Pointers for a Productive Life

Dr Bijal Maroo shares some hacks that can be used every day to ease stress and get the most out of life

- Dr Bijal Maroo

What is your productivity quotient? Does time slip through your day as easily as sand slips through your hands? Does each day feel like being stuck in a maze, and does reaching the goal seem an uphill task? Trying to make sense of this problem, I studied the high productivity phases in my life. These were phases when I clearly enunciated my goals with their deadlines on paper. Funnily, I seem to perform better when I have a hectic schedule ahead and perform dismally when I have the luxury of a relaxed pace.

If I go a step further and make it a do-or-die goal, then I have no option but to achieve it. There were two times in my life when I operated at the pinnacle of my productivity spectrum: the first time was when I did a course in Counselling Psychology, and the second was when I pursued a course in Arts Based Therapy while handling a full-time homeopathic practice. In both situations, the timetable for assignments made me set my own deadlines. I factored in a margin of a few days in case unforeseen delays hijacked my submissions. This held me in good stead, and I performed so well that I finished at the top of the heap in both courses. I planned my days such that I used my travel time to read all course material. This helped me make the best use of my time and my busy schedules did not hinder the quality or the punctuality of my assignments.

Let's deep-dive into this and come up with some gems to build our productivity quotient.

1. Plan Well
a. Prioritise your goals