Just Google It - How to Be Productive (Without Getting Distracted) - Part 5
Riya sat at her desk, staring at her laptop like it had personally betrayed her.
Three days.
Three disasters.
Wake up early? Failed.
Be confident? Embarrassing.
Impress boss? Nearly unemployed.
She took a deep breath.
“Okay,” she said.
“New approach.”
Today’s goal:
👉 Be productive.
No drama.
No risks.
No touching other people’s laptops.
She opened her phone.
Search: “How to be productive at work without distractions”
She nodded seriously.
“This is safe. Productivity cannot go wrong.”
Tip 1: Make a To-Do List 📝
Riya opened a fresh page.
Wrote in bold:
✨ Today’s Productive Plan ✨
- Complete report
- Reply to emails
- Attend meeting
- Don’t get distracted
- Drink water (normal amount)
She smiled.
“Perfect.”
Tip 2: Remove Distractions 📵
“Keep your phone away.”
Riya looked at her phone.
Her guide.
Her mentor.
Her problem.
“This is hard,” she whispered.
Still, she placed it inside her bag.
Zipped it.
Pushed the bag slightly away.
“Focus mode,” she said.
She opened her laptop.
Started typing.
One line.
Two lines.
Three—
“…What if someone messaged me?”
She froze.
“No. Discipline.”
Five seconds later—
She opened her bag.
Checked her phone.
No messages.
“Good,” she said.
“Back to work.”
Tip 3: Use Pomodoro Technique ⏳
“Work for 25 minutes. Take a 5-minute break.”
Riya nodded.
“Yes. Structured productivity.”
She set a timer.
25 minutes.
Started working.
Focused.
Typing.
Thinking.
After 2 minutes—
She checked the timer.
“Only 2 minutes?!”
She sighed.
“This is very slow.”
Minute 5.
She stretched.
Minute 7.
She yawned.
Minute 9.
She opened a new tab.
“Just quickly,” she said.
Tip 4: Avoid Multitasking 🚫
Too late.
She was now:
- Working on her report
- Watching a “productive morning routine” video
- Checking messages
- Thinking about lunch
Her brain had opened multiple tabs.
Just like her browser.
At minute 12—
She paused.
“…What was I doing?”
She stared at the screen.
The report looked unfamiliar.
Like someone else had written it.
Tip 5: Reward Yourself 🎁
“After completing tasks, give yourself a reward.”
Riya nodded.
“Yes. Motivation.”
She looked at her to-do list.
None completed.
“…Can I get a small reward for trying?”
She thought about it.
Then nodded.
“Fair.”
She ordered coffee.
And snacks.
“Energy is important for productivity.”
Reality Check
Time: 4:45 p.m.
Riya looked at her list.
✨ Today’s Productive Plan ✨
- Complete report ❌
- Reply to emails ❌
- Attend meeting ✔️ (joined, but zoned out)
- Don’t get distracted ❌
- Drink water ✔️
She leaned back.
“…I was busy all day.”
She looked at her screen again.
“…But did nothing.”
A deep realization hit her.
“Am I… the distraction?”
She picked up her phone slowly.
Like it held answers.
(It always did.)
Search:
“Why am I not productive even when I try”
She read silently.
👉 “Overplanning, distractions, and unrealistic expectations can reduce productivity.”
Riya blinked.
“…Excuse me?”
She looked at her notebook.
At her five-step plan.
At her snacks.
At her 12 open tabs.
“…This feels personal.”
She sighed.
Then smiled a little.
“Okay Google,” she said,
“today… we didn’t win.”
She paused.
Closed her notebook.
“…But we also didn’t fall on the floor.”
Small victories.
She stood up.
Packed her bag.
Then stopped.
Took out her notebook again.
✨ Updated Life Plan ✨
- Do one thing properly
- Phone = enemy (sometimes)
- Multitasking = lie
- Snacks ≠ productivity
She looked at it.
Nodded.
“Better,” she said.
And as she walked out of the office…
She didn’t feel successful.
But she didn’t feel like a disaster either.
Somewhere in between—
She was learning.
Slowly.
But still…
As she reached home…
She unlocked her phone again.
Because tomorrow—
There would be another plan.
Another search.
Another “easy” solution.
And Riya?
She wasn’t done trying yet.
Comments
Post a Comment