I Didn’t Think About It Before But I Do Now…My Productivity Preference
I’m not a long distance runner. I despised it when I was a kid and I’m not a big fan of it now. Give me a 100-yard dash and I was in. I could do several 100-yard dashes but I didn’t like the mile.
We’d run three dashes back to back. I was good with that. Rest up, grab a breather and then do it again. That was fun. But, running the mile? Not so much!
I didn’t think much of it as a child. But I do now.
In college, I remember doing papers. I didn’t like doing long papers. I still don’t have a personal preference for them. Whenever I had a paper to do, I would do as much of it as I could in one sitting and then leave it.
Proofreading? Long term researching? Ughhh! Hated it!
I didn’t think much about it then. But I do now.
When I got hired for my first supervisory job, I was excited. I got to come to the office every day, work with my staff and then figure out how to keep them going every day. After 3 or 4 months, I hated it but I didn’t recognize why. I figured I just needed to try harder and work more. So, I did. But, I still hated it.
I didn’t think about it much at the time. But I do now.
I became a teacher and loved the first few months of it. But, then the year began to drag on and I couldn’t wait until summer. I did this for 7 years and then I needed to do something else.
So, I started a business. With this business, I got to work on contract. I worked on site for a while and then the project would end. Then, I got another contract and worked virtually until I was done and the project ended. I repeated this quite a bit and realized I really liked working this way. The only part I didn’t like was having to find new contracts. But, that was okay because getting the contracts was exciting.
I really didn’t consider it much at the time, but now I recognize a pattern.
I would rather give max effort for short repeatable situations rather than slow, deliberate, paced effort over time. I used to feel bad about that.
Now I don’t.
Habits are good and I work to develop them continually. However, I’ve recognized a preferred work pattern and come to grips with it being okay to work this way.
Now, I intentionally incorporate this concept into my productivity schedule. The Pomodoro technique and others like it work well for me. I function well with variety. I have a home office. And sometimes I work in it. At other times, I spend a portion of my day at the kitchen table. Sometimes, I hit the family room. At other times, a Panera or Starbucks makes for a great office.
I recognize it now. The pattern and preference has been here all along. I felt guilty about it before but I’ve recognized I don’t have to. I’m focused on what brings the best result to my day. And I don’t need to feel guilty for not doing it someone else’s way because I’m made in my own unique way.
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About The Author
My name is Robert Kennedy III. I’m a professional speaker and author. I speak and write mainly about leadership and communication. Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook or on my website, RobertKennedy3.com
