De one with Productivity

Randomly humid

Regardless of your occupation, be it a diligent student, a sharp-minded professional, a bossy housewife, a carefree self-employed, a discouraged un-employed, take a moment and ask yourself this: When are you most productive?

Ceteris paribus, in my opinion, time slots beginning 10am - 12pm and subsequently 8pm - 12am are when I yield the highest productivity. These are moments of within a day when brain-concentration level is optimal, blood-flow charged with energy and senses are all-functional.

The next question to ask yourself is: What determines or inevitably affects our productivity?

For me, it's straightforward. Personal concentration level. Without focus, my ability to comprehend, process and react would be hindered. Productivity falls or decelerates as a result. To be more specific, perhaps the question we should be more interested in are the factors which affect concentration?

Sleep

Certain research advocate on having ample sleep to achieve better concentration. Even former healthcare-marketer and uni-friend GH, highlighted the importance of snoozing if one desires not only to be productive, but also to prolong life-expectancy. Till date, there are voluminous medical reports bearing empirical proof on how adequate hibernation is essential for the body to recuperate, replenish and repair itself. These regeneration processes sufficient the body to tolerate what the next day beholds in the long run.

What happens when I'm sleep-deprived? Basically, I'd get cranky. More than never, frustrated over why I fail to grasp a simple concept or correspond slower-than-expected. I feel demoralised and insecure. Yes, it's unbearable. Peculiarly when I'm under the time pressure lasting through a compressed project mad-rush. The worst that can happen is the lack of rest leads to illness due to over-worked and getting all drowsy with medicine - something I can't afford and dislike.

Emotions

Emotions are phenomenal. It wouldn't be wise to underestimate the exponential dictatorship of feelings. A sharp hurtful word could pose an enormous barrier on your progress. I won't oppose to the idea that emotions are indeed double-edged. It crumples a person with negativity. On the other hand, it also serves as psychic boosters to help one become determined and strong-willed. Primarily, emotions govern our perspective, thoughts and how we interpret things. It indirectly affects our attitude and amplitude towards circumstances that we are faced with.

Sure critics might bring forth that an objective-focused and firmed worker could withstand the hindrance of meaningless emotions. I very well supposed, that's why the Chinese have a saying "Bu de gan qin yong shi ("ought not be sentimental when performing an act/making decisions" in Mandarin). I beg to differ. In any forms of relationships (e.g. business, school team, family), the human touch is required! Even the hardest decisions made at times are susceptible to emotional struggles, mainly because we understand the consequences would impact ourselves or others involved.

If there's anything to support the critic's view would none other be
(1) a machine which, if perfected, could be perpetually industrious; or
(2) someone who choose to lose touch with or conceal their emotions. Why? They just don't know how or are brought up in an environment which react adverse to depicting emotions publicly.

Productivity and my sentiments intersect. Absolutely, without compromising to meet objectives. Coming from this direction of integrating humanity and touche, I need to build connections with the ones alongside and whom I'm answerable to. On personal level, I have a reservoir of feelings. It's my passion that survives me. No doubt I can draw a line between work and emotions. Mostly with fair balance between being rationale and intuitive which I strongly believe is the right thing to do.

Motivation

 
People reckon motivation is directly linked to the preceding discussion. Yes, motivation could be the fruit of vast appropriate emotions. Yet, I'd like to think this to be separate, significant factor to vigor. More commonly, I tap on this wonderful power in assignments that rouse my interest or when I feel confident from encouragement or revelation of my capabilities.

Other times, motivation is deployed to trick my mind into accepting challenges which I do not have any faith in conquering at all. This was what I did with my first encounter with accounting principles. Recall the dark past when I experienced so much difficulties with debit and credit, and classification of accounts that I felt helpless like an utter failure. The first light came when I finally got something right and built on my knowledge with self-induced motivation, encouragement, well.. you could call it zi-highness ("indulging in own's enthusiasm").

Compliments, humble words of appreciation are more helpful to the recipient than we predict, considering most are too reserved and ungenerous with kind words. To begin with, they are clueless if it is appropriate to do so. Concurrently, they worry getting prejudiced of being plain superficial. I mean, come on, we're in the 21st century, definitely it doesn't bring harm to be vocal (not politically perhaps) nor does it hurt equivalent when we shadow ourselves from the limelight. Why not pick the former and motivate, influence others in their work?! Most morning, sometimes on everyday basis, I'd sent morning messages. Although it might be a clinche, but I understand the miracle of a pleasant greeting, which could spike a fresh day to begin with. Very much like popping a vitamin pill to perk our health.

Weather

 
You might barged your eyes wide but yeah, weather does affect my productivity. Imagine a rainy cold day, first the flu syndrome is enough to be a downer. Second, getting wet and fighting to keep warm is another. Believe me, these impact productivity. Did I forget to mention the battle with Z-monster because it's too cosy to work?

During hot weathers, productivity slips. It's in our genes, tolerance to high temperatures turn berserk, unscrewing the fuzz cap to our mang-zhang-ness (mang zhang means "temperamental" in hokkien). Wah! With a over-abused, dysfunct air-conditioning, I suggest we better stay clear of stepping onto anybody's tails. Heated remarks and venting of frustration is unhealthy. It pulls like a boulder tied to productivity into the depths of the sea of demoralisation.

Humans

 
Mutually exclusive to the above, the people you work with may affect efficacy. Under the broad category of humans, there are two major groups of people who influences our productivity. There first being customers/clients/patrons. A friend who works at IRAS frontdesk related how nasty and rude clients who confront and scream at them on dis-satisfied tax assessments or contentious matters. And we're not talking just 1 but at least 5-6 on average within a day. If I sketch everything on a comic stripe, imagine a gummy bear who's physical form defines its level of productivity. Everytime a gummy handles a consumer's complaints or PMS, it depletes a part of itself. So a rude customer comes and bites of an arm. The screaming customer chips off another arm with his resonance. Come the 6th, there's barely a earful of productivity remaining. Sigh, how to be productive in such an environment? This is exactly why I'm not in tourism industry although I'd love traveling around the globe. So guys, cut your retail assistant some slack (notwithstanding those who are simply ignorant).

Collaboration is critical and necessary. Just imagine the various types of associates with weird, unpleasant, repulsive behaviors and personalities, it'd pose quite a challenge to submitting a golden performance record.

Most if not all experts would advise friction at workplace, or anywhere else, should always be avoided. Easier said than done, you could cross your finger and pray all you desire on the non-occurrence of dispute, yet these are inevitable in the pragmatic world. Probably another page from the book of fate? Perhaps until proven. But the jees of it still falls on the fact that our dealings with humans, how they think, react, feel affects our productivity.

To better elaborate, let me paint scenarios with words. Say your working partner does not confide in you when he/she faces issues with work. Mostly due to introvert-personalities or temporal defiance. And you need him/her to fulfill his/her part so that you could collate. Even when it's submitted, the work's way below dis-satisfactory. The initial time schedule has to be extended, finalisation has to be deferred.

That is not all! Remember he/she has feelings. How would he/she feels after repetitive error-corrections or up to a point when you feel it's reach a state when it's no longer conducive to keep mum and confront the problem head-on? This is probably why interpersonal skills comes in handy. But progress? It's definitely deviated from what's budgeted. Of course, not everything in life is perfect and proceed as planned. Detours are expected. I'm just pointing out a dreadful situation when the outcomes becomes undesirably screwed and we do not have the cohesiveness, time and experience to contain the issue. Now, that's a valid argument, wouldn't it?

Stress

I'd prefer to say I don't cope well with stress. If otherwise, you'd probably have to attest my confession yourself. Perhaps its my expressionless face, or my calm appearance, or even the deployment of my wits to circumvent what's faced currently, else anybody might just take my opening sentence seriously. But swear to God, there are times when pressure overwhelms, that's when I would speak my "stress" langauges:
 (i) me arriving to office with a Venti caramel macchiato
 (ii) wearing a black outfit
(iii) me drinking tea
(iv) when I remain quiet the entire day
 (v) when I didn't join in for lunch
Stress is a cognitive disruption. Res ipsa loquitur ("fact speaks for itself" in latin), everyone's familiarly agreeable when i bring out the fact that it plays a irrevocable part on impeding labor. Like fine-tuning a timpani, the master key lies in how we cope and mitigate stress faced. Off-tune it'd hurt your ears. In-tune, you'll get to enjoy a melodious life.

When I'm stressed, I'd ask myself "how do I go about this". Map out all the potential resorts in my head, process its costs and benefits and pick the most efficient and effective fit. Yes, this would be ideal. "What if" there's no way out? Head for the exit? No, that's the last resort. Probably responsible enough to keep the productivity gauge above zero. Haha. As Rebecca advised "ask and it shall be given", someone has to save the day eventually!

Productivity is after all a mind's affair. Of course, the statement's valid under the assumptions that we're not physically hurt and/or troubled with health problems.