Stop Disappointing Yourself: A Realistic Approach to Getting Things Done
"Wake at 5 AM, meditate for 30 minutes, journal for 20 minutes, exercise for an hour, make a high fiber, high protein breakfast, have meaningful connection with partner/friend over coffee..."
If you've rolled your eyes at productivity advice like this, I'm with you.
(Ok - actually if I'm being totally honest - first I get a little romanced by it and think I should try it…then after I take a deep breath, I roll my eyes.)
These aspirational routines ignore a fundamental truth: most of our days don't go as planned.
So what if we accepted reality and built routines that work when everything goes sideways?
The Reality Check
At a certain point in life, unpredictability becomes the norm. If it's not already on auto-pilot, it's likely complicated, urgent, or both.
Yet many of us still cling to ambitious productivity ideals that assume long stretches of uninterrupted focus. In my experience, the gap between expectation and reality creates unnecessary disappointment and self-criticism - which further drains us of mental energy & creative capacity.
When disruption is built into the system rather than treated as a failure, you eliminate the productivity tax of disappointment.
Building Your Tiered Productivity System
Curious about how this might work? Here's one way to approach it:
Envision different versions of your essential routines.
Morning Routine Example:
Optimal Version: (30 minutes) Full meditation, journaling, and planning session for the week
Basic Version: (15 minutes) Brief mindfulness exercise and priority identification for the day
Minimal Version: (5 minutes) Three deep breaths and writing down your top task
Work Execution Strategy:
Optimal: Deep focused work on complex priorities
Basic: Progress on straightforward tasks requiring less mental bandwidth
Minimal: Pre-drafted email responses and simple administrative tasks
Evening Wrap-Up:
Optimal: Thorough reflection, next-day planning, and preparation
Basic: Quick priority scan for tomorrow
Minimal: One sentence in your notes about what needs attention first thing
This isn't about lowering our standards—it's creating systems (& a mindset) resilient enough to maintain progress even when conditions aren't ideal.
This takes practice. Certain types of disruptions still throw me for a major loop. But I've definitely gotten better at planning for - & celebrating - the progress I can realistically make on a less-than-ideal day.
And paradoxically, when I plan for disruption, my mood stays more level and I am often able to accomplish more than my worst case scenario predicted.
Much Love,
Marijke Ocean
On my mind:
how improving my sleep first improved all other attempts at routines. This book is an inspiration.
the elegant simplicity of the 3-3-3 prioritization approach I love
my go-to guided meditations for total beginners or experienced meditators. I recommend - and use them myself! - often.