Productivity is a buzzword these days and most successful professionals in a wide range of fields have hailed productivity principles as the key to their success.
So what is it about productivity that’s having such a positive impact on the ability of individuals to achieve their goals?
What Does It Mean To Be Productive?
The conventional definition of productivity is very simplistic, and often misleading because it assumes that the more time spent on something, the more output will be produced. In other words, that being busy (as well as focusing on quantity as opposed to quality) is synonymous with being productive, which research has shown to be a flawed concept.
Your productivity is a measure of how much you are able to achieve (not just in terms of quantity but also in terms of quality) using the resources (including time, finances, educational resources, etc.) available to you. Naturally, this means that people who are more productive are more likely to achieve more goals, and therefore reach success a lot sooner than those who are not. The reason that increased productivity is crucial to success isn’t rocket science – who doesn’t want to be able to achieve more of their goals in less time?
In order to increase your productivity, you can either do one of two things:
- Increase the “value” that you can achieve with the same resources available
- Decrease the amount of resources that you require in order to achieve the “value”
Going Beyond The Productivity Formula
So how can you either increase the “value” (quantity and quality) of the things you achieve and/or decrease the amount of resources that you need in order to achieve them? Here are 5 essentials to do just that.
1. Good habits vs bad ones
You’ll probably notice that in order to achieve the goals that you’ve set out for yourself, some significant changes need to be made in your life. Whether you plan on getting up earlier everyday, getting more exercise, or getting more hours of study in each day, you’re going to have to form a new set of more productive life patterns and habits.
Your success and how productive you are is made up of how many good habits you have vs the bad ones. If you have more bad ones…of course that is going to make you less productive!
“Good habits formed at youth make all the difference.” – Aristotle
2. Challenge your laziness
Along the way towards achieving your goals, expect to come across numerous challenges. You know you need to do something, but you don’t feel like it. How well you deal with these moments largely depends on how much you challenge yourself in the moment.
Challenging your laziness and weak side relates to productivity because if you don’t, you won’t be able to find the willpower to get things done in a productive manner and you would be more likely to fall into the trap of procrastination. Every time you put off doing what will take you closer to your dreams, you’re wasting your most valuable resource, time!
3. Train Your Brain For Success
The results you have in your life right now are a direct reflection of your common thoughts – mindset. Successful and productive people think in a certain way.
Start to be aware of your limiting thoughts and the ones that keep you from being more productive. Tell them to ‘shut up’ and take action. You will always have two voices, are you going to listen to the stronger one or the weaker one?
4. Determine your true goals
Why do you want to be more productive and why is it important to you? Whether you want to start your own business or to start a new career, having a crystal clear picture of your goals tied in with a powerful why, will help you to direct your actions in a more productive way.
When you have clarity on what you want and why, you automatically make better decisions about your time and you get more done.
5. Plan effectively
How are you going to get from where you are now to where you want to be in life? Think about the resources you’ll need and weigh out the different options available to you. Create your own blueprint and a strategy for achieving your goals.
This will result in higher levels of productivity because you’ll have a clearer idea of where it would be most advantageous to direct your resources at each stage of your plan. You can take a million routes to reach your goal but you need to plan to take the most effective one.
“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” – Paul J. Meyer
Being productive is about more than just getting particular things done within a specific time frame. When you’ve been productive long enough, you’ll come to recognize it as a lifestyle. It impacts every aspect of your life for the better.
Honing in on the ability to create the results you want doesn’t just mean that you’ll be able to take control of your professional life, it also means that you’ll be more in control of your health, well-being and success in everyday life!
Great post! I’m working on taking better notes when reading so I can quickly remind myself of all the important concepts.
Indeed a great article for someone who want to take the initial steps in order to transform his/her life and gain productivity.