The Cup Method

 

I'm a self admitted workaholic. It isn't intentional and it's something that I have mixed feelings about. I've historically used work to escape dealing with other areas of life that I had less control over. It's allowed me to achieve a lot on paper, but there are negative side effects that I won't go into right now. 

However, I get asked semi-frequently what my 'process' is. How do I find it so easy to concentrate on tasks for so many hours day in day out without getting bored? The answer is, I don't. I would get just as bored as the next person, require copious amounts of caffeine to even function at basic humaning in the mornings and I burn out if I'm forced to work on something I have no interest in for longer than a few hours. If anything, I have less intrinsic concentration skills than most people I've met. The difference is that I realised this at a young age (I'd probably be diagnosed with ADHD if tested now) and was in a very competitive environment where I was expected to perform at consistently high levels or face various forms of punishment. So I had to adapt quickly.

Over the years I've read various 'CEO lifestyle' posts that advise you to get up at 5am while it's still dark outside, have cold showers every day, run for 5 miles before breakfast, etc. Every so often I'll try this for a month or so out of curiosity. It is pure torture. Every single time my productivity crashes, I feel exhausted, depressed, and end up having to play catch up the following month. I've learned the hard way that you have to work with your natural rhythm. What works for one person doesn't neccessarily work for another.

For me, my natural state is that of a night-owl. My routine is completely backwards compared to the stereotypical CEO. I'm useless in the morning and use that time for creative brainstorming. My mind can't focus on one thing and automatically wants to branch off in multiple directions. So I use that to my advantage. I'll wake up around 8-9am, have breakfast, write out what tasks I need to do that day, then take my time getting ready, reading the news, checking/trading stocks, etc. I'll then do any design work, rough sketches or tasks requiring creative thought. I also find it's a perfect time to do any type of therapy or meditation, as I'm already in a semi-conscious state and can more easily deal with certain topics that the logical part of my brain would otherwise fight against.

By around 11am, I'll have consumed enough caffeine to switch on the logic part of my brain and can start working on tasks that require more focus. My concentration and energy levels continue to climb until about 7pm, when I start to get hyperactive unless I go for a walk or exercise in some way to burn off the excess energy. If I try to exercise in the morning (as most PTs recommend) then I feel drained for the rest of the day. When I get back I'll normally return to work for a few more hours. My peak productivity is always late afternoon/evening, sometimes later if I'm really switched on and enjoying the task. Trying to do things the other way around just doesn't work.

My brain also hates being told what to do (even by me!) so I've experimented with various techniques until settling on the below cup method. I have no idea if there are better methods out there (probably), but my philosophy is always 'if it ain't broke then don't fix it'. This method has worked well for me over the years and might be useful for anyone else reading this who struggles to get things done.

After writing out my tasks for the day each morning, I'll cut them up into individual bits of paper, fold and stick them in a cup, and pick one at random. I'll work on that task until it's either complete or I'm bored (in which case it goes back into the cup). This tricks my brain into feeling as if everything I do is a random surprise and I get to constantly switch things up so I'm not forcing myself to keep working on something when I'm out of the zone. I still get everything done, just in a non-linear fashion. This works especially well for really tedious and/or repetitive tasks that I can break up into 30-60 minute blocks and fit around other tasks in the day.

The same method applies to any big projects that I work on that can span 2-3 years. I'll break it all down into minor tasks with a (digital) 'cup' for each of those. I'll then split each task into smaller tasks and add them to the cup. Each week I'll pick a cup at random and work on tasks within that cup until I get bored (at certain times of the month, I'm also far better at technical or creative work due to hormones so that also impacts which tasks I choose - I'll maybe do a separate post on that for the ladies!). There are a couple of other ADHD types in my team find the same method really helpful. The work all gets done, just in a more roundabout way. We've tried other methods in the past and people would work hard-core for a bit, then burn out and quit the project. So far this way of working has been the most successful.

Does anyone use a different technique to stay motivated? Or have you tried something like the cup method and found it beneficial?