Transforming My Workflow With A Simple Productivity Hack

I hope January is being kind and gentle to you. I've had a fairly sluggish start to 2023, but I'm not complaining; I'm simply settling into my work flow and enjoying it.

Alhamdulillah.

As a creator, I've never really had a schedule, and occasionally I simply go with the flow of whatever needs to get done. Never have I followed up on a content calendar successfully. I once created an entire content calendar, down to the captions and other details, but I didn't keep up with it. I'm not sure how to explain it, but I'm just not good with schedules. They cause me odd anxiety.

I have always been a spontaneous creator and it is also one of the main reasons for my inconsistency.

However in 2022, I decided to learn about my energy and work flow and boy, to say I was surprised would be an understatement. See I discovered about my issue with schedules, especially extensive ones, I also learned that I thrive most when I create as soon as an idea sparks. Embarking on my self discovery journey has been adventurous as I gave myself space to err and restart several times.

It has been a few months of me trying to find a productive system and work flow for myself and I feel like I can finally say (and brag) that I have found the perfect balance.

I started out with planning my day to day tasks and oh well, let’s just say I am not a fan of constantly making lists. I quickly got bored and felt like it was another task I added to my day. Fail!

So I decided to set out a list of tasks I want to accomplish for the week. This felt rather easy, and so one fine Monday morning I sat at my desk and opened a clean page in my Notion workspace. I started adding tasks that needed to be done; big and small, everything was laid out.

I stared at the list and already felt like I had done enough for the day! The anxiety was real :D and I thought what am I trying here?? Anyways, I brushed the vibes aside and found myself picking up one of the smaller tasks to do. Once I was done, I got to the next and slowly (about 2 hours later) I was smiling, because I checked off a huge part of the list.

Incase you're wondering; even the smallest of tasks like: texting back to a friend, responding to DMs, sending a file etc.... I added them all and checked them off. These were tasks I had been laying off just because I 'felt' there was too much to do, when in reality I just needed clarity.

Same goes for the big tasks; creating a proposal(which I do a lot of), I broke it down to research(where needed), drafting, editing, design and finally building. See how one big task looks so easy in bits and when spread throughout the week it suddenly doesn't feel like such a big deal.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed by daily to-dos, I’d ease into my week by slowly getting through the tasks throughout the week. This productivity hack has been a game-changer for me.

Here are a few positive outcomes I have experienced:

• Reduced anxiety: By breaking my workload into smaller, more manageable bits, I am less likely to feel overwhelmed by everything I have to do.

• Improved focus and productivity: Having a clear list of weekly activities to follow allows me to keep focused on what needs to be done while also being more productive overall.

• Room for flexibility: A weekly task plan gives me the freedom to change my agenda and tasks as needed. I can go on to the next item without feeling like I am falling behind if something pops up or if I finish a task early.

• Highly Organised: I stay organised by planning out my tasks for the week in advance which helps me stay on top of things.

• Encourages self-reflection and personal development: Reviewing my tasks and progress at the end of each week enables me to spot areas for improvement, track my progress, and, as needed, modify my strategy for the next week. This has significantly improved self-reflection and development, two things that are important for personal development.

May I add that I have had room for naps, reading and Netflix throughout the week without feeling guilty.

But most importantly I feel good about myself and thats what matters most.

I hope this productivity tip has inspired you and given you fresh perspectives on how to approach your work and tasks. The most important bit is to discover a system that works for you and to stick with it and enjoy it.

I’d love to hear how this productivity hack has helped you or if you have any other tips and tricks that work for you. Please feel free to reply with your feedback and suggestions.

Take care and keep being wonderful!

Until the next feed, please share this newsletter with your audience.

Enthusiastically,

Farah Khaleck