Netflix. YouTube. TikTok.
These are just a few out of MANY entertainment apps out there that we can’t help but scroll mindlessly on our phones. Even if their contents are amazing, funny, and addictive, and their memories follow me left and right ~ I can feel…
OKAY! You get the idea…
But, they can also serve as a HUGE distraction for us to complete our tasks at hand.
So, we decided to ask our founder and CEO, Zhi Ee, to share her personal secret on how she stays productive all the time. She shared her 7 easy-to-follow steps that we can try instantly now to maintain our self-discipline.
To make things more fun, we have invited one of our Monsta Admins, Jane Peter, who is handling our email marketing, to play along as well. Let’s get to it!
Step #1 – Find your weakness
This might sound easier said than done. But, if you don’t know yourself better, no one can help you with that.
Zhi Ee shared that identifying your weakness like eating too much junk food or watching Netflix non-stop are signs that you are acknowledging and accepting them.
She didn’t mean that you accept and move on with your life without any changes. But, it also doesn’t mean that it’s going to be extreme changes.
“Reduce your bad habits and stay moderate,” Zhi Ee said. “You can’t get rid of it instantly. So, don’t expect your weakness be gone immediately.”
By finding and accepting your weakness, you can then slowly reduce it by creating easy, small habits, which lead us to the next point…
Jane’s example: “My weakness is I watch too many TikTok videos every day. I get super lazy afterwards, both emotionally and mentally.”
Step #2 – Create easy habits
Don’t run before you can walk. You will only hurt yourself more.
“Imagine you have not exercised for years and now you want to exercise for 1 hour every day?” Zhi Ee questioned.
Not everyone can be THAT perseverant and consistent in sticking to their habits. In fact, most can’t.
So, why not build an easy and sustainable habit instead?
“Make small steps.” Zhi Ee explained. “Let’s say you want to read a book. Set yourself to read 3-5 pages daily, instead of 3-5 chapters.”
Start small and progress.
Jane’s example: “I usually go on TikTok at night. So, now I ask my parents to take me out to malls after dinner. Not every night, but at least I can lessen my time on the phone.”
Step #3 – Use rewards
In this meritocracy society, it’s only right to treat yourself better by rewarding yourself when you have achieved something, even for a small win.
Pro tip: This works the best when you have an accountability partner. That way, you can keep yourself in check with your habits. Also, the feeling will hit different when you know you earn it and it’s given to you by other people.
Work towards your habits and have fun at the same time.
Jane’s example: “My parents will cook my favourite food if I spend more time with them by having no screen time.”
Step #4 – Have your standard
Setting standards mean you do not overwhelm yourself with too many things on your plate.
“You have a big vision to achieve this, achieve that, but do you have enough boundaries and standards to set yourself up for success?” Zhi Ee asked.
She further explained it by telling us how she implements it in her business:
“Monsta Asia has a daily huddle where we discuss what we will focus to work on that day. We make sure there are no more than 6 tasks because we know it’s difficult to finish all tasks if we have more than 6.
We have 1 big goal and then we will have 6 subtasks to support that big goal.”
Jane’s example: “My daily to-do list will not be more than 6. And, I’ll set priority for each list to know which to focus on first.”
Step #5 – Look ahead
Even if we have so far encouraged you to start small and easy, we still do agree that we need to get ourselves excited and motivated by having that ONE big vision on our minds.
It will give you more clarity and be visually pleasing when you have it physically on sight – a vision board. It will help you to laser-focus on your goals and reinforce your commitment to look ahead and strive for them.
Jane’s example: “Sorry, pals. I can’t tell you my vision, but I do have a vision board put on my wall in the room. When I look up from my laptop, I can see it right in front.”
Step #6 – Set alarms
We have heard of the Pomodoro method – 25 minutes work, 5 minutes break. But, you can create your own version as to how you want to achieve a task within a timeframe.
This is the key to letting yourself sit tight on your chair and focusing on that single task. Setting an alarm also helps to give yourself that well-deserved break too.
“My personal tip is I set the alarm on my phone and put it very far from me. So, when it rings, I can walk over there. This way, it will be easier to take a break since I’m already away from work.” Zhi Ee said.
Jane’s example: “I use the Pomodoro technique. It works well for me. Sometimes I do work over the time, but I will take a longer break afterwards.”
Step #7 – Make adjustments
This is the most crucial step because only you know your body, soul, and mental state. Based on your current circumstances, you can always go back and make adjustments accordingly.
Every tip mentioned here or anywhere online is always a guideline. It guides you to be better, work better and live better. But, it’s not a fixed deal.
Zhi Ee encourages all of us to set our own adjustments based on our own styles and habit.
“Be consistent and start today!”
Jane’s example: “I reviewed my personal performance every month or every other week. It helps me to compare and make changes so I can work more productively.”
Comment your version in the comment box below. We would love to see you make these 7 steps in life so you can take back control of your time.
On a side note, you can also volunteer yourself at this SEA conference 2022, happening in September, to be part of a meaningful initiative to create a community of global digital and internet ecosystem leaders.
You can volunteer as an Events Team Volunteer, working either on social media postings or gathering testimonials, and getting paid RM 50 per day.
Check out more information here!
It’s a rare chance to experience high-value networking and gain exclusive insights from the BEST of the BEST, all in one place.
Isn’t this the best reward for yourself since you have read thus far down here? 😉