Written by: Claudia Romero, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Wouldn’t it be great if you and your team could feel less stressed and get more done? If that sounds like a confusing contradiction (how on earth can trying to get more done be LESS stressful?) don’t worry, I have a secret formula that can make it happen.
Busy, busy, busy – the story of my life
For years I juggled my career and family life – growing a business whilst looking after my family (which not only included the usual family things of getting my sons to their activities, helping at school events, and running the family home, but also providing care and managing medical appointments for my youngest who has complex medical needs and requires 24/7 care).
On top of all that I managed to find time for myself to do the things I wanted and needed to do for my own well-being.
Inevitably people kept asking me what my secret was and how did I do it all? Did I go without sleep? Did I somehow have more hours in the day than everyone else? Of course, I didn’t (and as a self-confessed lazy person, giving up sleep was never an option for me).
What I did have was a particular approach to life. I focussed on getting things done as quickly and efficiently as possible so that I did have time for myself. I organised my workload and commitments in such a way that I never had to sacrifice sleep (except in an emergency). It came naturally to me. But I began to realise that it wasn’t second nature to everyone else (that was the “Eureka!” moment that started me on this path, but that’s another story for another day) and so I sat down and tried to work out how I could help other people do what I did.
Working out a solution
I spent time analysing my approach and working out how to present it as a simple, straightforward formula which was easy to explain and which my clients could apply to their own lives.
The result was my S.O.U.L Productivity Method – four steps which when combined can help you and your team achieve more with less stress.
Note that I don’t say “no stress”. A degree of stress – providing it’s not overwhelming or having a negative impact on your life – is both unavoidable and necessary. In fact, short-term or “good” stress can help motivate and inspire you, so it’s definitely something you want to keep in your life. (Reference: https://edition.cnn.com/2021/04/01/health/stress-good-for-you-wellness/index.html).
What we’re looking to reduce is long-term, bad stress; that feeling of being on a treadmill, constantly running and getting nowhere, and that’s what S.O.U.L is intended to help with. It can not only help make your life better, but it can help improve the lives of everyone in your team, helping them become more productive, whilst reducing their stress (which will not only improve their happiness and well-being but may ultimately help improve staff retention – people who don’t feel overwhelmed at work are less likely to seek alternative opportunities). All in all, S.O.U.L can benefit you, your team, and your business – and it only takes four simple steps.
What is S.O.U.L?
SOUL stands for: Simplify, Organise/Optimise, Understand and Leverage. Each step can help you and your team move towards a more productive life and combined they’re a powerful tool which can help you achieve your goals and enjoy more time doing the things you love.
This month we’re going to focus on the first part of the process: Simplify – and over the coming months we’ll look at the subsequent stages.
S is for “Simplify”
We start with simplifying things, and whilst I don’t mean giving away your belongings and going off grid, this stage does involves decluttering your life – physically and digitally.
Eliminate distractions – this might mean removing all those social media apps from your phone so that you’re less distracted and better able to focus, it might be tidying and streamlining your home and workspaces. You don’t have to create a laboratory like white space that’s devoid of cheer and decoration but getting rid of (or better still tackling) the piles of paperwork on your desk will help you focus and feel less stressed.
The next part of this process is working smarter, not harder. Find more efficient ways of doing things, look at tasks which take up a lot of your time and work out if there’s a better way to handle them.
For your team this could mean exploring ways to introduce distraction free work periods, such as meeting free Mondays or encouraging them to only check emails or return calls during specific times of the day.
Prioritise, don’t procrastinate
And finally, ditch the things that don’t matter. Not everything you do every day is essential – some of it you just do from habit. Take a long honest look at what’s taking up your time and ask yourself is it really important? Is it something you could do weekly instead of daily? Is it something that takes you closer to your goal? (If not maybe cut it out of your routine.) Is it something that could wait until next week (or month)? Or is it something you can delegate to someone else?
Don’t fill your time with things that don’t get results, you don’t enjoy, which can be done later (don’t use that as an excuse to procrastinate – it’s about prioritising what matters) or which aren’t productive – use your time wisely and you might just find you have more of it.
Encourage your team to be honest about their strengths and weaknesses – and about the things they enjoy (and dread) doing and work with them to play into those areas. Perhaps someone has a flair for organising events and would love to take on that responsibly? Help your team make the most of their talents and support each other by better utilising those skills. Not only will productivity increase, but you’ll have a happier team who feel empowered to make the most of their interests and skills, and that has the potential to benefit everyone.
Claudia Romero, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Claudia is a highly skilled consultant with a Business Management background who specializes in productivity, business resilience, and time efficiency. She understands the challenges faced by senior executives, entrepreneurs, and business owners who have to balance their careers, relationships, and personal needs. She has a non-traditional approach to productivity that has been praised for its simplicity and effectiveness in overcoming overwhelm and burnout, helping leaders increase team productivity, achieve consistent growth and increased profits. As a captivating speaker, Claudia delivers top-quality masterclasses on achieving success in all aspects of work and life.
