I may not be the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, but I am persistent. I stay on track, and I get things done. I consider it my greatest work attribute but also recognize it can be dangerous to my health and well-being. See by past post, Don’t Do The Hustle.

So how do I balance staying on track with maintaining my sanity? If anything, I believe my efficiency and focus provides me with more time for family and rest. The article, 13 workplace productivity tips to keep you on track (and sane), closely mirrors the steps I’ve discovered on my own through the years:

1. Pobody’s Nerfect: Understand perfection is impossible

The cutesy spelling mistake makes me very uncomfortable but it’s true that many of us Type A lawyers need to remind ourselves that mistake will be made. We strive for and in many cases need to provide competent, accurate opinions and information to our clients, but we shouldn’t be paralyzed by it. Put something down on paper fast and leave it for a while if need be. Confirming accuracy and revising is more productive than staring at a blank sheet of paper.

2. Have a daily plan of action

I end most days creating my action plan for the next. Urgent matters can arise first thing, but I can then get going on my plan. I’m most alert first thing in the morning and like to get started on my daily tasks without having to take time to figure out what needs to be done. If you prefer to start your day creating the plan, that works too. But have a plan and consider putting those dreaded or complicated tasks first.

3. Know your body rhythms

As noted above, plan activities for the day based on your natural rhythms. I’m an annoying morning person. I do my best thinking then.

4. Examine your relationship with caffeine and eat well

I’ve combined two points here as they are related.  As much as I love to start the day with a can of Pepsi and Cheezies, I will be useless by 11 am. Recaffeinating myself only makes me scattered and less focused. Pay attention to how your body and brain react to the food and chemicals you consume throughout the day. Granola doesn’t seem very exciting, but it sure makes me function better. If you operate better on Pepsi and Cheezies, more power to you and I’m extremely jealous.

5. Use distractions wisely

Fidgeting with toys and joking with coworkers may help the collaborative process. I used to keep a bucket of blocks in my office and found it helped keep some of my colleagues more focused on the work. But know when these distractions are enough.

6. Use apps – but not as a distraction

Some workplace apps can help keep you organized and one track. Check out the Ultimate Productivity Guide for a list of useful apps. Find what works for you and use them consistently.

7. Quiet your mind

My home office is my sanctuary. When I step in, I enter my calm and peaceful place. But I’ve also set up an internal workspace like the article suggests. I don’t feel the need to consciously meditate before starting work, but I often run and then have a set routine to prepare me for the day.  Find techniques that help you quiet your mind and filter out the noise around you. The article recommends the practice of Samadhi.

8. Do you really need another meeting?

Floating from one meeting to another can be a great way to have the day fly by. But what did you really get accomplished? Really evaluate the value in meeting, particularly standing or touchpoint meetings. Can an email instead summarize where a project is at? If so, skip the meeting and focus on the tasks in front of you.

9. Multitasking much? And Complete Tasks in Batches

Again, I’ve combined two points here. Rather than trying to do too many tasks at once, I set aside a set amount of time to focus on each individually. Depending on the task, it could be a 25 or hour-long sprint. I do what I can in that time and then set it aside to either take a break or focus on another task. As the article points out, it’s like doing reps at the gym. I find it also helps with Tip #1: Understand perfection is impossible. Doing a 25 minutes sprint of compiling a first draft gets something down that might need revisions, but gets you much closer to completion than stewing.

Hope these tips help to keep you on track and do the loco-motion with me….