Admittedly, watching squirrels is not something that is usually thought of when it comes to productivity. The thing is, though, that observing these entertaining little critters is a great way to learn more about how to make yourself more productive.
Don’t laugh – I’ve learned plenty from squirrels. If you are willing to take a few minutes to consider how they live, you can learn a lot.
Pace Yourself
Squirrels aren’t great at pacing themselves, but spending time watching squirrels can show you the importance of taking your time. Time spent pacing yourself isn’t wasted time – it’s time you spend saving energy. Learn to pace yourself so you don’t burn out.
Go All Out
Squirrels are also really, really good at going full-speed. If you’ve ever seen a squirrel on the road, you know how fast they can move. Like a squirrel, know how to move fast when it’s really important. If you can give it your all for a quick sprint at work, you may be able to accomplish something very quickly.
Know When to Stop
If you spend time watching squirrels, you know that squirrels are famous for just stopping in the middle of what they’re doing. They look like they’re just going blank, but they aren’t – they’re stopping to observe the world around them.
When you’re at work, don’t get so deep into a project that you can’t see what’s going on. This will help you pick up on the important things happening in your office and help you to be more effective.
Make Time to Play
Squirrels aren’t all about survival. Sometimes, they just play. Play is a hugely important part of maintaining your own productivity. You can’t work 24/7 without burning out, just like squirrels can’t spend all their time at the feeders. Make some time to have fun during the work day, even if all you’re going to do is play a game of solitaire. It will help you to focus later when you really do need to work.
Save Something for Later
Squirrels are famous for saving things. That’s where the term “squirreling something away” comes from, right? When you’re at work, make sure that you save something for later so that you can be more productive. This might mean hiding away a little bit of chocolate so you can make it through the day or keeping some of your resources in reserve so you can use them on a later product. Whatever you choose to save, it will help you in the long run.
Pay Attention to Connections
Squirrels are able to move through the trees with seemingly little effort. They don’t do this because they’re so strong – they do it because they can see the connections between the branches as they move. They are able to be more productive by understanding how everything fits together. You can be more productive by determining exactly how everything fits together in your own place of work.
Know When to Run
Squirrels know when something is too big to handle. If you’ve ever seen a squirrel get within biting distance of a big dog, you know exactly how quickly a squirrel can move. In business, you’ve got to know when a project is just too big. Instead of wasting your time on something you can’t accomplish, become productive by focusing your attention elsewhere. You’ll be happier with how things turn out.
Squirrels can teach you an awful lot about being productive. They really can make you a better worker! Just don’t spend all your time watching them – that’s a great way to get fired!
