In the latest episode, we discussed the concept of productivity. While preparing for this conversation, I was reminded of the book "The One Thing" and the Four Thieves of Productivity.
I contemplated the reasons behind my occasional (ok frequent) lack of productivity. Some of these reasons are straightforward and can be addressed with some tools and a bit of discipline. The first three thieves:
Inability to say no - A simple hack is when someone requests something from you, respond with, "Let me get back to you." This allows you time to consider whether you should take it on, how long it will take, or if it aligns with your goals. This pause empowers you to decline when necessary.
Poor health habits - We have so many resources for this! Consider meal prepping, hiring a personal trainer, or finding an accountability partner for gym visits. Set a timer for a consistent bedtime. Download an app to track your diet.
Environment doesn't support your goals - Arrange your workspace with all necessities to avoid interruptions. Disable all notifications or devices not essential for your objectives. Discuss the significance of your goals with your team or significant other, and how they can help hold you accountable or support you in focusing on them.
Various tools and hacks exist to prevent these small thieves from diminishing your productivity. But what about Fear of Chaos? I barely touched on this little thief in the podcast because, frankly, I've never fully understood it.
I'm grateful I took the time to explore this further, as it's a genuine disorder affecting many, and if there's a spectrum, I'm certainly on there somewhere.
The term ataxophobia refers to an "excessive and irrational fear of disorder, chaos, or losing control."
Does this sound familiar? Maybe you are not actually having a panic attack when you think about a messy room, but it probably shows up on a small scale every day. I know it's a real thief for me lately as I struggle with the idea of hiring a new admin for the team due to the ensuing chaos that I have experienced in the past when a new hire comes into the office. So what do I do, I hold back. I don't take action. I'm unproductive in that area of the business.
This fear is genuinely hindering my growth and probably yours too. Unlike other productivity thieves, this one lacks simple tricks, hacks or apps for overcoming it. It's a deeply rooted psychological response and for some may even be an undiagnosed condition!
One of the ways to overcome a psychological condition such as Ataxophobia is through exposure therapy. So why not take a little cue from the medical community and exposure yourself to a little chaos every day. Leave the emails unread that aren't important, don't file everything that day, return only calls that are time sensitive. Over time exposing yourself can allow you to push through in situations where you lose control more effectively. I think we can get rid of this pesky thief after all - by slowly showing ourselves that messy is okay.
If we are truly productive, not only is it inevitable that some things will be messy, but it's downright necessary. Productivity is about doing the things that matters most - not doing all the things.
コメント