There are tons of blog posts about how to become productive but none on how to maintain that lifestyle without hitting burnout.
How is it possible to maintain a productive lifestyle without overworking yourself? More importantly, how do we develop routines?
Good news! I’m here to fill this odd void.
Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored. This post includes affiliate links, meaning I earn a commission through links at no cost to you.
So, now you’ve started to feel productive. You’ve got a morning and night routine, a skin care routine, you meal prepped earlier this week and you’ve been on a roll! But how do you maintain this? How do you keep the momentum flowing?
It’s important to note here that you really don’t want to overwork yourself. Burnout will completely shut down your productivity and may convince you to give up all together.
And that’s no good.
So what can you do to maintain this burst of energy?
Take breaks often
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again TAKE BREAKS! I think people confuse being productive with working all the time. Believe me, that’s not what productivity is.
Productivity is about using your time effectively. But taking breaks is just as necessary as all of your hard work. I’ll admit, I can get pretty sucked into my work. I will make out-of-reach expectations for myself and before I know it, I’ve worked five hours straight without stopping once!
I’ve learned over the past couple years that taking breaks is a great way to INCREASE productivity. When we rest our minds and bodies, we are able to re-energize and regain our focus.
Keep a clear/achievable schedule
Remember how I said above that I will create out-of-reach goals for myself? Yeah, don’t do that.
First, however, I want to talk about creating a clear schedule. By this, I mean a schedule that is laid out with specific tasks and instructions without any room for confusion. Making a clear schedule for yourself (whether you make it daily, weekly, or monthly, or all three!) is the best way to stay on track and help yourself to progress forward.
A clear schedule is well-defined. But an achievable schedule is where all the magic happens. You can quickly lead yourself to burnout (check my post on how to prevent burnout) if you take on more than you can handle.
Achievable schedules offer a lot of wiggle room and leeway. They have short, crisp goals and are not overweight by massive workloads.
Rejoice in what is going well
This is the hardest tip for me to follow. You might say that I struggle to practice what I preach here. But rejoicing in what is going well is a great way to keep motivation alive. The goal is to track your progress (I’ll explain more on that below) and to find joy in what you’ve accomplished.
The happier you are with your work, the easier it will be. And satisfaction of accomplishing your tasks is a great way to keep passion and motivation alive.
Start tracking your progress
This is HUGE in the blogging world. Honestly, it’s just an important thing in every industry, everywhere. Tracking your progress, however, can go beyond your job or business. You can track your daily habits, the projects you’ve accomplished, what went well and what did not.
This is a great way to continue to grow. You are able to measure your success and analyze where your biz is heading. I find that tracking my progress has been one of the most uplifting and motivating activities for me. Now, don’t get me wrong, my growth isn’t always an uphill climb. But tracking my progress to know when I’m low and how I got there has been more useful than any other tip on this post.
Form habits
Ah, habits. Some of my favorite things. I would say forming habits and routines is one of the greatest things you can do for yourself when it comes to maintaining your productivity streak.
Some habits that I’ve been working on include: exercising daily, reading for an hour daily, writing 1000 words daily, and practicing my target languages daily.
You can choose your own habits and when you do, keep these questions in mind:
- Why do I want to invest time in this habit?
- What will it reward me with over time?
- Is it something I enjoy?
I may make a blog post later on how to form and maintain habits. But for now, I want you to think about why you want to form them to begin with. If you’re trying to keep up a productive streak, make it a habit to create a daily to-do list. Make it a habit to work on your side hustle for an hour each day. You decide!
But the great thing is that once the habit is formed, it becomes a part of your routine. And routine is the secret to being highly successful in productivity.
Get an accountability partner
Would you mind being my accountability partner? I’m serious! I don’t have one but boy do I wish I did. I feel it would be easier to maintain the habits I mentioned above if I had a partner to keep me accountable. A gym partner is what I really need!
Having a friend or someone you know to keep you in check on your goals can be super helpful and uplifting. In return, you can help them too. We can all win together!
If you like this post, check out some similar posts of mine below:
Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know how you maintain your good streaks!
You can also email me with questions or concerns you may have at info.amelia.wilson@gmail.com
Also, check out my poetry book, The Lights are on but Nobody’s Home, available now on amazon for $6.99!
Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored. This post includes affiliate links, meaning I earn a commission through links at no cost to you.
Thanks again