If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been going about life trying to be as efficient as you can. I mean, why not? Efficiency is what we’re taught is ‘good’. To have ‘hustle’. To always be busy. So many self-development gurus will talk about how they only need 4 hours of sleep because they are always doing more to get themselves further. So many books talk about ‘balance’ and ‘hacks’ to accomplish more in less time.
But what if life isn’t meant to work that way? What if life isn’t about so-called balance? What if being unbalanced is what propels us forward? If life was only about accomplishing as much as possible or else you can’t have success, so many more people would be a lot farther than they are now. If life was about balance, we would all stand still. Things would be in harmony and there would be no need to improve or propel forward.
That’s why I think it’s more important to be effective rather than efficient. And I’m not the only one! There is a book called The Joy of Missing Out by Tonya Dalton, and in it she puts to shame the ideal that in order to be successful you have to ‘do it all’ in a sense. You see, the definition of efficient is achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense. Effective, on the other hand, means successful in producing a desired or intended result.
I think I’d much rather be effective and produce my desired result than feel like I’m doing 1000 things in a day being efficient but still not getting any closer to my goal. So, I’ve been trying to adapt these 3 key strategies into my life to help me become more effective rather than efficient. Maybe they can help you too!
Batch Tasks
A lot of the things we do throughout the day tend to have a similar pattern or category that they fit into. Say you need to go grocery shopping, drop off a package at the post office, take your kids to the park, and wash your car this week. Instead of going all the way to town (which is how it is for me) 4 times this week, try to get it all done in one trip! Or say you have to check your email, make some phone calls, and maybe check notifications on social media. Instead of interrupting your tasks all day whenever you hear a ping or feel a vibration, tell yourself that you’re going to wait until a certain time to check all notifications.
Batching tasks makes it easier to stay focused. I know it can be tempting to check that notification when it pops up. But I also know how easy it is to tell myself that I’m just going to see what it is real quick and then realize when I look up at the clock that it’s been 45 minutes. Then I feel guilty that I lost time and am no closer to getting where I wanted than before. To be more effective, I’ll set aside time frames in the day to do those batched tasks. That way I can stay focused on the important things that need to be done while also making time to do the less important things that I want to get done. But I make sure to set a frame so I’m not allowing myself to get caught up for hours in the notification hole!
Take Breaks
I know this seems counterproductive to what I just said, but hear me out. According to studies, working in 90 minute intervals is healthy! It has to do with our rhythms that we have as human beings. You may know about our circadian rhythm – the biological system that controls your sleep/wake cycle over 24 hours. But have you heard of the ultradian rhythm? It’s what involves alternating periods of high-frequency brain activity followed by lower-frequency brain activity. Sleep researcher Nathaniel Kleitman discovered that a Brain Rest Activity Cycle (BRAC) is present when people are awake. Due to a delicate balance of potassium and sodium in our bodies, we tend to work best in 90-minute increments followed by 20 minutes of rest.
What’s important to remember is that the brain uses more energy than any other organ in our bodies (about 20%). So when we try to fight through the natural ultradian rhythm, it ends up doing more damage than good. Not very effective or efficient. Parts of the brain that handle logic become less active, we lose the ability to focus, and we become hyper alert and anxious. This is why a 70-hour workweek doesn’t produce more results than a 40-hour workweek. It just adds to the stress and fatigue that we feel as our plates become fuller. If possible, try to take a 20 minute break every 90 minutes. Whether it’s a nap, getting up and moving around, or even a batch task time frame of less demanding things to get done!
Prioritize Priorities
Do you ever feel like you have too many priorities to count? Between work and home, family and friends, or any of the important causes/projects that set our hearts on fire? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! For the longest time, I had trouble deciding what was really a priority and what I was making a priority. If someone called last minute needing help getting something done, I’d drop what I was doing to help because I care. But here’s the thing – I can say no and still care. I can prioritize my own priorities so that not everything that comes my way feels like a priority. Look, we all have the same 168 hours in a week. If you take away a 40-hour workweek plus 8 hours/night for sleep, we’re all left with the same 72 hours.
What can you accomplish in 72 hours? If you’re in the same position I was in, it will feel like not much because we are always giving our time to everything that feels important to us. Which can sometimes be, well, everything. This is why it’s important to prioritize. It’s important to find things we want to say yes to, things that we’re excited to say yes to. What sets your heart on fire? And it’s okay if it’s not the same thing all the time! Sometimes it can be focusing on a project that will help us get closer to a goal. Sometimes it can be spending time with loved ones that will help our hearts feel full and recharged. It’s what we determine is a priority that we will actually make a priority.
Be The Best Version Of You
So who are you? Do you visualize yourself as a ‘hustler’, as the person who ‘does it all’? Or do you visualize yourself as fulfilled and successful? If you’re a hustler, (and there is a small percentage of the population that does work better in multi-task mode) props to you! You’ve found a way to make the chaos of life work for you and that’s awesome! But if you’re struggling and feel like you’re doing so much everyday just to lay in bed feeling like you got nowhere, try being effective rather than efficient.
What do you think about all of this? Do you have any ideas for how to work on effectiveness? Has something clicked and worked for you? Share in the comments below! You never know, you could be the one who helps someone else become the version of themselves they’ve been trying to be! And if you’re in a slump and looking for ways to help let your creative side bloom, check out ETM’s blog here.
As always, thank you so very much for being a part of ETM’s community of Mommas! I encourage you to join discussions, interact with Mommas alike, and be unapologetically yourself! Until next time, I hope I’m able to help make your life as simple as could be. (:
With all my love, Brandolyn – Earth To Momma
