Productivity and Real Life
Wednesday September 19, 2007
I got absolutely nothing done yesterday - no work at all. Why? Personal crises popped up. Nothing too serious; just everyday stuff that got blown out of proportion and ruined my day. We all have days like that -- days that get sucked into a black hole. Lost opportunities for productivity and work that remains undone. How do we remain productive in spite of personal crises? I have few answers. One strategy is to tell yourself not to think about it until a given time, for example, "I know this is important, but I have to accomplish X before I can think about it" or "I'll think about this at 7pm, but not now." I'm not sure how well this will work, but it's something that I'm going to try next time.
What do you do to remain productive even when your personal life feels like it is falling apart? How do you remember that this too will pass and how do you keep the work day from slipping away from you? Share your tips and experiences in the comments below.
Comments
This is a great question. I have tried your approach many times, and its success depends on the level of crisis. Obviously if it is serious, you get distracted even if you tell yourself to think about it later, and we know that graduate work requires immersion and concentration. One variation to this procrastination strategy would be the “nowhere-to-be-found strategy.” This always works for me. I make communication one-sided-only by turning off all communication devices and communicating only when I have something to say, rather than being available for people to dump their problems on me and get me sucked into drama.
A long term relationship recently dissolved, causing intense grief and distraction, and my strategy is this: you better work on your career or you’ve got nothing. This may seem depressing, but it is actually quite empowering. It gives me license to be completely self-indulgent and forget about other people’s needs.
Another thing I do is give myself personal time no matter what. I take one or two hours a day to do something completely unrelated to my studies and requiring little or no thought, something like listening to music really loud, exercise, cooking, masturbation. This helps clear my mind from both the stresses of life and school, and I return refreshed and ready to work. Some of my colleagues head to a bar when things get bad and have bitch sessions over cocktails. I firmly believe in the importance of social time, but it should not be confused with personal time.