No matter what structures I put into place or how diligently I plan, I find it challenging to focus on Friday’s. Maybe I’ll get a few good hours in the morning, but after that the day seems to dissolve.
This isn’t just a pandemic phenomenon; it’s been going on for years. And I’ve been fighting it for almost as long, until recently.
A few months ago I finally accepted that this is my rhythm and I surrendered. It’s futile to resist nature.
We often hold ourselves to these impossible standards of optimizing every waking minute of our days. Although that approach might seek “productive” in the short term, in the long term it leads to burnout.
In the rhythm of my week, Friday is my “4 pm” — the time when focus wanes and traditional notions of “productivity” are elusive.
Instead of trying to power through, which requires a lot of willpower and isn’t sustainable, I try to schedule my activities to fit the energy levels.
Friday is now my day to take care of the “life stuff” that is best left for low focus time: laundry, organizing, cooking, connecting with friends, and puttering.
Yes, puttering. The activity that seems like the most unproductive activity of all.
Don’t underestimate the productive power of puttering.
When we putter, we allow the brain’s Default Mode Network to work. This is when the brain forms new neural connections that lead to learning and integration. Activating the Default Mode Network also leads to more effective and efficient problem-solving, and — even more important — problem-anticipating, so we can get ahead of the problems before they arise.
Puttering is more productive than you think.
The next time you’re feeling like you can’t focus, stop trying to power through and surrender to your rhythm, and to the power of puttering.
[…] also do things like coloring, cooking, sorting your silverware into drawer sections, or other “puttering” […]