The 2020 pandemic turned our livesupside down, but some of those changes may be more positive than others. Theextent to which the pandemic productively changed the way we work may be theextent to which companies grow and mature.

Changing the work site.  Many of us still work at home, but ineither home or the office, the trick to productivity lies in making systemswork for you. That isn’t easy when you have limited control over yourworkspace, but it’s not impossible.

Dr. Suess said it well, “No one isyouer than you!” Working from home you exercise control over the music youlisten to, the office space that inspires and the way your day unfolds. If youhave embraced the change, you are loving your home office. If not, you aremissing the old…but what if your employer has learned how much is saved inoverhead by not owning or leasing space? What if this trend of working at homeis permanent? Either way, embrace working from home.

If you work in a space designed byyour employer, your goal is to instill as much of you as possible into whatmight be viewed a sterile environment. Redecorate your space. Bring headphonesand listen to what inspires you. Make sure your eyes rest on somethingmotivational. What if it’s time to reclaim a portion of your space and make itwork for you?

Don’t let meetings govern (orruin) your day. Working from home with a host of conference calls or zoommeetings is rather like trying to race past a blob to the finish line with theproviso that you stay within your lane. Meetings may be required, but theyaren’t the basis of your productivity—your productivity begins when the meetingends, as you justify your position and make something happen. Begin by doing alittle homework. Read how meetings destroy productivity and develop a strategyfor sharing that with the hierarchy. Entrepreneur magazineoffers excellent advice on this topic.

When you can’t change corporate mindset,focus on how to change your own little corner of the world. Here are some ideastoward injecting more productivity into your day:

• Set up a list of to dos the evening before, and awakenearly to scratch some of them off before the meetings begin.
• Message the meeting leader ahead of time for anagenda and timeframe for the discussion.
• Keep a record of your productivity and whenvalued accomplishments take place. Your boss may see that meetings impededvalued progress.
• Extensive meetings may reflect a supervisor’sfear that work isn’t taking place. Establish a check in with what is beingaccomplished as a way to ensure your compliance with company goals.

Develop a wayto deal with frustrations. Know-it-alls exist in every company. Competitivecoworkers will always try to make your ideas seem like their own. Annoyingpeople (even family members who invade your workspace) will always exists. Thetrick isn’t in gaining control over them, It lies in changing the way yourespond to frustration.

Frustration stressesyou out. It ruins your day. It changes you from the one in control of your mindto being the one reacting to the stressors overwhelming you. Toxic emotionsarise, and they hurt your work. Worse, they hurt your own health and welfare.It’s no way to live. The HarvardBusiness Review recently published a three-step process for breaking thecycle. It involves self-awareness, fostering emotional self-control, andlearning to work more effectively with others.