Blog Short #226: How to Use Outside Structure to Get Your Work Done
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I have a family member who’s very talented and creative; however, he has difficulty staying on track and finishing things unless there’s a deadline looming, and the consequences of not meeting it are painful.
In his case, he’s working remotely, has ADHD, and quickly veers off into remote paths of interest before realizing he’s no longer on the main road and loses himself in the backwoods of his curiosity. Yet even as he tries to find the main highway again, he goes off on another tangent.
Is this you or someone you know?
ADHD and working remotely both have their challenges, but even without ADHD, you may be someone who doesn’t do well without external structure to keep you focused on what you’re working on.
The solution is to develop outside structures you can use to stay focused and finish things.
Here are five strategies you can try.
1. Reduce isolation.
If you work remotely, feeling isolated can become a challenge that sabotages your productivity. This holds true even if you enjoy working from home and value your alone time.
Research has shown that lack of contact with other human beings over time can lead to depression, anxiety, stress, heart disease, and, over the long haul, dementia.
The amount of contact you need varies depending on your temperament and history. Regardless, working alone for an extended period starts to chip away at your productivity.
Here are four ways you can reduce isolation:
- Consider renting office space outside your home in a location with other people. One option is co-workers’ space if you can manage that without becoming distracted. Another is your own office in an office complex or a group.
- Head to a coffee shop, library, or bookstore that offers workspaces. Select one that’s stimulating without being overwhelming.
- Join a community. One option is an online group of people working on similar projects, or another is a mastermind group where you meet weekly to exchange ideas and discuss your progress.
- Join a study or workgroup. I know a psychology professor who offers study groups for her graduate students to work on their research papers. They all meet for several hours a week and study in a relaxed environment. They work independently, but being together helps them do their work and stay on task. A workgroup could provide the same structure. You can also team up with a work buddy.
2. Set up accountability.
Having someone hold you accountable regularly is one of the best strategies for staying on your work path.
That said, it only works if it’s highly structured. You need these elements:
Meetings should be weekly.
Going longer allows you to get off track. If you’re struggling a lot, you might want to start with meeting twice a week.
Your meeting agenda should include:
- Weekly goals and tasks
- A review of how you did the week before and where you got off track
- Revised strategies to increase your success
Meet on the same day and time each week.
Consistent meeting times create an external structure that you get used to, which helps you complete your work before each meeting. It’s a deadline that your brain automates for you.
Choose the right partner.
You might have a co-worker or mentor you want to work with. It can also be a friend who’s working on something entirely different than you are, but you both need accountability.
You need someone who will hold you accountable. The right person makes the difference.
Another option is a small accountability group, although one-on-one works best.
If you know someone in your area, try to meet in person as often as possible. There’s a heightened exchange of energy when you share the same physical space with someone.
3. Routines, routines, routines!
When you do the same things at the same times every day in the same space, your brain is delighted to automate that for you. And once something is automated, it takes much less energy to execute.
Plan your workdays in advance and make them consistent. You can organize it by the week. Try these automations to help:
- Wake up and go to bed at the same time every day.
- Do your most important work first thing. You’ll be less stressed the rest of the day and get more accomplished.
- Work in focused time blocks. This method helps keep your brain sharp.
- Take breaks as needed to stay on track. Once you enter a workflow, you can work for more extended periods. However, take breaks more frequently if the task is challenging and you’re tempted to switch to something else. Keep them brief, then return quickly. Work hard for 15 minutes, reward yourself for 5 minutes, and repeat the cycle.
- Try to have lunch at the same time each day.
- Remove distractions such as your phone, computer notifications, and any noise that bothers you.
4. Prepare in advance for setbacks.
You will have setbacks. Inevitably, something will get in the way of your staying on task.
When that happens, it’s easy to slip back into old habits. You get distracted, miss an accountability meeting, deviate from your routines, withdraw, or stop working.
Setbacks disrupt your resolve and momentum. The challenge, then, is figuring out how to reset them so you can return to your work.
The worst strategy is to wait until your mood changes and you feel ready to return to it. Take action first, and the motivation will follow once you re-engage.
People make the mistake of waiting until the mood hits them to restart, but that rarely works.
The second mistake is engaging in all-or-nothing thinking.
“If I’ve blown my diet today, I might as well blow for the rest of the week.”
You know what happens next, right?
Your bag of tricks must aim toward taking action, not changing your mood, and not giving in to perfectionistic thinking.
Mel Robbins uses a technique she developed called 5-4-3-2-1. She selects a task, counts backward from 5, and then gets up and does it. She repeats this process until her momentum shifts forward.
I use something similar that works for me:
I choose an action, set a timer for 5 minutes, and do it when it goes off, no matter what!
Both of these techniques override your emotions and work if you stick with them.
Remember that action leads to momentum and engagement, not the other way around. So, use techniques that focus on action while sidestepping emotions.
5. Raise your dopamine levels.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with executive functions like rational thinking, decision-making, attention, focus, and memory. It also plays a significant role in motivation, anticipatory reward, mood, and movement.
There are things you can do to naturally boost your dopamine levels. These include:
- Exercise
- Adequate sleep
- Getting sunlight
- Eating a healthy diet with enough protein
- Listening to music
- Meditation
A quick way to boost dopamine is to take exercise breaks during the workday. Short walks, jumping jacks, or a brief YouTube exercise video work well.
Add a glass of water, and your brain will function much better.
The Silver Lining
The silver lining is that all of these strategies are helpful even if you don’t need more structure. If you’re already self-disciplined and can keep yourself focused, you may still need more interaction with others or can benefit from an accountability partner or group.
As our culture shifts toward remote work, we’ll need new ways to stay connected beyond the endless Zoom meetings that leave you feeling numb by the end of the day.
Try some of these strategies to get a head start!
That’s all for today.
Have a great week!
All my best,
Barbara