5 productivity tips to avoid burnout (+3 to AVOID)

My main learning from the past few weeks, is that taking productivity advice from a man who doesn’t have—or doesn’t care for—his kids is (for me) like taking driving lessons my 9-year-old because she’s great at Mario Kart. 

Helpful advice:

Let’s start with the most mind-blowing thing I just heard: there is no ‘when’ (when the kids are bigger, when the house is finished, when things are settled) only now.

So,

🥳 Prioritise what matters to you—rather than to the people demanding your attention.

⚡️ ‘Biological prime time’—working to your energy patterns—I was taught this 25 years ago, and it still makes sense.

🐸 We used to call it an F.U. matrix (yes you read that right)—doing whatever is going to cause you the biggest F Ups first.

👓 What feels productive is often the opposite. I like this one. Too much spinning can mean not enough doing.

🏝 Find islands of time among your other life events:

- If you can do nothing else, work on your sleep

- Get daylight before 10am

- Or choose what will add happiness to your day…

…rather than just another item on your ‘to do’ list.

As the 4000-week book that you all recommended (thank you!) soberingly reminds us, if you’re hitting 50 like me, you only have about 1500 weeks left if you live to 80. Holy cow!!

Next week

Why hot desking is making people very, very hot. And not in a good way.

Christine