It’s a time of high burn out in our industry.

End of year, holidays on the horizon and a mountain of seemingly endless meetings and deadlines.  

In times like these, you can be forgiven for feeling unmotivated and stuck. It happens at all levels of business and experience, particularly in the lead up to the festive season.

These small productivity hacks can help you find your flow state and turn that intimidating mountain of work into a far more achievable (and dare I say enjoyable!) mole hill.

Start your day in flow state.

Think about an activity that you do in your everyday life that feels completely effortless.

Flow is a state of losing yourself in the moment; when you find your abilities are well matched to an activity, the world almost disappears, and you are achieving.

This could be your morning run, reading a great book, cooking a meal or even cleaning.

The positive emotions that accompany these experiences can create the sense of escapism, and enjoyment that you need to shift into productivity.

Whatever this is for you, use this to start your day and feel like you have achieved before you even set foot in the office.

Raise the bar to reinvigorate your creativity.

When you feel stuck, it can help to immerse yourself in a situation that would ordinarily be outside of your comfort zone. New environments and unpredictable situations force us to pay more attention to what is happening in the moment (Elaine Houston, B.Sc 2019).

Change the environment you are working in. Whether that is getting out from behind your desk for a walk, working from home or in nature.

This could mean taking a different approach to an old challenge. Stretching your imagination and engaging other people to help you see a problem from a different angle.

If you have been avoiding a meeting or putting off a tough conversation, it’s time to rip off the band aid. Pushing yourself to tackle these things head on is great for removing the mental barriers that prevent productivity.

Find internal validation.

Consider your skill level and set clear goals to achieve the tasks at hand. You are never too senior for a checklist.

Take a few moments to think about what needs to be done, write it down to fix your objectives and ensure they are clear in your mind. This simple task of planning and ticking off a list provides the immediate feedback that we need to operate in our flow state.

Trust the goals you have set and achieved are enough to legitimise your success.

Ask yourself ‘why?’

“The best CEOs ask themselves why their company exists, then make purpose an intrinsic part of the business model, knowing that testing strategy against purpose can open up new areas of growth.” (Mckinsey & Company, 2022)

At a personal level, purpose ties into everything we do. Without it, even the smallest tasks can leave us feeling lost and unmotivated.

Ask yourself, why am I doing this?

Does this task aid my growth? Am I adding value to the business by completing it?

If you answered no, perhaps this is one to take off your list. Instead use the time to hand it over to someone who would benefit – in their own growth and development, but also in aid of the company’s.

Take the risk and trust that they will succeed.

Boston Stanley opens the door for progressive leaders, ready and driven to make real impact. We empower our clients by consistently aligning the right talent with the right role. Follow us on LinkedIn to keep stay up to date with our latest industry insights.