I do my best to stay productive, and frankly it is exhausting. Do you know why? It’s because I am a human being.

When we are up … we are up

Let’s face it, life is one huge ride – kinda like a Ferris wheel. Sometimes you’re way up there in the clouds just surveying the world. Other times your ducking head for fear of hitting it on a rail, all while trying not to make eye contact with the creepy ride attendant. That’s just the way it goes. The one thing we do have to remember is – it is a ride. Not only should we enjoy it – but we shouldn’t beat ourselves up about it. Which is hard to do.

I love it when I’m on my game and I’m highly productive. Shit gets done. My house is clean, my meals are perfectly prepped and cooked, I’ve done my daily exercises, my to-do list is shortening, and I have been doing nothing but killing it at the office.  I feel elated and powerful.

When we are down … we are down

Then all hell breaks breaks lose. I have about enough energy to make it to my couch before I collapse into a pile of nothingness. My basket has crumbled around me, and I’m not even trying to pick up the pieces. Work sucks, I’m hungry, I’m also fat, I haven’t done anything around the house in three days and I just want to lay down – for like maybe forever. Productivity, way down.

When I’m at the bottom, like clockwork, I take a deep breath and head to the computer to search for tips on motivation, productivity and fighting procrastination. I promise it happens every time. Ooh this Pinterest mom has some great tips on how to manage my time better. Should I do some bullet journaling? Maybe I should reevaluate my entire life – ooh I’ll do it with this handy printable template.

But it’s all good

Three seconds before I hit the print button on the overly stylized template, I have a revelation. It’s all good. I’m fine. You’re fine. We are all going to be okay. So what – I’ve had a few bad days (or maybe weeks), we all do. Just keep at it. Just keep doing what you are doing, and maybe (to make yourself feel better) do a little tweaking.

Find your balance

Like most things in life, and the key to everything for me – balance is the key. My mantra is this: in all things, moderation. I know that there is no way in hell I am ever going to be able to have a gorgeously designed bullet journal. My brain doesn’t work that way. Plus, I barely have time to write things down. Much less to have the time or energy to create my own font and draw intricately designed graphics around it.

So why am a freaking out?

Because I want it, you want it, we all want it. If we didn’t they wouldn’t be everywhere. I want that Pinterest perfect planner! So I can go out and spend $150 on a planner, stickers, printed sheet and pens – just because I want something, or I can figure something else out. Typically I do my best to balance my desires and my abilities. However, I have been known to buy out the craft store on a hobby that I never actually picked up – and that’s okay, because I’m human.

What can I do now?

This is something we all need to ask ourselves on a regular basis. “What can I do now?”

Now before we move on to how I stay productive, I need to state: I am by no means a professional organizer, or psychologist, or self help guru.  I am, however, a regular human being with faults and an inherit streak of laziness.

That being said, this is what I can do:

I can use my phone and not a day planner.

My phone is with me at all times. I do carry a murse “man purse,” but I haven’t used a day planner since, well before there were even smart phones.

The reminders native app on the iPhone is like heaven sent to me. I have so many lists, and I’m able to set reminders for anything I add to those lists. There are plenty of apps out there you can use – so browse around and try one / or two out! But make sure it works for you, because if it doesn’t you will not use it. Like ever.

I also love my calendar. I can add events, important things to remember, and other adulting necessities in that bad boy. Does it look pretty? Not really. Is it all the rage on Pinterest? Nope. Does it work? For the most part. And that’s a win for me, and a more productive me.

I can do the worst first

I hate doing the worst thing first. I’d much rather do the pretty, fun, and interesting things in life – but if I did only that, I’d never get anything done. Knocking out the worst things on a big to-do list always makes you feel better about life. Here’s what some psychologist and smart folks have to say about that. But trust it works, and it’s another win for productive me.

I can do it for like maybe 10 minutes

I read about using the 10-minute rule to eliminate procrastination a few years ago. It seems a little weird to time yourself, but again it works for me. The gist of the method is that as long as you get up and start doing something, you’ll finish it. However, just in case you actually hate it and are dying of boredom you have a fall back option. After 10 minutes if you are still hating everything about what you are doing – just stop. Do it later or delegate it out to someone else. Here’s some additional details on the 10-minute rule. This is basically how I clean my kitchen everyday day – and makes me more productive.

I can just pick it up for goodness sake

This y’all. This is the big one, and I’m horrible at it. So let’s say you are walking through your house to go to the bathroom or something, and you see a glass on the table. Usually I would just walk right pass, because you know I’ve got to use the bathroom – we are on a time table here!

Well that was the old me, now I just pick it up (well I do my best). I just pick it up and put it away. You might say, well don’t leave glasses laying around in the first place, but here’s the thing. It works for everything. If something is not where is should be, pick it up right at that moment and put it away. Books, socks, magazines, random tools, paperwork, mail, sunglasses, keys, dog toys, etc. I mean the list goes on and on. If you don’t grab it right then it will more than likely sit there until the next time you decided to clean – or fall down a black hole. All of this and it literally takes 2.3 seconds to do. It’s crazy how tiddy your house stays. Plus you get some extra steps in – inside exercise!

Being productive should = Less stress

Let’s be real honest here. I have noticed that many times the most highly organized people in the world are actually not too fun to be around. Most of them are simply too wound up for me, and that’s okay. We need super productive anal people in this crazy world of ours.

That being said, there is absolutely no reason that you should get so anally retentive about organization that you forget to live a little. Like I mentioned at the beginning of this article – a balanced life is a wonderful thing. It’s all about moderation.

So clean up your kitchen and organize your mail, but still make sure you have time to snuggle on the couch with your lover – laundry can wait a day.

I hope you try some of my techniques, and let me know if you have some of your own!

Remember being moderate is not a bad thing, but don’t just lay around  doing nothing – I mean come on now.