Unproductivity: 8 Fantabulous Ways to Make the Most of Your Laziest Days

AgentSully Says:

November 28th, 2007, 23:34 pm

Oh yes, I have days like this!!! My favorite thing to completely blow the whole day off and do something fun with my son. I work from home too and so it’s like taking a sick day. (but I’m the boss so I kind of have to make the boss side of me go on a “business trip” for the day) :)

I love number 3 on your list. Been there, done that!!

10kportfolio Says:

November 28th, 2007, 23:57 pm

I love taking a warm shower. There is just some days it is really hard to find that motivation.

Albert | UrbanMonk.Net Says:

November 29th, 2007, 0:49 am

Agree with you…sometimes no motivation means that your mind needs to take a rest (just like sickness means your body needs to recover)…so why not just relax and rest up your mind? A nice book, music, a coffee with a friend.

Casey Says:

November 29th, 2007, 1:03 am

Thanks for the tips! I had a very nonproductive day today and hopefully I can employ some of your strategies to make sure that tomorrow turns out better.

Joe Says:

November 29th, 2007, 1:08 am

I’ve found over the years that there are some days when I’m just not going to accomplish much of anything. Doesn’t matter what I do, it’s just not going to happen. So I’ve learned to (try) not to stress about it, because what I’ve also learned is that there are days when I can do a week’s worth of work in 30 minutes. I think there’s a natural ebb and flow of productivity, and you’re better off going with your natural rhythm than trying to fight it.

Disclaimer: may work for knowledge workers a whole lot better than manual- or hands-on type workers.

Miss Gisele B. Says:

November 29th, 2007, 2:02 am

Leo,

A lazy day … what a dream.

I’m juggling so many things right now that when I do have a lazy day, I usually end up doing admin work or cleaning up my email box or doing anything related to catching up.

A few weeks ago, I spent a day cleaning my place…which I usually do here and there, but that day I cleaned my place from top to bottom.

When I’m too lazy, I’ll usually turn off the phone … because I cannot stand the thought of a conversation, but I will still do something that helps me cross those priorities that are the lowest on the list.

When I’m really-really-really lazy and cannot stand to be in front of the computer, I usually go out and run errands. I don’t get much work done on those days, but I surely cross off those things that I’ve been dragging for many months on my list of things to do.

That said, I do need to learn to actually “turn it off” when I really am physically and mentally drained.

Thanks for remind us that feeling lazy sometimes is a good thing.

Gisele
http://www.mybeautymatch.com

Free Fall Creative Says:

November 29th, 2007, 3:09 am

Days that I don’t feel productive, I usually just blow the day off, relax, watch tv or “bum around” the house. Then after so many hours of doing “nothing”, I actually get the urge to be back in front of the computer again.

Tina Su - Think Simple Now Says:

November 29th, 2007, 3:51 am

I go through unproductive days periodically. But what’s really annoying is when I realized that I didn’t do anything productive, I would beat myself up for it mentally. The trick is to be gentle on ourselves and not beat ourselves up with guilt trips. It doesn’t help us move forward. :) And that it’s okay to have lazy days to recharge.

Nice Article Leo!

gar777 Says:

November 29th, 2007, 8:02 am

Great article! Your music list shows your age (or what your parents played when you were little). FYI: What I Like About You is by the Romantics. Great song to get you going (and probably the newest one on your list) Thanks for sharing all this stuff. Great site!

Barry Says:

November 29th, 2007, 8:50 am

Great post!

Sometimes I have to “work my way into a workday”; that is, the day starts very slow, with no motivation and energy. By knocking off a few routine things, things I don’t have to think too much about, I can get to the MITs.

Jimdmcd Says:

November 29th, 2007, 8:56 am

Great list of songs !

Sunth.org Says:

November 29th, 2007, 9:08 am

#5 and #6 are fabulous - jazzing-up your immediate environment does wonders for facilitating focus and flow - and I especially love how #1 can apply to everything else!

Here’s a tip to squeeze *even* more value out of #8:

Put one of your favourite tracks on repeat while you’re working on a timeboxed activity, with cross-fading to eliminate total silence. This condenses both medium and message into a focused, empowering effect upon your emotions and productivity.

For more song ideas, consider that the opening tracks of highly successful live tours, presentations and movies are designed to ease the listener into a wonderful state of flow. Here are three great examples with growth-conducive lyrics:

Take That - Reach Out
Heather Small - Proud
Hoku - Perfect Day

Try these and find out which work best for you. Have fun!

Andrea Hess Says:

November 29th, 2007, 9:13 am

I try to move with inspiration. Naturally, if I have a reading due for a client, I get it done regardless. But I try to force as little as possible. Inspiration means “to be moved by Spirit” to me … and every once in a while, Spirit moves me in front of my TV. I just revel in the decadence of watching TV in the middle of the day, rather than working!

Adam Miller Says:

November 29th, 2007, 9:46 am

@Joe:

This is so true, and recognizing this ebb and flow is (I think) the key to burst productivity.

While this is extremely useful in work, I also think back to my university days, where it was also a way of life. If I’m not into working on that term paper or studying for the final, it’s going to be low quality work that requires an inordinate amount of effort. If I relax a bit, and work on it when I’m in the right frame of mind, the words just seem to magically appear on the page, in an order that seems almost sublime.

Cheers,

Adam

Keith D. Says:

November 29th, 2007, 9:47 am

Like yesterday, whenever I have to do office work at home I make a point of taking a shower and dressing. Jeans or exercise clothes is acceptable. Just get out of the lying-down-lazy mode. Like you, I have days or even a couple of hours that working is secondary. Not that I don’t have a long list of tasks to do. Just time to break and read, walk the dog or do something brainless. Makes up for the weekends or nights I have had to use for work. Have to have some little bit of downtime. There are days when I have been out doing installations or service calls, things went better than expected and wrapped early. Sure, I could go back to the shop and do paperwork. Sometimes I’ll find a park and read, take a couple of miles walk on the C&O canal towpath or browse a bookstore. That little decompression usually preps me for a couple more days of non-stop activity. Being intentionally unproductive beats getting home after an exasperating day and knowing that you got nothing done with a great deal of effort expended.

You talked about music a while ago to help productivity. Check out a little utility called Nexus Radio. It’s great for work background sound.

I usually try to mix an errand, parts run or Kinkos trip into my office days MITs just to get out and walk around. If you can mix office work with physical or hand work. Today I’ll start with some paperwork then pop out to get some papers notarized and come back for some further shop work. Yesterday I spent all day assembling documentation and doing CAD drawings. 30-60 minute blocks are a useful strategy to get things done, yet work around flagging inspiration which is sometimes a sign of boredom. Change it up.

Tara Says:

November 29th, 2007, 10:17 am

My favorite thing - even though it’s been awhile - is to stay in my PJ’s ALL DAY. You just never feel like doing much when you’re in your pajamas!!

Ryan Says:

November 29th, 2007, 10:22 am

One thing I’ve noticed about music is that I can’t work well if it’s anything too contemporary. I do best with classical (Bach, Tchai… heck, you know who I’m trying to say, I never can spell that name but his music is good.). Sometimes opera, sometimes musicals. But I’m rarely that productive if I’m listening to rock or country, my two favorite genres for general listening. Right now I’ve got the Les Miserables soundtrack playing.

And the take a shower tip is one that I wish I had learned sooner. I’ve found that getting up, taking a shower, and getting dressed like I’m going to an office job helps me get much more done because I’m setup like I’m at work rather than playing on the computer at home.

sunny Says:

November 29th, 2007, 10:47 am

When I am at work and need to get things done but am quite unmotivated, I have to tell myself, “Do something, ANYTHING!” and that gets me to do a little something…which is better than nothing - and most often leads to accomplishing even more.

I used to feel quite guilty if I spent an evening at home not getting much of anything done. Then I realized, there are no Productivity Police patrolling homes in the evening - recording who is or isn’t productive with their time at home!

The thought made me laugh and I slept easily that night. Since then, I’ve let go of the need to get a lot done in one night, and that it’s okay if I read a book or watch a film instead of tackling an ever-present organizing/decluttering project.

I don’t rest until I’ve completed the three (at most) tasks I wanted to complete that night. Then my time is my own. (single with no kids, obviously)

Megan Says:

November 29th, 2007, 11:35 am

Hey, you just gave me two new song ideas for my workout iMix (the Kinks)… Thanks!

Rae Says:

November 29th, 2007, 11:42 am

When I’m feeling lazy, I create new families and houses in the Sims. It’s like getting lost in another world. My sims never do anything productive, they just socialize and have babies.

Eugene (Editor, Varsity Blah) Says:

November 29th, 2007, 12:22 pm

Hooray for days off! Now that I’m on my summer vacation (I live in South Africa) I love being able to laze around every now and then. It actually makes so much sense simply because you’re able to come back to the work at hand a lot more refreshed and focused.

I just finished reading a book called What Is Your Dangerous Idea. One of the suggestions made was to have a 24 hour day of absolute solitude, meaning no interactions of any kind with other people (written, spoken, recorded or live). And it includes reading/writing as well. Sounds like a challenge but one that might prove interesting!

Kenneth Says:

November 29th, 2007, 12:58 pm

Great tips for not being lazy,

What I do when I’m lazy is watching news, I love latest news. I used to lay on my bed and eventually ends up wasting 2 - 3 hours of sleeping.

“Do not sleep your life away!”

But everything changed, I know I need to do more productive activity everyday and not wasting time.

Brenna Says:

November 29th, 2007, 13:37 pm

Superchick is good motivation music for me. “Hero”, “Me Against the World”, and “Suddenly” are really good songs for me.

zero255zero Says:

November 29th, 2007, 13:54 pm

Tara-

Yes, the longer I stay in my PJs, the more lazy i feel.

Jennifer Says:

November 29th, 2007, 14:05 pm

HA! I love the list! It took me a little while to get through it. I stopped to check out Befuddlr and just got stuck playing it! It’s fantastic. The perfect way to be UNPRODUCTIVE!

LivSimpl Says:

November 29th, 2007, 14:52 pm

This list is spot-on, I especially think no. 3 is a brilliant insight. I’m going to have to give that a try soon. Like, today since I’m obviously procrastinating work at the moment.

Another thing I’ve found that helps me get going is to organize my workspace - stepping back, cleaning my desk, organizing briefs and projects and figuring out exactly what I need to do by when.

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed and end up trying to move in every direction at once, resulting in me going nowhere. If I invest some time in organizing things physically and mentally, it helps me feel that things are more manageable and I’m less likely to continue putting them off.

I also have a few more general organization tips and ideas on how to simplify life and become more efficient on my site LivSimpl (http://www.LivSimpl.com) for anyone who might be interested. [/shamelessplug]

Mary Jaksch Says:

November 29th, 2007, 15:57 pm

Now and then I have what I call a ‘zero day’. That’s a day with zero productivity. Those days are important for my creativity. It’s rather like a field lying fallow. Farmers let fields lie fallow because this increases future productivity. For one season weeds are allow to ramp all over the field.

A great thing to do on a ‘zero’ day is to have fun with children. I have some close pre-teen friends. On such days I make sure that I hang out with them and join in with their games.

During a ‘zero day’ I make sure that I only do things that are profoundly useless: I go dancing, I write drivel, I play, I chat with friends, or I hang out on the beach. My only criterion for each activity is that I have fun.

After a ‘zero day’ I’m bursting with creative energy and often write my best blog posts.

Amy Says:

November 29th, 2007, 16:28 pm

There’s nothing like leashing up the dog, putting the baby in the stroller and going for a nice hike. Great list.

etavitom Says:

November 29th, 2007, 17:47 pm

i find taking long walks is the most remarkable form of relaxation and freshness. thanks for the fun and informative post… all the best

Harmony Says:

November 29th, 2007, 18:21 pm

Great post Leo, thank you :)! I have today off from my office job and am going to try the writing-down-ideas idea! I just love lazy days, they help me to be able to work so much harder and get lots done during the rest of the week.

And as I must constantly remind myself (being a task-driven-perfectionist, ach!) life should be more about having fun and being happy than *doing stuff*, so I’m getting more and more careful about what I put on my to-do list. I like to think about the way trees *do* nothing, and yet they grow big and tall and provide shade for us and shelter for animals and they help enrich the soil - all by just existing.

claudio Says:

November 29th, 2007, 18:57 pm

Very challenging….
N1 is great, n4 and n6 are “dangerous” for me: they would take me all the time of my lazy day….

Ben Stutts Says:

November 29th, 2007, 19:00 pm

Excellent playlist. I checked and every one of those (no exceptions!) is on mine.

Sometimes when I can’t seem to get started, I just give up and go fishing. It’s easy to do that when you are semi retired though.

I tried a to do list, but I kept forgetting to look at it. Mostly I work on the squeaky wheel rather than something that I should be doing that is not immediate. Actually, my house seems to get cleaned more on those lazy days. Anything to keep from having to do actual work.

Domokun Says:

November 29th, 2007, 19:03 pm

Pretty cool!

Anthony C. Says:

November 29th, 2007, 19:07 pm

Pretty good list.

But about the music-I’ve found for me personally, turning on Classical or Dance radio stations(either through XM, or the TV so there’s no commercials)really keeps me going. The classical-usually inspirational and used for more relaxing tasks, like painting, etc. and dance, for things I gotta be more lively and tuned in for-I used dance for putting together a craft, or animation.

Just a tip that I follow. And yes, walking outside and showering do work wonders. ;-)

WereBear Says:

November 29th, 2007, 20:11 pm

Athletes know there is an ebb and flow to their performance, and try to schedule their up times when they need them.

I think this applies to creative work, too. If we have a very productive day, it’s unreasonable to think we do can that again the next day.

After we pull all the water from the well, we sometimes have to wait for the well to fill again.

The Dude Says:

November 29th, 2007, 20:43 pm

Smoke a joint.

SomeAudioGuy Says:

November 29th, 2007, 21:06 pm

Great list!
I find going from 6 into 7, and then waking up and taking a nice long stretch will pull me out of any funk!

Ryan Says:

November 29th, 2007, 21:25 pm

i tend to always choose step 7 (taking a nap), but i always sleep for too long, and then i loose too much time! its always a battle for me between being easily distracted and getting my work done, or trying to focus and falling asleep. lol.

Rose Garden Says:

November 29th, 2007, 23:41 pm

Meditate. Clean. Organize. Play. Coffee or sweet tea. Stretch. Water the plants or weed the garden. Cook.

Often my “unproductive” times are times that my brain gears are working out something without letting me in on the activity, so I let it do its thing, and lo and behold, after a few hours or days (or months, for major issues) it cranks out something fantastic without apparent effort.

Generally my best work is done when no one else in their right mind is working. Makes life a little challenging, particularly when I also have to function on others’ schedules, but no amount of discipline has been able to change it. I can only take comfort in knowing that most great masterpieces were not created on a 9-5 schedule… (lol… as if my work compares).

Eugene, solitude is easy… especially out in nature. And it does help productivity. It has been a long time since I’ve taken it to that extreme (no internet or books)… I will have to try it soon.

Asia Says:

November 30th, 2007, 5:20 am

Clean my house from top to the bottom in my PJ’s!.

This is the best way to change my unproductive day in to productive one, kill the guild of bing unproductive and actually get my house finally clean.

I love my unproductive days!

Bill Says:

November 30th, 2007, 9:53 am

Great Ideas, especially the music list! If anyone is looking for the songs, “What I Like about You” is by The Romantics. I can’t find that song by The Kinks on any of my CDs nor on CDUniverse.

alecs stan Says:

November 30th, 2007, 10:00 am

The problem with me is that i tend to prolong this periods of slacking off too much, days, even weeks until i climb back on the wave.

I also tried to hack my brain to get out of these downfalls …

Music really helps … and it really depends on taste .. there are not magic tracks that work for everybody
Shower helps also

Starting to work and just hanging in there for 15 minutes will most of the times fire the engines.

Also spliting big tasks in small tasks helps and trying to do them step by step.

Also ading on the list of tasks things like .. drink a cup of tea … eat a sandwich … sleep for an hour helps because it kinda sets you on an automatic pilot and your brain wonders off.

Regarding joints … i must say .. not that much … although great ideas rush to my brains i can never get around to actually work and start implementing those ideeas, and if i try is just a clumsy pathetic attempt. I preffer to leave the joint for the time i finish so i can really relax

fc Says:

November 30th, 2007, 10:53 am

It seems to be a season of 8 things .. even I just finished my set of 8 ..
one of the things that I tend to do is clean up .. take any drawer or table or a shelf and take things out, dust them and arrange them back.. If you have a habit of storing old junk like me it would turn out to be an eventful day going through all those forgotten stuff brining back some pleasant memories…

thanks for reminding me what I need to do this sunday :)

Rachel R. Says:

November 30th, 2007, 14:09 pm

“I might not do the thing at the top of my list. But in order to procrastinate on that dreaded item, I crank through a bunch of other things on my list.”

LOL What a brilliant use of self-psychology! I will have to give this a try. :)

Kevin Says:

December 1st, 2007, 0:43 am

Two straight weeks off of work (use the PTO or lose it is their rule, so I used it…). I think I did something 2 or 3 of the 10 days off, could not think of anything. Of course I slept in half the day most of the time ;)

Hard to find something to do in the desert, though doing tours of places is really nice (did a tour of the Cardinals new football stadium and wow…).

Ganesh Iyer Says:

December 1st, 2007, 13:52 pm

Hey Leo,
I really like #8. Here is the list of songs that charge me up when I am down.

Bounce - Bon Jovi
Its My life - Bon Jovi
Have a Nice Day - Bon Jovi
Linkin Park - What I’ve Done

db Says:

December 2nd, 2007, 20:15 pm

I need a lazy day each week if I’m going to function the rest of the week. I work M-F, so on the weekend I try to keep time unstructured and try to get tasks done early so I can have much of the weekend free to do nothing or whatever motivates me to do it.

If I don’t have this unstructured weekend time I just do not function well. I learned a long time ago not to over-schedule myself either during the week or weekend. A lot of things people think they “have” to do are really just an excuse for not wanting to face themselves in unstructured time.

South Creative Says:

December 3rd, 2007, 12:14 pm

The power of the “Take a walk” suggestion cannot be underestimated. I’m constantly forcing myself to do this in order to gain clarity and insight in to what I’m working on. The beach is the best place, if you’re lucky enough to be close to one.

Noelle Says:

December 4th, 2007, 0:34 am

Balance the day with fun…or laziness…and the small things that need to get done. Breakfast / make the bed - put clothes away - do dishes / read - watch tv - sudoku - draw / do some other easy task on your list / then relax again. When the day is done, you won’t feel like it went by and nothing got accomplished.

S M Says:

December 4th, 2007, 19:50 pm

I need to finish a task which has long been hanging undone. I need to finish it in 10 days. It requires lot of concentration and work. It is very important to my career to finish it off.
My trouble is I just can’t get motivated to do it. I have been idling these past five days, supposedly working on it. I start to work on it, but invariably end up frittering time away (like on the net), playing computer games,cooking etc.. with the result that in last five days I have not worked at it more than 2-3 hrs per day.
Here’s my strategy for the next ten days. I am not going to work on this at home anymore. Not even for ten minutes. I am going to the library where I can be completely distraction free.
I worry though that even if it works, this is a forced solution. I like this task, I am rested, so why am I still unmotivated??
Any ideas for helping me complete this task will be appreciated.

S.M

Ben Helps Says:

December 13th, 2007, 1:42 am

Hey Leo,

Thanks for the mention in your post! I’ll admit, Id forgotten I’d even shot you the email. Looks like the theme resonates a bit though.

Of all the times for visitors to my site - probably *just* as you were posting this I was giving my site a facelift and porting it to another host - nothing like panic to make one productive.

You could say your outlook has flavoured my (still in progress) site makeover - I decided to keep it as simple as possible.

I think I’m a 1, 4 and 6 type of person on an unproductive day. Definitely not 2 - unless I know in the back of my mind that some of what I’m putting off actually IS critical.

Once again, thanks Leo and keep up the great work ;)

Joe Crisara Says:

January 14th, 2008, 0:32 am

When I have a blah day wher I am in slow motion, I just grab my I-Pod head to the car and crank the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stadium Arcadium. It usually only takes a few songs. (Try “Tell Me Baby!”) It’s funkified!

After that, I am usually in the “right” mindframe to kick it.

nXqd Says:

January 20th, 2008, 8:08 am

Wow ! That’s great, I took a bath today when I didn’t want to do anything and go out with my friends. Now, the time to work again :p
Thanks Leo, you’re great ;)