No Buns

I am no longer glammed up, and have been sitting around in my house clothes, trying to study. Today is a rest day, so I had no excuse not to study.

At first I spent my time on facebook – seriously, facebook was trolling me today. First, I got this ad in my side-bar:

And then this popped up:

Dear Taste,

Nothing. Nothing is baking in my oven, and that’s how I like it. Thank you for your kind yet oddly invasive question.

Yours sincerely,

Kate

Eventually I decided it was probably time to get something done or risk sitting around all night feeling guilty. I used almost all of my tactics to get productive today, and they worked – 7pm was Mr The Rake’s ‘time to stop’ alarm (more on that in a tick) and here I am, blogging guilt free!

Always Running, Frequently Late

(A nod to Jenna!)

I don’t just run, I quite literally run through each day. I take on too much, and do it all at lightning speed.

At the moment, I have the following on my agenda:

1. The big one – honours. The thesis is due 5th November

2. The marathon - 13 days!

3. Work (marketing)

4. Work (tutoring)

5. The 3 hour, twice weekly commute between Sydney and Canberra

6. International Law Society – I have a national mooting comp to get going

7. Starting up the new business

Naturally, spending time with Mr The Rake is also a necessity!

I’ve had a few people ask how I fit it in, so here goes…

Note, of course, that I frequently stay up late, procrastinate, shift priorities, procrastinate some more, and, in Canberra (sans Mr The Rake), I sometimes continue working right up to bedtime at 11 or 12 at night. Not smart.

5 Ways to be More Productive

1. Make a list

I write everything down. If I don’t, I forget things, I let people down, and I feel overwhelmed and confused by the number of things taking up space in my brain.

Yep, I actually have special stationery!

2. Set an alarm

Ruby from Focus Woman taught me this trick – and it works! Instead of sitting and aimlessly picking at articles, I set myself a single task, set my alarm (usually in 50 minute intervals) and work until it goes off. Then I have a few minutes break, and am back at it again.

I’m still perfecting this one. The first session is usually great, and after that…I start to wander a bit. But this tactic is gold. If you ever get stuck in the procrastination loop – use it!

And big thanks to Ruby for getting me back on track when I couldn’t get past the procrastination stage!

3. Have deadlines

I love my diary, it keeps me sane. If I can see my week planned out in front of me, it doesn’t feel so muddled and overwhelming.

More than that, I look for deadlines. I ask when something is needed, or, as with honours, I’ll let someone know that my work will be in by x date. I fear looking unreliable more than I like procrastinating, so as much as I hate myself when the deadline hits, you better believe it gets done!

When I’m having a bad day (like today

) I ask The Rake to set me a time to finish. Today that was 7pm. I got moving when he said that!

4. Act immediately

Within reason of course!

Deal with emails when they come in, return missed calls, or, if you can’t act straight away, write it down!

It’s the same principle as putting something away before you pull out something new – keep it tidy and you won’t have a pile of shit to clean up later.

What not to do…

5. Remember to be flexible

That 50 minute power session just isn’t going to happen if someone calls you half way through. Deal with it. That’s life. Sometimes things come up, and it’s ok to chuck the plan and start a new one on the fly.

Calm down and go set an alarm. Chill out woman, you’re annoying me.

Your Turn!

What are your productivity tips?

What is your favourite form of procrastination?

What would you never need these tips for (e.g. for me, that’s running!)