#4 - Beat the slump - Positive mantras to increase productivity - part 1

Do you wish you were more productive?

I do.

Sometimes I start off a day great, working through my tasks, staying on track & then I get on to social media & bam! hours are gone. I get sucked in & it takes away that flow of energy to get work done Or sometimes, I’m just low because of something not going right in a personal situation or in business. Whatever the reason, it impacts how I perform & accomplish work.

How can we increase productivity?

There are many situations that impact how productive we are in a day & I’ve struggled with it myself, but over the years, I’ve come up with a few positive mantras that get me out of an unproductive slump.

I’ve established these mantras from different sources. One from an inspirational book, one from a workout video on YouTube, & one from the CEO of the last architectural firm I worked with. I took those learnings and applied them to my business & also my life. It has helped immensely. Which is why, I’m sharing them with you. 

1. KNOW YOUR PURPOSE – My top mantra

 Eons ago I stumbled upon a talk by a life coach. I can’t even remember how I came across that interview, maybe while just scrolling though Instagram and coincidentally, that talk was about social media pressures.

In between everything that coach said, she brought up this practice of know your purpose.

No matter what we do, it helps to know what our purpose is.

For example, if we like photography, it helps to know whether our purpose is to find joy or to turn it into a business, teach others or all the above. Knowing why we do what we do is important. It keeps us on track & we know exactly how to drive our productivity towards that purpose, not just in our work but also in life.

The moment you begin to stray, check yourself and come back to your purpose. When you stay aware, you’re able to dedicate the needed time to your task & continue your day productively.

This also ties into your feelings when you’re on social media. If you are looking for inspiration, stay on track. Don’t go to pages that make you feel negative. Go to work that inspires you.

Just knowing what your intent of being on social media is, keeps you focused, away from unwanted emotions or pressures.

I apply this practice to everything in my life, big to small.

If I’m cooking, I set my purpose by asking whether I’m cooking for photography or for immediate consumption. That helps me plan my photoshoots & stay productive.

This mantra of “knowing your purpose” is very powerful & applicable to almost every situation.

2. MAKE IT COUNT

About 6 or 7 years back, I used to follow Jillian Michaels & her intense workout routines on YouTube. She was crazy but so good. After her workout, my muscles would really feel it but what was amazing was that I knew how tough her workouts were and yet, I would follow them & keep pace without stopping.

It took me a while to realize but then I understood why I was able to stay motivated to have my muscles hurt. It was because throughout the workout she would say – MAKE IT COUNT!

Now, I had taken the time to work out, I was taking the pain to do those exercises and by making it count, I got the best outcome by giving my best. Those words inspired me, pushed me & made me realize what I was capable of.

Doing something for the heck of it, just isn’t worth it. Doing something half willingly or half-heartedly doesn’t work because it shows.

When we put our everything into what we do, whether its cooking, cleaning, writing a book, taking a picture, ironing a shirt, building a rocket, or playing the piano – it shows. Hard work shows & the world can tell.

Most importantly, you feel proud. You feel like you did justice because you were anyway putting in the time in doing it, then why not do it well.

Not only are you being productive, but you’re also doubling your success during that time of productivity by giving it your best.

It’s that simple, yet sometimes hard enough but if we make this mindset shift, doing things well not only makes us more productive & efficient, but it also ends up becoming second nature.

However, we must remember to be kind to our ourselves, to be practical about our goals & expectations. We must remember to give ourselves grace when needed & work towards these healthy habits without putting undue pressure.

I know this is a lot to take in and absorb. I’ll share my other mantras in the next episode.