Transform your post-pandemic blues into post-pandemic productivity.

Reflection. Goal-setting. Personal Development.

Dear Diary,

Restricted, overwhelmed and irregular is how I would describe my time during the pandemic. It felt tedious to not be being able to do things I usually do or visit places as I would prior to the pandemic. Being in lockdown tested my resilience and mental strength and this helped me develop a stronger version of myself to head towards productivity in the post-lockdown world.

For me, post-lockdown feels very similar to a Monday.

Mondays. Although Monday’s are the most dreaded days of the week, I love Monday’s. It is the start of a new week; you get the chance of a fresh start and it sets the tone for the rest of the week. If you start your week with a great start, and plan out your week ahead, you will feel a lot more organised which would most likely result in greater productivity.

Similarly, now that lockdown is over and we are nearing towards normality, it is equally as important to plan ahead and prepare to adjust to face to face contact. Whether this is working on-site or attending classes in person, there is a shift towards reaching to the normality we had before the pandemic. This 'Monday' is our chance of a new start which sets the pace for the rest of the months commencing. Preparation is key for a productive new start.

Now, it is easy to say that we should treat post-lockdown as a new start but it is difficult to know where to begin. Personally, I am a firm believer in setting goals and writing affirmations. What have you achieved, what are you currently achieving and what is left to achieve? It is important to list how your strengths and weaknesses have developed during the lockdown period which can help prepare you on how to remain productive in a post-lockdown world.

Reviewing your progress is essential as it helps build your confidence and increase your personal value. Once you have made a list of your achievements and your goals, it is easier to plan and break down into smaller steps on how you will work towards achieving your goals and becoming more productive in a post-lockdown world.

After creating a list of your goals and the small steps to achieve those goals, you must master the art of discipline. There is little benefit in planning and creating goals without having the right level of discipline to stick to working towards those goals and remaining productive. Therefore, prioritise your various objectives, remove unnecessary distractions, create a routine and be realistic in setting your goals. In the past, I have been guilty of over-planning and focusing on too many goals at once which resulted in decreased productivity overall. I was trying to step on various stones to cross a river at once and would end up falling straight into the river rather than moving forward.

Similarly, be specific and smarter with your time. Focus on key goals and then embed other goals once you are getting more productive in your current goals. Therefore, you would need to plan a routine for post-lockdown and if you are realistic with your time then you will find yourself more productive in achieving those goals.

Lastly, make time for what you enjoy doing. Lockdown helped me develop as a person and gave me the time to reflect on my current skills while building upon new skills such as baking. It certainly gave me the confidence to create this website and encouraged me to continue developing my creative writing skills further.

I enjoy creative writing as it allows me to share my emotions and relieve stress. It allows me to put my thoughts on one page. It helps strengthen my mental state of mind, allowing me to focus on my goals resulting in greater productivity. Expressing my thoughts helps clear my mind which creates more room to focus on my goals and increases engagement.

Hobbies and learning new skills that you enjoy will build self-esteem and boost professional development leading to greater productivity. It also helps eradicate boredom and gives you something to do in your spare time.

That concludes my personal methods to transform my post-lockdown blues into post-lockdown productivity. I hope you found them useful and easy to implement. If you require any further assistance on setting goals, please feel free to send a message via the website.

Until next time xoxo

Altair