Do one thing to improve your performance!
Or more importantly do one thing at a time, get it working, observe the results and bake it in as a habit. I read James Clears Atomic habits last year and its full of great habit making approaches and ideas. As always there is so much given to you in books like this, it's hard to know where to start using the goodness. Often you can’t remember all the important items unless you write them down, so you don’t implement a lot of it or you try to implement too much and get overwhelmed, or you end up having a lovely bullet list on your desk that looks great, but you never start or finish, so nothing changes.
Over the years I’ve been that confused soldier too, lots of eagerness but without a system to always make it work. I’ve been good at setting goals, accepting challenges and getting results. But over the last while my output has been more focused and regular because I used one of the techniques in Atomic Habits which is “one place to do one task at a time”. The best way to describe this is how I implemented it.
A large portion of the workforce are working from home now and in this new environment it's not always conducive to doing our best work and everyone has their own unique situation.
My workspace is in a spare room and initially I did all my work, regardless of what it was at the same small square desk. But now I do things differently and it helps my work performance but also productivity and mental freshness.
My desk is now only used for doing research, website editing, LinkedIn, video training, building presentations, processes etc.
When I sit down, I switch the lamp on over my head regardless of whether it's too dark. This signifies to my brain that it's time to work and I jump right in and this is firmly a habit now. There is research done on this very same topic by a University in Canada where the same approach was taken and studied to help students form better study habits in their shared dorms. I can’t remember the lecturer's name but he’s all over YouTube.
I switch off all notifications on my mobile phone except incoming calls.
I have a container on my desk with fruit and nuts in case I need an energy boost and always have my water bottle full on the desk too.
I work for 40-50 minutes max on one task only before I have a break. I either come back to that task to get it finished or I am ready to start a new one. I don’t move onto another task without finishing the one I had prioritized.
My desk area for research, website editing, LinkedIn, video training, building presentations, processes etc.
When I want to mind-map, brainstorm, write an article or read a book and take notes I move from the desk to a small armchair.
For more creative tasks it's good to move from the desk. Even though I’m in the same room my mind knows we’re now in a more creative space doing different types of work and it surprisingly energizes you.
I have more natural light here and a wide view out the double windows which helps with the blue-sky thinking, literally.
I have a small side table beside the chair and when I take my water bottle with me and place it on the table that’s my queue to start.
I use the same space and armchair for coaching calls.
I move the table out in front of me and place the laptop on it for the video call.
Water is on the floor at my right foot, and I have a notepad beside me on the armchair.
A place to mind-map, brainstorm, writing articles or reading a book…
Now a space for Coaching calls
When I need a time out to meditate or practice breathing exercises, I have a wicker chair in the far corner that faces out the double door windows to help relax.
A place to practice breathing and meditating
When I need a time out to meditate or practice breathing exercises, I have a wicker chair in the far corner that faces out the double door windows to help relax.
I try hard not to do any personal or social media in the room and leave the room for smart phone breaks. To be honest I don’t always do that very well, but I keep working to form the habit.
The result is using the space I have to its maximum and creating micro zones for particular tasks. Producing more energy enhancers to help maintain productivity, performance and fight off the work from home cabin fever.
Naturally I went through some trial and error to get it going and yes technically I do more than one task per space, but they fall into a category bucket at least. It does work so why don’t you challenge yourself to do the same and I would love to see the comments on your microzone wins.
Yours in Micro performance spaces,
