Podcast Summary
Making progress even when not feeling your best: Prioritize tasks that require less brainpower on days when feeling mentally drained to still make forward progress.
Even on days when we don't feel our best, it's important to make progress and not waste allocated workdays. The speaker shared an experience of feeling mentally drained and not being able to produce creative work after surgery. Instead of taking the day off, they prioritized tasks that required the least amount of brainpower, such as logging receipts and tallying up income for tax purposes. This strategy allowed them to still make forward progress and catch up on necessary tasks, despite not feeling mentally present. This approach can be useful for anyone, especially those who are self-employed and cannot afford to waste workdays.
Making progress, even in small ways, is better than not making any progress: Even when feeling mentally fogged, find tasks that match energy level and prioritize with a system like GTD to make progress and maximize time
Making forward progress, no matter how small, is better than not making any progress at all, even on days when you're feeling mentally fogged or out of it. It's important to find tasks that match your energy level and brainpower to make the most of your time, especially when time is precious. Multitasking with low brainpower tasks in the background can also help you make progress while doing other things. Remember, something is always better than nothing. If you're unable to complete the task you set out to do due to mental fog or other reasons, try finding another task on your project list to work on instead. Following a system like Getting Things Done (GTD) can help you prioritize and shift tasks effectively. Overall, the goal is to make the most of your time and make forward progress whenever possible.
On days when we're feeling foggy or low, focus on productivity to boost mood and sense of achievement.: Even on off days, accomplishing tasks can improve mood and provide a sense of achievement.
Even on days when we don't feel our best mentally, accomplishing tasks and getting things done can provide a significant boost to our mood and sense of achievement. It doesn't matter if the tasks are heavy or light; the important thing is to focus on productivity and making progress. This can help us look back on the day with a sense of pride and accomplishment, even when we're not feeling our best. So, on days when you're feeling foggy or low, try to push through and tackle your to-do list. You might be surprised at how much better you feel afterwards. Remember, be nice to yourself, be thankful for the ability to do the work, and keep pushing forward.
