On being productive with little or no motivation

On Tuesday I, like a large portion of the country, was a ball of energy and nerves throughout the day as the USA vs. Germany World Cup game approached. Generally I am pretty good at channeling my excited energy (or at least aware of the need to do this, which is half the battle) but by 2pm I had, had enough.

My energy made me move quickly and by lunch I had knocked out all of my essential to-do list along with a solid chunk of items that really weren't needed until later in the week. I had plans to leave work a little early and watch the game with friends but I was mentally leaving my desk well over an hour before it was reasonably acceptable to bow out of the office.

 

So what did I do?

 

I put on my headphones, turned up Spotify, and took almost ten compliance assessments.

Why?

1. This kept me productive since these assessments needed to be completed
2. This didn't require tons of concentration and was virtually mindless
3. This seemed to speed the afternoon along

Not that a compliance assessment is something that you should do totally mindlessly. But when your energy is lagging or your head is in another place sometimes it's best to work on projects that require little critical thinking rather than pushing for something more rigorous.

Now, what to do this afternoon as the three day holiday weekend approaches... 

what to do when feeling unmotivated

I've often been told that others are impressed with my energy. Managers and peers alike have commented on my fast but accurate work-pace. Family and friends comment on my drive and motivation. On most days I like to think that I've earned these complements, but if I'm being honest, there are some times when I just don't want to do anything.

Sometimes we just want to do Nothing

For even the most motivated people (who put me to shame) there are instances -- days on end at times I'll bet -- when we all just want to do Nothing. (note: capital "N" in nothing to show emphasis)

So what should you do when you hit an energy slump? What do I do well I feel like this? Well personally, I've found that I can get back on track sometimes by doing something, literally, just anything.

Motivation builds: get started doing something, anything

I really mean anything. I'll send an email that I've been putting off. Or if I'm feeling really lazy I'll send an email to someone acknowledging that I need to send them a more comprehensive email. I'll write a to-do list. I'll pre-draft outline of a slide. I'll compose a funny (or not so funny) tweet. I'll draft bullet points for a blog post.

I find that just getting start on (you guessed it!) anything helps me de-clutter my mind and just get going.

When deeper motivation is needed

When I need to accomplish more than a tweet or draft of a draft I sometimes make "deals" with myself. What do I mean? Well just like experts suggest that dieters should indulge every once and a while to avoid total deprivation and a late night froyo binge (just for instance) a break can go a long way.

At my last company I was known for my mid-day work outs. Without access to my gym at my new job I've had to adjust. I'll strike a mental deal with myself that I will take a long lunch or skip lunch and go shopping for an hour or so during the middle of the day. But by allowing myself this time during the day I have a laundry list of tasks that I must get done -- no excuses!!! -- once I return to my desk.

The results are in

So does this really work?? Well considering that I spent over an hour at Nordstrom Rack and decided to publish this *short* blog post late this afternoon I'll let you be the judge.