Obstacles to Productivity – TPW367

One thing we all have in common is that we strive to be our most productive selves while balancing the various important pieces of our lives. But life happens and things get in the way. This week we're looking at a few ways to overcome the most common (and frustrating) obstacles to our productivity. Obstacles to productivity don't have to stop us from accomplishing what matters most All of us, me included, have lots of things we want and need to do. We have an idea in our minds of what it means to be productive: checking things off our to-do list (whether written or mental), achieving our big goals, making a life we can be proud of, or at least satisfied with. Whether or not we’ve intentionally thought about it, we have a picture in our minds of what a productive life looks like  Because we live in the real world, life and our circumstances don’t always cooperate with that vision. That vision doesn’t come into reality without getting past obstacles--internal and external, physical and mental. One way to boost productivity, in whatever sense you’re thinking about it, is to identify those obstacles that are getting in your way and then come up with a plan to remove or overcome them. This is a very personal exercise--what constitutes an obstacle for me might not be one for you. I thought I’d talk about a few of them this week.  These aren’t the only obstacles, but the ones I’ve been thinking about (and in several cases experiencing) lately. Some are physical/external, while many of them are internal, even self-created. Physical/external obstacles (I'm starting with the physical or external obstacles, which in many ways are easier to deal with!) * Inadequate tools  * Uncomfortable chair or bad lighting,  Poorly functioning cleaning equipment  * Slow computer and/or crummy software The answer is to figure out what tools are necessary for the tasks you’re doing and budget as necessary to invest in the right tools for the job. (Note: This is not an invitation to use researching and shopping for “better” tools as an excuse to procrastinate!) * Clutter Simply put: clutter makes everything take longer. We've talked about this often in past episodes, so I'm not going into detail here. For more, check out: TPW 203 13 Areas to Declutter in Our Homes * TPW163 Clutter, Stress, & Simplicity  * TPW277 10 Things to Declutter TPW083 The Art of Decluttering: An International Conversation The way past this obstacle is obvious: Make a point of decluttering your workspaces. * Physical condition To accomplish what we want to in life (whether specific tasks, work or personal projects, strong relationships, or anything else that’s part of a life that matters as we each define it) we need to be as physically healthy and strong as we’re able to be. We need to maximize our stamina to do the things we want to do. It's hard to get through our days doing the things we want and need to do if we’re physically exhausted, sick, or weak. Factors we should think about: Lack of sleep Poor diet Hydration