

Not Your Typical Suggestions<\/h2>\n

This website is filled with productivity tips and hacks. However, you\u2019ll be hard-pressed to find another list quite like this. There won\u2019t be a single mention of yoga positions, sleep-inducing habits, or brain-boosting foods.<\/p>\n

Nope. This list will include all the suggestions you\u2019ve never heard before. In fact, most of them will seem like tips on how to decrease<\/i> productivity.<\/p>\n

But stick with me. Give them a whirl. You\u2019ll be pleasantly surprised by the outcome produced by these seven unconventional productivity tips.<\/p>\n

1. Work Less<\/h2>\n

What\u2019d she say?! Work less<\/i>?!<\/p>\n

Crazy, right? Well as a matter of fact, sometimes overloading your work plate is a great way to drain all of your energy. In order to keep yourself working at a productive rate, you have to manage your energy effectively.<\/p>\n

When you feel you\u2019ve hit a wall and your brain can\u2019t possibly handle any more, take a break. It\u2019s far more efficient to stop working all together than to continue trying to make something out of nothing.<\/p>\n

Take a break. Regroup. Let your brain come at the problem from a new angle.<\/p>\n

2. Play a Game<\/h2>\n

Might I suggest an activity for your break time? Why don\u2019t you play a game?<\/p>\n

Playing games\u2014especially if you can get your coworkers involved\u2014is about more than just decompressing. Games also allow you to get better acquainted with your co-workers. A department meeting might attempt to do the same thing but fails miserably because the stress hovering overhead puts the kibosh on fun.<\/p>\n

Get some<\/a> cornhole boards (customize the cornhole boards with the company logo and the boss will be a fan). Snag a ladder golf set or some washers. Contrary to popular belief, these games don\u2019t need<\/i> to be played at a tailgating party.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019d rather not move around so much in the office, play a card game or laugh with others during a round of \u201cI Have Never<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Check Your Email<\/h2>\n

All right, don\u2019t do the thing where you stop what you\u2019re doing every five minutes to refresh your gmail and hope something has come up to distract you.<\/p>\n

Schedule a few times throughout the day to check your email. The first appointment with your inbox should at the beginning of your day. Get yourself in the loop with what\u2019s happening. Then, go forth and be productive.<\/p>\n

Come back to your email at the scheduled times\u2014but only at those scheduled times. This will allow you to communicate effectively and timely with those you need to without having a constant, nagging distraction all day long.<\/p>\n

4. Procrastinate<\/h2>\n

Here\u2019s another one that doesn\u2019t seem to make sense. Don\u2019t check your vision though; hear me out.<\/p>\n

By putting one Most Important Task (MIT) at the top of your to-do list, you set yourself up to dread doing that task for the rest of your day. You encourage yourself to put off your entire list so that you don\u2019t have to face that big important thing at the top.<\/p>\n

Put your MIT at the top. Then avoid it<\/a>. Procrastinate. Do everything else on your list first. Then circle back to it when you have the necessary energy.<\/p>\n

This way, you still get plenty of things done. The other way, you get nothing done because the MIT blocks all progress.<\/p>\n

5. Let It Go<\/h2>\n

All topical pop culture references aside, this is good advice in the productivity department as well.<\/p>\n

Admit to yourself upfront that you don\u2019t want to work on the task. You may be surprised to find that you can push right through without having to stop to \u201cadjust your attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n

So you don\u2019t want to input data into that spreadsheet? Great. Embrace it! By acknowledging how you feel about it you can move on and just get it done.<\/p>\n

6. Just Say No<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s easy to say yes. We\u2019ve been told to be polite and to go above and beyond. There\u2019s a time and a place for that, of course, but we all need to learn how to say no.<\/p>\n

At the very least, we need to learn to stop saying yes quite so much, but the words we use are important. Instead of, \u201cI can\u2019t,\u201d say, \u201cI don\u2019t.\u201d \u00a0Make it clear that it\u2019s not that you can\u2019t <\/i>do the task, it\u2019s that you don\u2019t have time or energy or whatever other reason you have.<\/p>\n

7. Keep Your Goals to Yourself<\/h2>\n

You\u2019re sure to gain some satisfaction after sharing your goals with other people. But some of the satisfaction you gain will subtract from your original vision.<\/p>\n

Instead, keep your goals to yourself while working towards their completion. Then, you can tell people about your success after you\u2019ve reach the goal\u2014and feel twice as great.<\/p>\n

In the end, the most successful productivity hacks are the ones that fit your own personal style. Yoga might not do it for everyone. If you consider yourself unconventional, you might need one of these less-traditional techniques to boost your output.<\/p>\n

Have you ever tried a controversial technique to boost productivity? How did it turn out?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ll be pleasantly surprised by the outcome produced by these seven unconventional productivity tips. 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