Every new year, many of us take some time to pause and create goals and plans for the year. It has become a bit of ritual in our culture to use this time of year to reflect and set some developmental goals. One thing that is on our minds and probably many of yours is productivity. We love feeling productive and getting stuff done. But, of course, we don’t want to sacrifice our well-being while being productive. So what can you do to be productive in a sustainable way?
Focus on Wellness
We talked about the happy, productive worker previously and it’s an important reminder today. As you know, we believe it’s important to focus on your overall wellness. And, the research shows this is important too! No matter how much you like your job itself, you will never be at your most productive if you are not well. Wellness includes physical, emotional, and mental health. How can you focus on your wellness? Well, lucky for you we have hundreds of articles and podcast episodes that can provide you some tips!
Keep on Recovering
One key thing I want to highlight – when you are seeking to improve your wellness is recovery is important. Honestly, this is the thing I’m bad at. I’m not always good at finding time for effective recovery and I can see when it impacts my productivity. So what should I (and you) do? Plan for it! I am building in recovery time on my calendar. And I’m going to vary what type of recovery I do each day. If you need a reminder of the different ways to recover, read this. While planning for recovery seems a little lame, it is a really important thing to do that you should not miss. Thus, scheduling recovery is a must for me!
Don’t Forget Sleep
Finally, I’m pretty bad at keeping a good sleep schedule too. Yet, sleep is very important for our productivity. Similar to the need to recover while awake, we can’t function at our best without refilling our tank! If you want to focus on productivity this year, make sleep a priority. I’m planning to create a stricter bedtime to help. I normally just go to bed when I feel tired or ready. However, that has created an erratic sleep schedule which makes my sleep less predictable and consistent. Remember, consistency is key in sleep!
Set Good Goals
In addition to focusing on your wellness, make sure you are setting good goals! Review our Psychological Capital content and course to help you set strong, sustainable goals. Setting up your goals effectively can help you achieve them AND stay well!
Good luck! Happy New Year!
