increase productivity

A few tips to keep you on task (meme‘s included!) We are always looking for ways to get productive and to stay on task. I struggle big time with this unless what I am doing really has my attention in a passionate way and even then it can end in me getting distracted by something between social media kids, work, spouse, laundry…adulting ya know the usual stuff. I am going go through these “tips” and give you some reality checks. Social Media… it is number one on my list for a reason. We have all succumbed to it at one point or another. Between Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and so many other apps and sites it has become the leading way to stay in touch and stay distracted. Whether you have found yourself completely consumed by them to the point of completely deleting your account or have just started. I can assure you that you my friend have become attached to your phone or computer. It has become so utterly obnoxious that almost everyone now takes their phone into the restroom with them. Of course I am being a semi hypocrite here but I will never take my phone out in a public restroom, that’s just gross. I know my own restroom is clean and who has used it. I am not here to lecture you on scrolling through your news feeds, just as a reality check. When was the last time you had a Social Media free hour, workday, full day? Have you had a phone free family dinner in the last year? Chances are nope. Phones have become the number one distraction, it keeps you from getting ish done. Here is your friendly reminder to: I love Kevin Hart and I can totally visualize him saying this in one of this shows! Tip #1 Create “social media time” basically put yourself in social media jail. Start your day off with a cup of coffee or if you are like me a great big glass of gogo juice (preworkout) and a book or a calendar. Most of my mornings start with the calendar because I want to get everything written down and laid out in front of me that needs to be done. Being able to visually check off all my to do’s makes me feel like a champ! I usually give myself about 15-20 minutes to do this, then set a timer for your social media time. Try for 20 – 30 minutes, that’s more than enough time to get your FOMO fix. Tip #2 PUT THE PHONE AWAY when you eat! There are so many negative’s I can go on a rant with this one. Regardless of it you are eating alone or with company, eating while on your phone is such a terrible idea. When you are scrolling your mindlessly munching away and not realizing how much you are eating, not to mention the company you are ignoring (if your with company). It’s just plain rude. I am once again one of these people but I have become so much more aware than I used to be about it. I will catch myself and get off as soon as I do. Trust me, those memes and funny videos will still be there and your friend will still be available for comment wars when you finish your meal. Your stomach and peers will thank you in the end ? Another distraction that I have are my kiddos or family in general, I say this with more love and care than you can imagine. I might even come across as a little selfish for saying they can be a distraction but it’s reality. I can be in the middle of cleaning one room and one of them will walk in and say they can’t find something they absolutely need at that exact moment and that they are going to die if they don’t have it right then (insert sarcastic mom voice here). So being the loving mom I am. I go on the scavenger hunt for said item and end up cleaning every other room in the house EXCEPT the one I started in, every single time. Hubby does it too, again utmost love but it’ll be “hey Ci, I need you for a minute” then its 20 minutes later and I’ve totally lost motivation to do whatever I was doing. Tip #3 Teach them patience. Patience is a virtue and it is a learned attribute not a born with it attribute. Kids don’t understand the value of please wait or hold on, you have to reiterate it over and over again until they get it. My best advice, find a way to explain it to them so that they understand. I am that helicopter mom that teaches through examples so when they test my patience I test theres. Heres an example…Little one cant find her favorite dollie (Dreadhead Dollie from my previous post) and she absolutely must have it now. Instead of fighting with her I ask her to wait one minute so I can finish the project I am on. Nope, not happening so I chose my battle (this post topic coming soon) and go help her find Dreadhead (basically me looking with her lingering behind me) we find Dreadhead and the world is calm. Now for my learning moment, hey little one I need you to get your shoes on so we can go, in a minute mommy…we need to go now, remember when you NEEDED your dollie and mommy rushed to help you find her? Well mommy NEEDS you to get your shoes on now so that we can go, it would make me just as happy as your dollie made you. Obviously this doesn’t always work with a four year old but when you put it into their perceptive they see it differently. Then the next time they rush you to do something they should have a bit more patience key word being SHOULD. Now teaching patience to the hubby is quite different, it is more instilling a habit without them even realizing you did it. Think about it, when you ask them to do something over and over and over and over again eventually they start to just do it so that you don’t nag at them. Men can’t stand to be asked the same thing again and again its just not in their nature so they just get annoyed to the point it becomes habit to think, oh hey she is busy I will wait for her to finish or just let her know I need her for a minute when she is finished or has a break. I just realized I made this one rather sexist, whoops this can actually fly both ways. Doesn’t matter what gender you are, a spouse is a spouse. I have rambled way longer than expected so this is definitely a to be continued series…so on that note look out for Stay on Top of It Part Two!