It was Sunday afternoon on the Puget Sound. Mt. Rainier graced the horizon. Between me and the mountain was all shimmering blue water and clear, clean air. We had pulled the little Boston Whaler up onto a pebble beach and just paused for a moment to take it all in. Warm summer afternoons in the Pacific NW feel like a cleansing deep breath, and we don’t get too many of them. This afternoon, however, I was faced with a dilemma.
If we left right away, I could still get back home for a late community meeting. I was expected to be there, but also not critical. I still had an hour drive and in my mind I could see my laptop staring at me for lack of attention. Monday was coming one way or another, and I hadn’t spent the weekend catching up. Yet I was also in the middle of a perfect day. It was a classic Clash moment – should I stay or should I go? Responsibility called, but my spirit beckoned.
Every client I know right now is trying to keep up. Authorizing environments are changing faster than my daughters’ outfits when they were teens. Hiring and spending freezes mean that help is not on the way. And it’s not just inboxes overflowing anymore—Teams channels, texts, Slack channels, social media messages—demands come from every angle.
People frequently ask me how to be more productive. Sometimes, the best answers are also the most simple. Like an apple a day, the productivity Big Four actually work.
What’s the Big Four?
I bet you can name three of them on your own:
1. Sleep
Our bodies need rest, but our minds do too. Regular, healthy sleep allows your brain to process the day. All that junk that gets put into your prefrontal cortex as you process information needs to get sorted and cleared. It’s like the stage manager coming through with a broom—sweeping off the confetti that’s no longer needed and putting the actual props away to be used again. Our brains need sleep to discard junk and move the important stuff to the back of the brain where it can be accessed later.
2. Food
If you want to have good, lasting energy, nutritious food is like magic. What we eat every day matters. A nutritionist told me once, “Eat the rainbow,” and she wasn’t talking Lucky Charms. And by the way—stop eating at your desk. It’s one of the least hygienic places to eat, does nothing to create a moment of pleasure in the simple act of eating, and keeps you connected to your devices like a leash. Step away from the computer and savor your meal for a change.
3. Exercise
Sitting is the new smoking, haven’t you heard? We are designed to move. Yes, yes, you’re busy—but everyone can find ten minutes to walk around the block. Incorporate extra movement throughout your day. I worked with a tech exec who kept light dumbbells at her desk and used them to tone her arms a few times a day. Just move it!
Most people know these three, but knowing and doing are different. Kanban boards, Todoist, the Covey Quadrant, email batching—there’s a long list of productivity tools. And here at Clarity, we’re happy to chat with you about all of them. But the basics matter. If you really want to thrive in the face of a lot of work, those are your foundation. Get those in place and then move on to the others.
And finally, drum roll, what is number four?
4. Social
Yes—time with friends, family, the people who enrich our lives—is in the top four contributors to productivity. If we are isolated, we start to break down. Make time in your schedule for the people you care about. It will fill your reservoir and energize you more than you realize.
The Decision That Restored Me
How did I solve my summer dilemma? For a change, I made the right choice. As the waves lapped on the shore, I heard my friend James’ voice come back to me from years ago when he was working long hours at Microsoft. He told me once, “Kelly, work will take as much as you give it.” I decided I had given it enough.
I stayed on the water, and my friend and I watched Mt. Rainier slowly turn pink during alpenglow and then into the ghost mountain going to sleep through the dusky evening. I made it home late and slept better than I had in a long time. Monday showed up with all of its demands—but my mind, heart, and soul were ready.
Do you or your team need help with productivity, overwhelm, or burnout? We have two keynotes that address these topics:
- “Drowning, Not Waving: Addressing Stress and Burnout”
- “A Better 40: Make Your Work Life Work”
Let us know how we can support your team.