(productivity – 5 minute read)
Hi there accounting fans!
As a small business owner or a regular waged worker, I’m sure we’ve all read headlines like this:
“Here are 3 tips to stay productive,”
“Need a productivity boost? Here’s How!”
“4 tips for self-employeds to stay productive!,” (yeah, we’re guilty of this too)
There’s constant pressure on us to keep being productive! Why though? And to what end?
There is no such thing as constant productivity
Part of the popularity of productivity tips is that we’re often feeling like we’re not doing enough. You may have said these things to yourself:
“I didn’t get ANY work done today,”
“Wish I had more time to just do more things,”
“I really need to be more productive!”
And then, beat yourself up inside and feel sad about the lack of work done.
Stop that! Slow down! You’re not a machine!
If you keep going at that pace, you’re going to burn out. Then nothing will get done (which will probably cause you more anxiety).
You can remain engaged for a finite amount of time
Let’s talk about the concept of ‘engagement’. Engagement here means the time spent on working productively in any given week. ‘Being engaged’ is the process of tackling work one by one in a consistent manner with low errors.
As regular human beings, we can’t remain engaged for long periods of time. Speaking from personal experience, my engagement levels vary. On a month where I have a lot of tax returns to crank out, I can be engaged for up to 6 hours a day, 5 days in a row. And then next week, I’m flat out. I’d be lucky to even squeeze 2 hours of engagement each day.
Some people call this ‘mental stamina’. You have a finite amount of focus that you can spend on being engaged. Once you’ve spent it, you need to replenish it!
Go on, take a break from productivity!
If you are a small business owner and you’re reading this. I give you permission to take a break! You’ve probably worked long hours and dealt with hundreds of problems already. Don’t bother comparing yourself to other business owners. Think about yourself and what your levels of engagement are.
Remember that everyone is different. So if you feel like you need a break, you probably do!
Productivity is important, but looking after yourself is more important!
Stay positive!