I love sweet pickles. Not just any sweet pickles. They must be my Grandma’s special sweet pickle recipe.
This year, on a whim, I decided to throw some cucumber seeds in a pot and see what my luck would be. I didn’t have high expectations. To my surprise, I had a pretty good crop. All summer, as I would check on the progress (sometimes several times a day, because I was that excited) my mind would drift to thoughts of my Grandma. At cucumber harvest time, it was time to make Grandma’s famous sweet pickles.
But you ask, what do sweet pickles have to do with productivity?
You see, when I think of Grandma and her sweet pickles, I can’t help but think about how much she could get done in a day. When there was a job to be done, she’d roll up her sleeves and get to work. She was truly an inspiration.
She seemed to run circles around everyone else. Even as a kid, I wondered how she had so much energy to get it all done. She never seemed to have idle hands. Even watching the evening news, she’d keep her arthritis at bay by knitting. She was one active lady.
For years, I wondered what her productivity secret was. Through observation and stories my mother has told me, I’ve found two key things that kept her momentum rolling: Planning and Naps.
She planned. She would plan and prioritize what needed to be done. She was realistic in what she could accomplish in any given timeframe. She was deliberate in what she wanted to do and scheduled her time accordingly.
Naps?! Yes, I found out that my grandma worked in rest into her afternoons. She had done so as far back as my mother can remember. It was ingrained into her schedule. She got up early, had five kids to contend with, all the household chores, gardening, canning, working with Grandpa, oh how the list goes on. She took the time in the middle of the day to rest her body and mind so that she could do a better job the rest of the day.
While her neighbors complained about how much they had to do and no time to do it, my grandma knew what it took to just get things done.
I’m a planner. I’m sure that is a trait I’ve gained from my mother and grandmother. I also know how important it is to step back and have time to regroup, especially in stressful situations. I used to work in a high-stress corporate job. Tons of things were coming at me all at once. During my lunch break, I’d eat a quick bite then would retreat to my car, recline the seat, and have at least 30 minutes of peace and quiet. Although I wasn’t able to actually fall to sleep most days, the rest was all I needed to be more productive for the rest of the day.
So, as I use Grandma’s recipe to make my own sweet pickles, I’m reminded how important it is to intentionally plan my time, but also to actually take a rest break. Just 30 minutes to regroup and recharge will make all the difference in the world.
It’s not a ridiculous notion, I promise. Rest to regroup your thoughts will help you gain perspective. You will be able to make adjustments to your day’s plan and have a fresh start to your afternoon.
You may be a good planner, but do you take the time to rest and recharge?