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Routines can be a double edged-sword. They can help provide the consistency and structure that supports strong productivity. They can also work against us if we are too rigid or inflexible, which can lead to stagnation and boredom.
Small changes to your routines can have big results towards combatting that stagnation. Mixing-up routines can help rewire the connections in your brain. This neuroplasticity allows you to bring new perspectives and creativity to your work.
Here are just five examples of small things you can do to mix-up your routines and break-through the monotony. By adopting some (or all) of these changes, you'll gain fresh perspectives for approaching your work.
Meetings
Meetings are a great place to start. They can often feel very monotonous and yet the adjustments we recommend are really simple. This is a low-cost, high impact opportunity.
You can start by shortening the length of your meetings. Schedule your meetings to start later and/or end earlier than normal. The amount you adjust will depend on the length of the meeting. This will give your attendees time between meetings. It also often leads to more productive conversation as the objective of the meeting must now be met in a shorter period of time.
While we're changing our meetings, you might also consider no-meeting Fridays. It's exactly as it sounds. We avoid scheduling any meetings on Fridays (or another day) in order to allow employees to use that time as they see fit. Some companies do this every week while others might schedule them monthly or quarterly.
Other changes to consider are the location of the meeting. This applies to one-on-ones too. Instead of meeting in your office, can the team meet outside or can you grab coffee during a one-on-one? I've even received positive feedback from "walking" one-on-ones if there's nothing too critical to discuss.
Systems
There are a number of different systems for a wide variety of topics.
Are you looking to improve your productivity? Consider using the Getting Things Done system, an Eisenhower Matrix or the Pomodoro technique.
Do you want to focus on setting and achieving goals? You could leverage the S.M.A.R.T. goals, back-casting or Word of the Year.
Those are just examples and it would be almost impossible to list every system and tool available for those topics. The recommendation here is to look at the systems you are currently using and then consider alternative solutions. You may not stick with the alternatives, but often I find there are small details in those new systems that I'll adopt into my current strategy.
Problem solving
If you've hit a creative or intellectual wall when trying to solve a problem, take a break and literally walk away from the problem. Don't shift to email or other tasks for distraction. Get up from your workstation and do a simple non-work related task that allows your mind to wander. This could be going for a short walk , meditating, listening to music, etc.
When we try to push through these difficult problems, our brains become overworked and they lose some of their processing power. It's actually more advantageous to switch to a completely different activity while your brain continues to process information in the background. It's why people say their best ideas come to them in the shower.
Play with timing
This can mean working different times of the day if you have that luxury. It can also mean changing the time of day you do certain tasks. If you know when you are most creative, schedule your creative driven work during that time. Switch things-up to see if you are more effective at certain tasks during certain times of the day.
Location
We've already talked about changing the location of a meeting but you should also consider changing the location from which you do work in general. Spend the first half of a no-meeting Friday in a coffee shop. Or work on a nearby but different office/floor than you normally do. You can also check-out community workspaces that will provide a change in scenery while also exposing you to new people.
This Week's Action Items:
Identify one thing that you are going to change about the meetings you own (length, location, no-meeting days)
Identify one system you are not already using and begin implementing it.
Identify easy activities that you can switch too when you are stuck on a problem at work.
Shift your schedule around to determine the times of day you are most effective with certain tasks.
Get out of your normal space and work somewhere new.
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