How to Make the Most of Your Crazy Time and Stay Productive
I remember the first time I found myself completely overwhelmed at work - deadlines piling up, emails flooding my inbox, and my to-do list growing faster than I could check things off. It felt exactly like that moment in a frantic video game when enemies swarm from all directions and you're desperately trying to survive. That's when I discovered what I call "crazy time" - those periods when everything seems to hit at once and your normal productivity systems just can't keep up. The secret isn't to avoid these chaotic moments, but to learn how to thrive within them, much like how in combat games, you gradually unlock better tools that transform chaos into controlled frenzy.
During one particularly insane project launch last quarter, I had what felt like seventeen urgent tasks demanding immediate attention. My initial instinct was to tackle everything at once, which only left me exhausted and ineffective. Then I remembered playing this shooter game where I'd start with basic weapons that felt inadequate against swarming enemies. The game designers understood something important about progression - they gave players ranged options that steadily improved, turning each confrontation from a desperate struggle into an exhilarating dance of destruction. I realized I needed to approach my work chaos the same way - by upgrading my "tools" and strategies rather than just fighting harder with what wasn't working.
What does "upgrading your tools" mean in real life? For me, it meant recognizing that my usual methods weren't cutting it. I started treating different tasks like different weapons in my arsenal. Quick email responses became my "dual blasters" - rapid-fire solutions that could handle multiple small threats efficiently. Deep work sessions transformed into my "atom gun" - that scorching energy beam capable of melting through the toughest projects with focused intensity. The key was matching the right tool to the right situation, just like in games where you learn which weapon works best against which enemy type. I found that dedicating specific time blocks to particular types of work increased my effectiveness by what felt like 40-50%, though I'll admit I didn't actually measure the exact percentage.
The gaming analogy extends to movement too. In those chaotic game moments, standing still means certain death - you need to constantly reposition, dodge incoming threats, and find better angles. Similarly, during crazy times at work, I learned to keep moving mentally. If I hit a wall on one project, I'd switch to another for thirty minutes, then return with fresh perspective. This "evading projectiles" approach prevented me from getting stuck and maintained momentum across all my responsibilities. I'd estimate this strategy alone saved me about 2-3 hours of wasted time each day during particularly intense periods.
Here's where my personal preference really comes into play, and it might be controversial - I've completely abandoned trying to maintain balanced attention across all tasks during crazy times. Just like how in that game, melee combat quickly became an afterthought despite initially seeming important, I've learned to identify which parts of my workload simply aren't worth engaging with deeply during high-pressure periods. There are certain administrative tasks that, while technically part of my job, deliver minimal value compared to core projects. "Bashing an enemy upside the head" might work in specific spots, but it's not a sustainable strategy. I've made the conscious decision to "neglect melee buffs" - those small, close-combat tasks that eat time without moving the needle - in favor of "improving my firearms," meaning doubling down on the high-impact work that actually drives results.
This approach does require some finesse, of course. You can't completely ignore certain responsibilities, just like you can't entirely avoid close combat in games. But what I've found is that during crazy times, applying 80% of my energy to 20% of the most critical tasks creates disproportionate results. The other stuff? I handle it with minimal viable effort or delegate where possible. Some colleagues might disagree with this imbalanced approach, but having experimented with both methods across what must be nearly 200 high-pressure situations over my career, the focused strategy consistently delivers better outcomes with less burnout.
The real transformation happens when you stop fighting the chaos and start flowing with it. Those gaming sessions taught me that the most satisfying moments often come when you're barely keeping up, dodging projectiles while precisely placing your own shots. Similarly, I've learned to embrace the intensity of crazy times rather than resist them. There's a certain rhythm you find - what might look like chaos to an observer becomes a familiar pattern to you. You develop instincts for what needs immediate attention versus what can wait, much like how experienced players intuitively know when to dodge versus when to attack. I've noticed that after implementing these strategies, my productivity during high-pressure periods has improved dramatically - if I had to put a number on it, I'd say I'm achieving about 65% more meaningful output during crazy times compared to my old approach of trying to do everything equally well.
What surprised me most was discovering that these chaotic periods, when handled correctly, can actually be more productive than normal times. The urgency forces better decision-making, the pressure eliminates procrastination, and the focused approach prevents wasted effort on low-value tasks. It's like how in games, the most frantic battles often yield the biggest rewards and most satisfying victories. The key is having the right systems and tools in place before the chaos hits - you can't upgrade your weapons mid-battle, and you can't develop new productivity systems when you're already drowning. Preparation during calm periods is what allows you to thrive during the crazy ones. Looking back at my most successful projects, about 85% of them involved navigating through what seemed like impossible time crunches and overwhelming workloads, but having the right approach transformed potential disasters into career highlights.