Being disorganized is a major reason of stress for Working Millennial. Optimal productivity is severely hampered by being disorganized. You try targeting achievements based on an ideal situation but lose control over it very soon. Disorganization takes control and weighs in on you. It makes you stressed out due to missing deadlines and not achieving what you intended to achieve.
Being organized is the first step in the list to improve productivity measures. Here we discuss various factors which if taken care can lead to better productivity. Thereby, you will both feel in control and enjoy the achievements. Thereby making you stress free. This is the most important factor in achieving wellness. (Read more about Wellness by following this link
Early Riser
It has been an observation for me that majority of successful people whom we believe are successful in life are early risers. The biggest advantage of being an early riser that you have all the time in the world to yourself – your “Me Time”. It is the time to really think about your day what you intend to achieve. Once you set the goal you also have time to think alternatives and as a result you do not do things haphazardly.
Rising early in the morning also infuses positive mindset. Many cultures celebrate the morning hours as the hour of the creator. Your imagination works best in the morning hours. It is best to initiate any activity involving your creativeness in this morning hour.
The other advantage of rising early is that you have the opportunity to invigorate your senses. A few stretches and breathing exercises awakens you fully and makes you ready to take on the world. Rising early is one of the best things you can do to improve productivity measures.
Reduce Screen Time
The Working Millennial completely spoil their routine by getting sucked into screen time. Some screen time is necessary to keep in touch with the world and to discharge your duties. However, the trend nowadays has been to keep looking at the screen even after going to bed. This is seriously hampering the well-being of the new generation.
Sleep pattern is disturbed where you spend the days with sleepy eyes. The body clock is quick to reset but the associated systems are not. Sleep deprived body is a known host for many allergies and infections.
One must keep a discipline in screen time. Have a fixed schedule at least for bed time and never ever try to violate it. You will quickly see that you feel much more refreshed and energetic.
Develop One-Minute Strategy
The best book I have come across to manage your time is “The One-Minute Manager” by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson. It is a thin book but educates any working millennial in how to manage your time and still be successful. Success is a relative term and I see successful as being stress-free.
The improve productivity measures in this book are cutting down on meeting time, controlling and prioritizing important things over urgent things and developing a second line whom you can trust with work.
For me, the most important thing on which I was educated was prioritizing the important things over urgent things. A phone call may be urgent to take but may not be important. However, getting educated in a skill you desire to work on may be important but not urgent. Any situation in life comprises both urgent and important things. An urgency always takes precedence and you get an adrenaline rush.
Most successful people are able to work majorly on important things with a small proportion of urgent things. Working Millennial can be hugely successful once they learn how to prioritize them. You should not be surprised if your prime reason for being stressed out is that you are only working on urgent things and not on the important ones.
Automate
The other learning to come out of the book “The One-Minute Manager” is how you can automate things in your life. The book is written in a factory setting but this is true in any sphere of life. In order to automate, you need to develop systems on which you can rely upon. A number of gadgets are available today which helps you in automating life right from switching on your air conditioner remotely to getting groceries delivered to your doorstep. Though I am against spending too much screen time and not a big fan of whatever gadgets come to the market, but see its use in easing out our lives well. Do use gadgets which automate your sundry activities.
Besides, developing a second line is extremely important. The book discusses how to successfully develop your second line. It is not about commandeering all the time. You need to be a coach to beginners but strict once they have picked up the thread. Providing autonomy to experienced hands works better in executing the job. You have only two hands. What is needed a couple of more but which you trust as your own hand.
Conclusion
We discussed a few pointers for improving productivity measures. These pointers are some easiest to understand and implement. Rising early has always been considered to stoke your imagination. You feel best when you tend to be a creator. It fills you with joy however small or insignificant the creation be. Once you are filled with joy, stress goes away.
Reducing screen time is a must do for all working millennial. The cost is heavy for not doing it. So stop yourself today and dedicate yourself to your wellness.
Developing one minute strategy and automating your life are some secrets revealed for improving productivity. Focus on doing more of important things which works to reduce the urgent things in life. Urgency is the major cause of stress. Once this is reduced, you live a life free of stress.
I encourage you to implement these ideas in your life and see how your stress level reduces. Do come back and leave your comments in the comment box below encouraging others to live a life free of stress.
I love The One-Minute Manager! It was introduced to me by my senior manager when I was promoted to my first assistant manager position and I can honestly say that is the best business book I ever read – so simple, but so valuable!
Do you have any tips on how to become an early riser? I find it easier to do it during summer months, but when fall starts and it’s getting darker, my body refuses to wake up when it’s still completely dark outside.
Hi Katja,
Thanks for your comment. Yes indeed, “The One Minute Manager” is simple and thin book but educates a lot!
I fully agree that it is very inconvenient to set your body clock to rise early when it is completely dark outside. For me, I pull myself to sit on bed for a few minutes and follow it up with hands touching toes in sitting position. That takes off the lethargy away. It is best to just sit-up and don’t remain lying on bed as soon as you wake up.
I can totally understand how improving your productivity can have a positive impact on your stress levels. I agree with you about the early mornings, as my son grows up he is sleeping in more and it gives me some time to myself to drink a cup of coffee and get some work done. Although, I find that I am also quite productive in the evenings too. (maybe it is just me).
I have not seen that book you refer to, the One Minute Manager. But I will definitely check it out.
thanks again
Thanks for your comments John,
The One Minute Manager is quite popular book worldwide and appeals in a very unconventional way. You will sure like it.
Well Wishes.
Hi there …I like early riser as one of the strategy to improve productivity since you will have all the time to work without cramming and finishing to deadline,likewise you will have the time to correct your work if there are some mistakes and correction to do before deadline and also reducing your time watching stuff in celphones and gadgets and doing nothing is just wasting ytour time and most often many younger generations waste their time doing crap things in facebook and just wasting time and resulting to unproductivity…yes automation also help because it makes your life easier. But as what i have said I like early riser as one productive traits for success.
Hi there,
Thanks for your comments and reading through the article completely.
Rising early in the morning would leave you time to do things that are important and keep on doing urgent things only. This improves the overall quality for your life.
Stay Well!!!
I totally agree with you that by rising early, you get so much done, more than you would have accomplished if you woke up later in the day. The days I have woken up early, say 5.00am are the only days I have had much done.
And, on screen time, oh my goodness, I need to improve on that because, clearly it’s messing me up.
Hi Martin,
Thanks for sharing your experience here which will definitely motivate others to be an early riser.
Stay Well!!!
Some excellent ideas about time management and productivity so thanks. I agree about the book “the 1 minute manager”, as I certainly got some real benefit out of that so a recommended read. Screen time is an interesting one, when I worked for a media company my time was spent getting people to do more so they could understand the audience better..
I do accept though that if your job is not social media you need to limit your time. It’s also not healthy for self-esteem and confidence and you can get into the “every-one” is doing better than me outlook. Mornings are always an inspiring moment for me. It’s either then or late night that I do my best work so that it is a challenge as it is not considered the 9-5 norm. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for your comments Phil and sharing your experience on screen-time. Yes, some screen time is necessary to discharge your normal course of duty and to remain in touch with the world. But what is worrying is the unnecessary time spent on screen even going into late night.
Stay Well!!!
I absolutely agree I know so many high-achievers who are early risers. Personally, I usually feel so good about my days when I happen to wake up at 4 am. The invigoration is real. It kind of leaves a mark for the whole day. I feel more clear-headed and focused. All from the simple act of rising early. To that end, I absolutely approve – it’s a massive thing for the overall productivity.
Definitely agree on the screen time as well. So many people have such bad habits when it comes to that. Important over urgent things is great advice. I couldn’t agree more. Whereas, at least to me, automation refers to habits and the science of them. And the way I see it, it’s not only about getting the right gadgets, it’s about automating the habits and behaviors we want to have and exercise in our daily lives.
A very useful article. It made me think and contemplate quite a few things. Thank you. Cheers.
Thanks for your comments and sharing your experience with the subject.
Morning hours are said to be the hour of the creator and does help in preventing lot of stress during the day.
Stay Well!!!
Thank you so much for this information and it is all so true. Even myself who is a non millennial has to stop myself to be at everyone elses’s beckoned call and ensure that I work to my own agenda. I am up early and have a workout. Then I try to start early and set times when I answer E Mails, Social Media etc. I have not read one minute manager which I am going to do now. My brother who is a millennial is constantly on his phone and has real issues sleeping……. I wonder why? I will hare your article with him and buy the book.
Thank you
Thanks for your comments Imelda and for sharing your experience here.
Once you start doing more important things in life you will suddenly find the urgent things reducing thereby making you stress-free.
I am sure you would enjoy reading the “One Minute Manager”.
Stay Well!!!
I am an early riser and have experienced the impact on my productivity with this habit. In the evenings I go to bed at the same time (usually) and listen to calm music and at the same time doing some reading. It makes me stress down and relax, for the most part, I fall asleep rather quickly.
I love the way you handle urgent things compared to important things. Running after urgent stuff all the time has only one outcome which you have to avoid.
For my own sake screen time is finished as soon as I get to bed. As written above I listen to some good, calming music and reading a bit in a good book from my favourite authors.
Thanks for your comments Roy and sharing your experience with the subject.
The way you are doing is the way it should be done. You are an example to follow here.
Thanks once again for your feedback.
Times have changed and improve productivity is not only for young people, many people around the globe no matter how old we are, we have some problems with it too.
This is a great article to read to help anyone who is interested to improve its productivity, I used to be an early person, but today as I stay at home all day, I waking up a little later, I must go back to my old good habits.
I haven’t read the “The One-Minute Manager” by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson book, now I have it on my list, I’m sure it will help me to get me better organized and do more with my time!
Thanks so much for sharing a great article to read today!
Hi Alejandra,
Fully with you that improve productivity is for all ages. I apologize as my wordings can be construed as that being only for the working millennial. I off-course had them in mind when writing this article.
Lock-down surely has spoiled some of the good habits – including mine. But its time now to go back to good healthy ways.
“The One Minute Manager” is a good read. I am sure you will love it.
Stay Well!!!
I enjoyed the article! I will definitely have to look into “The One-Minute Manager” book. I am already an early riser naturally and also because I have two small kids. Does the book also help those learn how to manage time with family?
Screen time is definitely a killer of productivity for me. I try my best to have my phone put away where I forget about it so I am not checking it every other minute or popping in on social media to browse. Only problem is I have an Apple Watch so I have to turn the alerts off for it too sometimes to stay on task.
Hi Jordan,
Thanks for your comments and for sharing your experience here. “The One Minute Manager” talks about prioritizing important things over urgent things which is a great secret for managing family time as well. Though the book is in a Factory set-up and talks about managing your time in a corporate world.
You are absolutely right. One common factor of most successful people is that they are early risers. It is a habit that they have trained themselves to have and I really think it is the best time of the day whereby your mind would be clear and more focused and you have the ability to make really good decisions at that particular time.
I am not sure why a lot of people don’t make this a part of their daily routine because it has actually been proven to be a productive time for the brain. I do believe it can have a positive impact on how our day goes if we just become early risers.
Thanks for your comment Manuel.
Yes, the benefits of being an early riser is nothing new but people have just forgetting this custom. It will hold its benefits in having a “Me” time for thinking and being creative.
Thanks for being with me on this subject.
Wow! Living the stores free life is the dream and the funny things is that not many people really achieve the dream. However, seeing what you have shared here, I can only say thank you because it is totally applicable to me. I think i need it a lot too. Well! For a stàrt, I like the idea of making use of ssomething liek this. Also, the one minute strategy is what I will also work towards developing for myself
Hi there, Thanks for your comment. It is good to now that you have identified The One Minute strategy as one opportunity to work upon towards wellness.
Stay Well!!!
I read the one-minute manager I think shortly after it came out. It was all the rage at the time but also drew a lot of criticism as the opinion of the management gurus at the time was that the One Minute Manager was overly simplistic. I think this was a time when MBA programs were seeing huge growth in both availability and demand and this also spawned a number of books that claimed to offer shortcuts. But as you point out in your article there are some very simple and important time management tips in the One Minute Manager that are worth implementing. Thanks for this and best regards, Andy
Hi Andy,
Thanks for your comments and appreciate your in-depth knowledge about “The One Munute Manager”. Yes, it is overly simplistic but difficult to implement. However, some of the discussions on prioritizing important over urgent is very relevant any day.
Once again thanks for sharing your thoughts on the subject.