Monkeys Hijack Productivity: Bananas Ensue

I can’t seem to get to….start, organize, do, call, finish.

It’s not your hands; it’s the monkeys in your head.

more fun than a phone call

Imagine your mind as a hyperactive monkey swinging from branch to branch in the jungle of your thoughts.

It snatches at every shiny distraction—a banana of notifications here, a tempting vine of social media there—constantly on the move.

It's your ‘monkey mind’, a Buddhist concept that describes a state of restlessness, capriciousness, and lack of control over one's thoughts.

But just like monkeys can be trained (to a point!) with patience, discipline, and focus, so can our minds (to a point!).

Your challenge isn’t to suppress the monkey.

Your job is to train it to swing deliberately toward what matters most and save the bananas for later.

A better place for your bananas

Clues your monkey mind is grabbing bananas

Procrastination

You’re busy organizing your desk, social media, cooking, walking, drawing, calling a friend, or napping, but not on the priorities.

Some of the best meals ever made were while avoiding something else.

More overwhelming bananas.

Difficulty Focusing: You start a task but then check your phone, switch tabs, or think about everything but what you're brain simply doesn't wanna do.

Overthinking: Small decisions feel monumental as your thoughts spiral into "what-ifs," omg scenarios.

Conflicted goals:

·      I need to….but I’m afraid of the answer.

·      I said I would….but I don’t want to.

·      I’ll start on Tuesday….how’d that work for Wimpy?

·      I want to buy/hire….but I don’t want to pay when I can do it myself.

·      Fill in your favorite: _______________

Taming your monkey

One method is simply bananas: Give your "monkey" something meaningful to work on.

Ha! It Sounds like it should work, but it doesn’t.

That’s why you’ve read this far.

These do:

Set Clear Priorities

• Define 1-3 key tasks to focus on each day. No more!

• Use tools like to-do lists or productivity apps to stay on track.

Notice when you're distracted. 

The monkeys make it hard to do!

But you can, and then laugh about it because it’s comical.

Until you destroy your health, finances, or environment.

Timers, alerts, medication, and having others check on you works.

Monkey timeout

Recenter

Take a breath, remind yourself of what you’re doing and why.

Use Illeisim

Talk to yourself out loud as if you’re talking to someone else. My dad used to say, “So I said to myself, “Self, what are you trying to do?” or "Hey [your name], wtf?"

Create your productive environment.

Be fed and comfortable. Turn off the phone and wifi. Give yourself permission to take breaks at certain milestones or intervals.

Do something physical first to get yer yayas out.

Jumping jacks, short walk, water or food, whatever, just drop the shoulders and shake the yaya monkeys off.

Break Tasks Down

While your monkey will howl that you’re wasting time on the small stuff, start with single actions with short deadlines.

Find the phone number

Sit in your chair

Get the paperwork out

Pick up the phone

Inhale

Do it

Get help or assign it

 I've seen a LOT of people find the focus to do something themselves when they realize they don't want to pay someone else or don't want someone else to screw it up.

You can do this, usually. If you genuinely can't, then we'll figure it out together.

Chill, the monkey