Embracing the Odd: How Unconventional Habits Boost Productivity
Sometimes we need something drastic to change a habit in our lives. Something just out there and dramatic enough that it causes a visceral reaction and jogs our conscious self into action.
We are definitely creatures of habit and we settle into routines and habits very unconsciously and automatically. What this means is that we can oftentimes develop bad habits or routines.
For me, that’s recently been phone use. Any moment I take my hands off the keyboard and take a break from writing, working, or researching - any breather of a moment - I find myself automatically reaching for my phone.
So, I reviewed what I tend to do. I took an audit of what I’m doing with my phone.
Reddit app.
Social media and deals - Tiktok, Instagram, Facebook marketplace, Redflag deals
And so, I made an extreme decision.
Delete Reddit & Physically Lock Away My Phone.
Now, I wouldn’t say I felt particularly addicted, but I recognized that I was wasting a lot of time using these apps and wanted a change.
Deleting Reddit would impact the ease with which I could access Reddit. I could still access it via my laptop or via my phone web browser. The phone locker would physically lock away my phone for a timed duration, ultimately making using it while locked annoyingly frustrating and challenging to scroll through - not impossible, but challenging enough that I’d truly consciously need to pursue it. This would give me enough time to consciously question and acknowledge the painstakingly laborious effort I’d need to use to use the phone
Whenever I think I’m doing something extremely dramatic and questioning whether it was even necessary, I think about a couple quotes.
It's not enough to just mildly want what you want. You must wildly want what you want. Nobody ever got their greatest wishes by being wishy-washy. You need to put extreme energy into your power of intention to win what you wanna win.
- Karen Salmansohn
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
- Albert Einstein
What I take away from these quotes is that if I want something to change in my life, I have to try something different. You can’t achieve something new and dramatically different from your current life if you aren’t willing to change part of your routine or some sort of habit. Something needs to happen differently for something to happen differently.
Sure, deleting apps and locking away your phone may seem extreme, but to me, they reflect commitment to what I say I want to accomplish. They clearly align with my pursuit of productivity and a willingness to jettison things that don’t align with that pursuit of productivity. And by committing to these goals, I am slowly designing my productive life.
And that’s okay.
Embracing the Power of Unconventional Choices
It’s okay to be a little weird. To do things that some would define as over the top or a little more extreme.
I remember while I was attending university, when I was afraid I would accidentally sleep for far too long during a late night cram session and only wanted to power nap, I would intentionally sleep on a pile of clean, unfolded clothes in order to be somewhat uncomfortable. Although odd, it allowed me enough comfort to rest but not enough comfort to rest for an undesired amount of time.
I also recently learned about a friend who would hold his most beloved items as ransom if he doesn’t accomplish a goal. This punitive routine would clearly establish a goal he needed to accomplish and an item of value he wanted to keep - in this case, a beloved hat. The punishment for not completing his tasks is the hat gets destroyed. And sometimes, these kinds of accountability measures and promises we keep with ourselves are the things that keep us on track with our higher aspirations.
What Can You Learn From All This?
What makes these actions unique is not their extremeness but their unconventionality. Most people wouldn't consider deleting their favourite apps, locking their phones away, destroying their own belongings, or intentionally seeking discomfort as strategies for productivity. But therein lies their power.
By being willing to explore these uncommon avenues, you're collecting valuable data points about your own behavior, habits, and how you work best. It’s a matter of trial and error to figuring out what makes youu productive and how to harness your knowledge of yourself to designing the life you want. Because we are so easily capable of falling into mediocrity, settling into comfortable situations, and adapting to what we have rather than what we want, we need to be comfortable learning how to break away from the mold, testing the waters, and gaining insights into what truly makes us tick. In essence, designing our ideal life by our terms, not society's expectations or norms.
And it's not just about productivity; it's about personal growth. These small, odd actions can help you gain a better understanding of yourself, your weaknesses, and your strengths. They encourage you to be introspective, helping you build habits that align with your aspirations.
So, the next time you find yourself contemplating an unconventional action in your quest for productivity, don't be afraid to embrace it. Be a little different. Whether it's deleting a time-consuming app or locking your phone away, taking ice baths or plunges, these unique choices can lead you down a path of self-discovery, productivity gains, and the fulfillment of your dreams and aspirations.
After all, in a world that encourages conformity, sometimes it's the odd choices that make all the difference.