Make my Sunday Work Day Super Productive

October 31, 2020 1:11 PM

I have one day tomorrow to catch up on some work on something I've had a decent set of writer's block on, but there's a ton of expectations and perhaps my reputation at my job is on the line (maybe it's not, but it feels that way). If you have somewhat of a distracted mindset and have recently just gone real productive with one day of blocked of work, how did you do it? What tricks or mindset should go into this?

I've been working on a deliverable for almost a month with not a ton of progress except during one solid week where I got through many pieces of work. I have had a good set of direction, but then I get scared I'm misssing details, and the page stays blank. I've been given some internal extensions but not really delivered, and I want to show a ton of progress tomorrow. I had a long hour call on Friday discussing the work with two of my teamates, so I think I know what I need to do, but I just have having trouble executing. Please help.

posted by sandmanwv to Work & Money (4 answers total)

It helps me to do free writing for ten to fifteen minutes at the start of the day - both writing about what I need to do and how I feel about it, venting if I need to. It clears the decks to work.

I also bribe myself with a bag of chips on my desk. Not a good practice for every day, but it works.

Are you showing people your drafts? It's good for accountability and also for figuring out if you're doing as badly as you're telling yourself you are.
posted by momus_window at 1:25 PM on October 31, 2020 [1 favorite]

Lower your standards. Just get words on the page. You can fix them later if need be but just get the whole thing vomited up and out onto the page first.

Also, the mantra of a close friend who is an A-list writer: "Any asshole can write for 15 minutes." (She has to tell herself that from time to time.)
posted by BlahLaLa at 1:44 PM on October 31, 2020 [4 favorites]

Just today I managed to be very productive (writing) on a weekend day, so here's how that miracle happened and hopefully it can inspire you in some way: My week was stressful because of some silly weird neighbor-stuff going on, and I already had a work crisis to deal with (in my first year working for myself on a great assignment I really want to keep and make a good impression taking on responsibility etc. I think my job's really on the line now I think about it!).

So I thought I was going to maybe procrastinate today (Saturday) because there'd still be Sunday to make up for it in a free weekend, but I suddenly realized I want to do it the right way and lots of people all over the world are right now working so hard towards something they want, just like I could!

And I'd had a very good night's rest, healthy breakfast, two cups of strong coffee and I just went for it, spent 10 hours with almost no breaks writing a ten page document from scratch that others have to work on this week and next, and I now will have time to review, and I feel so productive now. I was writing it all the while with my coworkers in mind, you know, wanting my writing to give them the cue to fill in the gaps and add their own parts, really help them in that sense.
Just go for it, think where you'll be after a full day of good work!
posted by Mariemma at 6:49 PM on October 31, 2020 [3 favorites]

Stimulants.
I'm in my forties and I have had a strained relationship with deadlines all my life.
I have podmoro'd, unfucked and git all manner of things not done.

Three cups of coffee (or redbull in my younger days, [redacted] in my youngest) and then angrily wrestle the deadline to the ground.

Sometimes I'm too far gone and I don't get to the coffee stage but if I'm trying to force it then that's what works.

I know this isn't great advice but you know sometimes I think there may be more arseholes like me out there reading these questions and wondering if they're a freak because Ask does have tendency to lean ummm, normal.

Good luck.
posted by fullerine at 3:17 AM on November 1, 2020