If you are very focused and productive- what are your routines?

[TR888]

I'm going to be juggling full-time work, a part-time PhD and my usual family commitments for the next few years. I need to be very productive with my time to fit everything in.

I'm very, very hard-working, in the sense that I'm very good at waking up early and sitting in front of my computer. However, I'm not always that productive and have days when I'm very easily distracted. I want to change that.

If you have razor-sharp focus, what's your secret?

Ha, well at home I'm not...but at work I seem to be quite productive. Lists and prioritising, with timings to do things. I make a list for the week on a Monday, put numbers for priorities, allocate tasks to certain days. Then each day, I put timings against those tasks. Cross off as I go along. Move any undone tasks to next day.

But I've seen people spend more time on making the lists than actually doing the things. It also doesn't really stop you getting distracted, but helps me know where I'm up to and if I'm on track.

I need the pressure of a deadline to be honest. I can be hugely productive doing all-nighters but it affects me much more now I’ve got small people so isn’t something I can do every week. What are your family commitments? I think that makes a big difference to what advice is sensible or realistic.

When I’ve had crazy busy periods, something else has given. Generally food and exercise. I can’t do everything. With a phd, you’ll presumably be doing it for a long time so will need to build in a routine and time for it every week. A part time phd on top of a full time job is a lot. Can you get any flex from work/is it relevant to your job?

I am reading Atomic Habits by James Clear in order to be more productive with the time I have at home and at work. To help break some crap habits (like looking at my phone in bed, therefore not getting enough sleep and not planning weekday dinners resulting in getting a takeaway etc) it's got great reviews about adopting positive habits to achieve goals. Maybe think about areas of your life you could delegate to others which you don't actually need to do yourself, perhaps you have always done them so you always do them? best of luck with the juggle! x

Thanks for the advice! To the poster who asked, I've got 3 children aged 8, 10 and 13... but also a husband who's very involved with them and who will do his share of the housework.

I've done a year of this and I'm proud to say I'm still alive. At very busy times (like during lockdown, when my workload increased to ridiculous levels) then what gives is exercise. And I slow down as much as I can on the PhD/work front, depending on where the pressure comes from.

But unless the pressure is huge, I can still find time for daydreaming or for browsing the internet. I'd love to be able to sit at my computer and focus straight away.

At the end of your working day write your to-do list of actions for the next day so that you don't waste time first thing in the morning 'getting your head together'. Also, don't underestimate the benefit of building exercise/outdoor time into your routine to clear your head and keep your mind crisp and focussed.

No one is constantly productive. It doesn't work like that unless you're on a production line. Everyone raves about my Dh at work, he gets the work done of 10 people, but he does this by having clever ideas looking out of the window/ scrolling through the news, wandering around, not plodding through consistently.
So my advice is to do the things that encourage creativity and energy, and avoid things that suck the life out of you. Pay for as much domestic help as possible. Cleaning /laundry / house maintenance / childcare can all be outsourced. Imagine you're a man and everything is someone else's responsibility 😂

Oh I need some ideas!

I follow a you tuber who home schools 4 children, and writes books. She says her strength is she is very efficient. But she goes to bed at midnight and gets up at 5 am.

I tried that for a while and nearly put myself into an early grave.

I am following for tips.

Pomodoro technique en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique

Ok, so far I have:

• lists and planning for the next day/week, etc. I've got a nice 2021 planner for Christmas for precisely that reason. Any tips on list-making?

• Not ditch exercise as it stimulates thinking. I hear you. I feel sleepy if I don’t run for a week. But that means an hour of my time a day, so I’ll need to think when is the best time of the day for that.

• Delegate to others when you can and pay for help. I can certainly look into having a cleaner. We gave let the house “go” a bit since lockdown started, to be honest! And I should really insist that my kids do more in the house...

• I can get by in reasonably little sleep. But now that I’m working from home and getting less fresh air I get more sleepy. I definitely need more outdoor exercise!

• Have more breaks (re pomodoro technique). I'm not very good at breaking my day up and perhaps that's why I daydream instead? It's worth trying.

@Keha

Ha, well at home I'm not...but at work I seem to be quite productive. Lists and prioritising, with timings to do things. I make a list for the week on a Monday, put numbers for priorities, allocate tasks to certain days. Then each day, I put timings against those tasks. Cross off as I go along. Move any undone tasks to next day.

But I've seen people spend more time on making the lists than actually doing the things. It also doesn't really stop you getting distracted, but helps me know where I'm up to and if I'm on track.

I think this is key to lists really being effective ... if you estimate how long it should take to do a task it helps to keep you on track and avoid needless elaborating. It also means you can make good use of any surprise small pockets of spare time you may have.

Oh that Pomodoro system is interesting if not a little complicated in its explanation.

I do something similar when I have a day off but also have to do the house. I play the 15 minute game. Set a timer and do a job or a room for 15 minutes. Then i sit around for 15 minutes usually on here. I get so much done when my head is a bit overwhelmed. I also do it for longer periods with work sometimes. Its the fact of breaking it down to me that helps. I can get overwhelmed easily amd not know what I'm doing and get distracted. Dh is so easily distracted because he tries to do everything at once. Whereas breaking things down to a relatively short period of time with a mind break inbetween means that you really focus on that one job and then I invariably tend to do the job better.

I did it when i was studying, working and homeschooling. I broke everything down to smaller jobs.i remember when there was an essay that I was particularly avoiding, I would break it down.
"Okay, i will tidy my room then get my books out." Break " next I would make a cuppa and just look at question 1" break " then put some points down in notes" break. The next thing I knew i would be in the zone and getting on with it. But it always helped me if I only had to do small steps to begin with. Breaking everything down into small steps with allocated breaks makes me so much more productive.

And ticking off the list is a great feeling.

I'm productive at work which I do by keeping on ongoing 'to do list' on my google calendar (I add it to 5am when I'm not working so it's always at the top of my calendar), I have set days for certain tasks, my job is client facing so I dont take appointments on 1 day of the week so I can catch up on admin, I book all work in to my diary and estimate the time I need. Each morning I go through emails and make sure I know what needs to be done, emails that can be dealt with quickly I do so, those that need further work are booked in as an appointment on the calendar , those waiting for a reply are left in the inbox. I keep a spreadsheet of my projects which I go through on my admin day to double check I havent missed anything.

I'm not in that category any more.

But when I was, the single thing that made the biggest difference was starting my working week every Monday first thing with a cup of coffee, and taking half an hour with work diary and home diary and sorting out everything which needed to be done that week and if on a specific day which one. It seemed like a huge amount of time for the task when I started, but it's worth investing that time in the personal organisation that keeps you productive and puts domestic priorities on a par with work ones

I completed a Masters when I was working full time and had two children. We all sat down to ‘homework’ after school and I studied on Sundays and when they were in bed. Regarding a PhD, been there and done that. You have to be disciplined. I was working full time and never read anything but materials related to my research. My children were grown up and I worked on my research 6.00am - 6.00pm every Saturday and Sunday. When you stop work leave yourself a note of what it is you want to do next and try to write something about your research every day. I’m sure things have moved on but use a computerised system for recording all those quotes you want to use.I’m afraid I’ve forgotten the name of the one I used. Envisage yourself in your graduation cap and gown, as this will motivate you , and write the acknowledgments page first so you don’t want to waste it.

I'm doing a full time degree via a bricks and mortar uni, tho most of it has been online this year, plus have 2 dcs, our own business, horses, an allotment with chickens, the dcs do various activities (tho not so much atm) and I run as well when I get chance.

What helped for me was realising that I can't limit work hours to mon to fri 9 til 5, I need the weekend as well. And that although I could let standards slide (ie with housework or ponies not being ridden as much) it makes me miserable.

So I use weekend afternoons to catch up on uni stuff, I ride 4 times a week first thing after the school run, I do housework after school as I can do that easier round dcs than study, I run once a week atm (something had to give) and I make sure every hour of the school day is productive, so I am either in online seminars or studying independently or riding or doing business paperwork.

I prioritised the things I wouldn't/couldn't give up, then slotted the nice to do things around them like housework beyond basics and running.

I like the five second rule by Mel Robbins. The idea being you don’t give your brain enough time to talk yourself out of something/snooze your alarm/find a distraction activity before you crack on. Her videos really speak to me...as someone who procrastinates when she has a lot to do and can’t see the wood for the trees.

I'm not naturally organised but with work I make a list the night before of everything I need or want to accomplish that day/week, so that when I open my computer the next morning I don't have a long delay trying to remember or think through everything. Ideally also opening/finding any docs, phone numbers or web links I need.

I would also advise acceptance. Some days if the focus isn't there, due to be being tired or off colour etc. Just accept it. But still be productive and tackle something else or housework and free up time to come back to it some other time. That way you won't be as hard on yourself.

Also a big believer that focus doesn't only come sat at the desk. I figure a lot of problems out or strategies for work doing other things. This includes, walking, meal prepping, painting and cleaning etc.

Also it sounds hectic and make sure
You find a little time for yourself in this somewhere!

The game changer for me was ‘don’t have a to do list, have a schedule’

I use a calendar app on my phone and slot jobs into available time slots- so quick phone calls etc in lunch hour, longer jobs in evening and time consuming stuff for weekends

The app lets you move items once added so it can be flexible

I miss my commute ( only for productivity reasons ) as I did lots of emails and document reading on the train

Lists help me. I like ticking things off. And I can't see what's left to do.

I deal with stuff immediately. If I get an email from school re Ds2 needs a Christmas jumper, I phone a friend to borrow, eBay that day. Then put the appointment in my diary. Easy.

@Oblomov20 oh yes, immediate action - people think this is a sign that I am organised, whereas it is the opposite - if it is not actioned there and then it probably won’t be

I like the immediate action tip. I find there's something about doing things quickly that works for me. Speed is key - like someone above suggested, maybe the reason is because you're not letting distracting thoughts into your brain.

I am normally super organised, with 6 DDs I have to be! I’m feeling really flat just now though and so unmotivated. It’s so unlike me. This thread is helpful.