5 Quirky Productivity Tips That Actually Work

This is NOT a time management article.

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👋🏻 Hi, if you’re new here, my name is Azodo. I write about practical tips to help you navigate this confusing 9-5 life.

In the past, I had worked as a Manager at Mastercard, Head of Product at ALAT by Wema, Senior Product Manager at FairMoney, and Renmoney, among others.

I write about things I wish I had read at the beginning of my career.

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Trust your week is coming along nicely.

Recently, I shared that I left Mastercard and immediately transitioned from being an individual contributor to leading a large team.

My role and responsibilities instantly doubled.

I had to find 25 hours in a day 😩

So, I thought to share some of the tips that have been helping me. Hopefully, you’ll find them useful.

Heads up— this is not a post about Apps to Make You Productive or How to Beat Procrastination Using the Pomodoro Technique.

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In no particular order, here are my 5 top quirky productivity tips.

1. Midday Walks 🚶🏽

There is something about walking around that I can’t explain.

You might have seen the 2014 study by Stanford University that confirms that going for walks improves creativity. So, I won’t bore you with that.

In the past 3 months since I resumed my new job, I have taken countless walks. The first time I did that was a one-on-one with a team member. It was our first meeting, and the young man showed up with his notebook and pen.

“Hey, man. You don’t need those. Let’s walk,”

By the time our 30-45 minutes were over, the dude looked at me and said, “I enjoyed speaking with you; the walk made it even better.”

I have taken many more walks since then. There is something the midmorning sun does to your body and your brain.

I find both mental clarity on issues and more energy to deal with things after each walk.

I’m not a doctor, and I don’t exactly know the science behind it. All I can say is “Steve Jobs was right, after all.”

Side note: I’ve started talking pictures during those walks, and I find it therapeutic.

“Walking . . . is how the body measures itself against the earth.”
― Rebecca Solnit, Wanderlust: A History of Walking

2. Pumping Playlist 🎼

I made a playlist of some of my favorite “motivational” songs.

The type you play at the gym or when you need to psych yourself up. It’s made up of 25 high-energy songs that I like, “Unstoppable” by Sia, “Champion Remix” by General Pype, “Hall of Fame” by The Script ft. Will.I.Am, etc.

Listening to these songs before my work day starts gets me in the mood.

These are mine. I encourage you to make yours.

Photo by Sébastien Goldberg on Unsplash

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3. Washing My Face and Head 💦

On any given workday, I typically wash my face and head 2 or 3 times.

This is another one I don’t understand the science behind it. All I know is it works.

Washing my face and head calms me down. I’m able to breathe more calmly and really feel better.

A friend introduced me to this habit around 2011, and I have stuck with it since then. I just do it more often now.

It works. Try it out for yourself.

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4. Frequent Light Meals & Coffee ☕️

I admit that I drink more cups of espresso than I need to.

But it helps that I space them across my day… a cup at the start of my day, another about 2-3 hours later, and another around 2 pm “downtime”

That way, I maintain a slightly high level of energy throughout the day.

I generally avoid heavy meals.

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5. Working From Different Locations

Change can be liberating.

Try working from different locations every once in a while.

If you work in an office, go to a new floor, change your desk position, or work from a coffee shop or coworking space.

If you work from home, rearrange your work desk or try working from another room.

Mix things up to create excitement.

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If you enjoyed reading this, please tap on ❤️ and restack to help others find it.

— ❤️ Azodo

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