Can you boost your productivity and remain healthy and sane?
Dear Friends,
On a fresh and bright September day I stood overlooking the sea at Old Hunstanton in Norfolk.
I had recently returned from a five-week sabbatical working on a cruise ship doing something completely different. I had been teaching art on a cruise ship travelling around Iceland, Norway and the Med.
Since the pandemic I had spent less time travelling to see clients in person. I thought that working on a cruise ship would be incredible, a dream job. However, when I returned, I felt a sense of dissatisfaction that I couldn't quite pinpoint. Why? I had genuinely enjoyed traveling and discovering new places and cultures. The crew and passengers were all wonderful. I had no domestic chores to do. The food was wonderful. Every evening I admired breathtaking sunsets over the ocean. It ticked so many boxes, and yet something was missing.
After a lot of reflection, I concluded that although I was hugely grateful for the experience, working for weeks on end on a cruise ship was not me. I did not feel as if I was making a difference in the world. Sure, I was entertaining people and for the most part making people happy, but for me this did not feel enough. I wanted to do more. But how? Then it came to me. ‘Productivity Without Sacrifice’
These 3 words changed have changed the direction of my life.
Over the last 30 years working as a learning and development professional, I have always championed brain friendly ways of working. I spent ten years researching and promoting mindfulness at work to reduce stress and increase focus and wellbeing. I have designed and delivered training on resilience, Focus and attention, Mindset, Digital detox, Improving your sleep quality, Purpose and Intention.
As the sun set over Hunstanton I had the realisation that what I cared most was Productivity without Sacrifice. My purpose in life is helping people and organisations to work in a way that makes you more productive whilst maintaining balance and wellbeing. It is possible. Its sustainable. And in many cases, it costs little or nothing. Tiny tweaks can lead to big results.
This is shaping the work I do now. In the words of entrepreneur and business angel Tim Ferriss:
“Focus on being productive instead of busy.”
What does this mean for us as busy working professionals?
Recently I had the privilege of working with a team of individuals who wanted to find new ways of working that helped them to get more done in an increasingly pressurised environment.
Our work together in November 2024 was about how to find new ways of working that enabled each of them to handle a busy workload whilst maintaining balance and wellbeing. For this team it came down to one simple thing. Understanding how to remain within their Workable Range[i].
When you are in a state of flow – getting things done, feeling focused and engaged you are in your Workable Range. You are fully productive. We reflected on how to recognise when you are in your workable range. Each member of the team had the time and space to recognise how this looked and felt for them personally.
We then flipped this to explore what when they were under excessive pressure and their performance was faltering. Without exception, each team members response was to put their head down and work harder. The more mistakes they made, the harder they strived. Upon reflection, they realised that they were in the zone of delusion, working harder and harder and achieving less and less.
To maintain your Workable Range, you need to be aware that you have strayed out of your workable range. Each team member had time to reflect on how to recognise when they were outside their Workable Range. Although it felt counter intuitive for some, they realised that activity does not always equal productivity. When productivity is falling its time to stop. And take a break to regain your productivity. Caught early enough it can take as little as five minutes to regain your focus. This simple exercise enabled them all understand themselves better, actively self-monitor and remain productive for longer.
There are so many ways to become more effective without sacrificing your balance, health and overall wellbeing.
How can you maintain your workable range for longer?
Are YOU super busy, or super productive?
Something to reflect upon in the festive weeks to come.
With love from the big skies of Cambridgeshire,
Juliet
Juliet Adams Chartered Fellow CIPD, MSc Training and Performance
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[i] The Workable Range Model was developed by Sally Rose, a registered Psychotherapist, who works at Leeds University as the Staff Counselling and Psychological Support Service Manager. It’s a fantastic tool that helps teams and individuals to do three important things.
1. to recognise what peak performance looks and feels like.
2. to recognise quickly when performance is starting to diminish.
3. To know when to take a focus break to regain balance and return to peak performance
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