Five things that transformed my productivity in 2021
As 2021 draws to a close, I’ve found myself reflecting on the year that was and setting new goals and intentions for 2022. This year has been a very busy, although productive, year for myself and I am truly proud of my accomplishments in this time. Upon reflection, the following things have been instrumental to improving my productivity and helping me make positive changes in my life in 2021.
Photo by Polina Kovaleva from Pexels
A Functioning Laptop
I’ll admit that for the majority of my law degree, I used the cheapest laptop I could purchase. It was sluggish, bulky and hated multitasking. I wasted so much time waiting for things to load and recovering work in the (inevitable) event of a crash. Once I had saved up enough money and could no longer tolerate the inefficiency, I bit the bullet and bought a Microsoft Surface Laptop. It’s a beauty - it’s sleek, quick and best of all, it’s pink. Even more, I find great satisfaction in being able to get things done quickly and with ease.
Of course I don’t recommend buying the most expensive laptop on the market and this isn’t an ad for a Surface Laptop. But if your budget permits, I recommend saving that bit of extra money to get a model that performs well and has the appropriate specifications to match your tech needs. With the sustained rise in people engaging in remote working and learning, a reliable laptop is a highly useful investment. I can’t believe I waited so long to upgrade mine.
Audible
It’s hard to miss the many Audible ads and sponsorships plastered all over the internet. I hate to be cliched…but my experience says the hype is deserved….how predictable! In 2021, one of my New Year’s Resolutions was to read more books. I soon realised that in my day to day life, I didn’t have much time to allocate to leisurely reading. Whilst I absolutely love the experience of reading… flipping the pages, holding the book in my hands whilst slurping on a good cuppa, I just couldn’t find the time for this sacred ritual. Although I sacrificed page-feel in the switch to audiobooks, I have fallen in love with the convenience of being able to listen to books on the go. I listen to Audible while I clean, on the commute to work or if I’m out on a walk. Audible has really helped me find the time to enjoy more books in 2021 and I’m very appreciative for it!
Less Procrastinating
There are few reasons as to why I believe my procrastination levels had improved in 2021. One of these reasons is the fact that for myself, and many others, 2021 was utter chaos. Between my final year of university, volunteering to gain more experience in my field, the search for a grad job, my part-time job and moving 3 times in one year, my time was stretched thin. I found myself so time poor that I didn’t have the time to procrastinate or agonise over trying to make things perfect. This was one not-so-sustainable factor to helping me procrastinate less.
Secondly, I credit Mel Robbin’s ‘5 Second Rule’ for helping me out in the area. Read this book if you haven’t already! But if you haven’t read it, the main takeaway is that counting down from 5 before you do something you don’t want to do, helps calm your nervous system and helps you find the courage to get shit done. There’s quite a bit more to it than that, so I highly recommend reading the actual book, but the 5 Second Rule really helped me ‘5,4,3,2,1’ and get on with it.
Thirdly, it’s important to explore and identify why you procrastinate. This is something I’ve really tried to do in 2021 and instead of focusing on being perfect, I’ve tried to focus more on doing my best and accepting myself and my efforts for what they are. My work is never going to be perfect, nor will I ever be perfect, but I’m trying my best. This point really deserves its own blog post. More on this later.
A ‘Goals’ Notebook
I’m a big fan of writing things down. This includes my goals. In 2021, I purchased a new notebook for the purposes of being a ‘Goals Notebook’. Writing down your goals is essential to helping you stay focused on the things you want for your life because it keeps them front of mind. It’s easy for life to get busy and for you to do things that may feel good or convenient but aren’t consistent with your long term goals. I love getting take-out after a busy day but doing this all the time isn’t consistent with my long-term savings goals. In addition to my goals, I like to write down useful or motivating quotes from books that I’ve read. When I’m lacking motivation, I read through these quotes to help me get back on track. It’s surprising just how effective this little notebook has been.
Exercise Classes
I’ll just come out and say that this year, I have become completely obsessed with Reformer Pilates. The introduction of exercise classes (specifically Reformer classes) to my workout routine has improved my consistency with working out and helped me stay accountable. I’ve found that purchasing packs of classes and booking them in advance has given me 'skin in the game’ when it comes to working out. It’s much harder for me to skip a workout because if I don’t show, I lose my money!
Given my student budget, I haven’t been able to make exercises classes the sole source of my workout routine, but I have been able to add a weekly Reformer class to my current regime. It’s been such a fun addition and I’ve come to realise that not only do I enjoy working out on a Reformer, but I adore having my workouts planned by an instructor. All I have to do is show up to class and the instructor takes care of the rest. The convenience is irreplaceable. I feel both tired and fabulous after each class and I love it.
I’ll admit that exercises classes can be a pretty pricey investment. They’re definitely more expensive than home workouts or traditional gym memberships. However, if there’s a particular style of exercise or class you’ve been wanting to try, I say go for it! I recommend saving up for a pack of classes (say 5-10 classes) to give you a solid trial to see if this new form of exercise is for you.
I highly recommend exercise classes for improving your consistency and accountability with your workouts. It’s also a lot of fun. I certainly look forward to upping my number of weekly Pilates classes and trying other classes in 2022.
So there’s the five things that transformed my productivity in 2021. Let me know yours in the comments below!
Thanks for reading! I hope that 2022 is a fabulous year for you all!
Much love,
The Blazer Chronicles