Welcome
How to stay productive
all-day
My dear Friends,
Are you very productive, I mean all day long, with a measurable result at the end of the day? No matter what we do, we all seem to search for ways to be more productive.
I certainly have days where I seem very busy all day but have little to show at the end of the day that is worth talking about.
We all know being busy does not necessarily mean being productive- but how can we stay productive all day? I mean, really achieve something?
But are excessive amounts of coffee, list-making, meditation and what not the solution. Probably not, but what is?
Let`s get to the bottom of this!
What is productivity?
In the economic sense, productivity compares the number of goods, services or capital needed- inputs– to the amount of goods produced-output.
Now, being productive good, we are in reaching the goal of completing an assignment in a given time.
So, productivity is the state of creating high quality at a fast speed. A productivity example is efficiently organising a top-notch charity event within four weeks.
Productivity is about achieving the best output no matter the situation.
Efficiency vs productivity
You are efficient if you achieve a goal or complete a task with a minimum of resources, i.e. money, material or workforce.
You are productive if you try to achieve maximum output with your given resources; this includes time.
Ha, you might think this is the same! No, it is not. Efficiency measures the number of resources you put into a project, whereas productivity measures the amount of output (work) you can deliver within a certain period.
Productivity is proactive
Efficiency is reactive
It Is best to be productive and efficient, but if you must choose, choose productivity!
You deserve a medal if you are one of the rare species who can be highly productive with high efficiency at all times, whatever your tasks are!
The enemies
We all do it; procrastination, yet it is the biggest enemy of our productivity. Did you know that there are over 250.000.000 blogs on procrastination- this shows we are in good company but also how desperate we are to stop procrastination. It keeps us from being productive all day. Research found that procrastination is a choice. So, to be productive, we have to choose not to procrastinate and be productive- if we want to.
Now here is the next threat: perfectionism. If something goes wrong, the perfectionists can feel severe frustration or a nagging sense of irritation that is hard to ignore. Because they hate this feeling and don’t want to take that risk, they invest little energy in completing a task. Perfectionists are so accustomed to micromanaging that it doesn’t even occur to them that what they do or decide is probably unimportant for completing a task. Dealing with the unimportant, however, keeps us from being productive. By the way, the perfect circumstances to do a task will never arrive. So, if you keep delaying your work, you will end up doing nothing or, at best next to nothing- as a result, you are highly unproductive
The most obvious enemy, of course, is a distraction. No one just happens to be productive and get everything done. It takes discipline to eliminate distractions. And discipline results in a completed project. In other words, productive people use discipline to complete projects by eliminating distractions. So here is the simple formula:
Productivity = Discipline = Completed Project
The elimination of distractions requires each of the three Ds:
- Disconnect: reduce interruptions to facilitate focus on the task at hand.
- Detox: eradicate factors that create challenges or obstructions to progress.
- Develop: invest in the right resources to facilitate a more productive environment.
9 habits to stay productive all-day
1. Cut your to-do list in half
Getting things done in a given period shouldn’t mean fitting in as much as possible. You do not need to do those 30 tasks on your to-do list! Take a less-is-more approach to your to-do list by only focusing on accomplishing things that matter.
2. Take more breaks
The ache in your brain after several long hours of work should signal you to take a break. Since your brain has used up its glucose, give yourself a moment to refresh by going for a walk, grabbing lunch or a snack, or just meditating. You’ll come back recharged and ready to achieve greater efficiency.
3. Follow the 80/20 rule
Only 20 per cent of what you do each day produces 80 per cent of your results. Eliminate the things that don’t matter during your workday — they have a minimal effect on your overall productivity. For example, break your next project down into steps and systematically remove tasks until you end up with the 20 per cent that gets 80 per cent of the results.
4. Use your morning to focus on yourself
It’s a big productivity killer to start your mornings by checking your email and your calendar. This allows others to dictate what you accomplish. Start your day by ignoring your emails in the morning, having a good breakfast, reading the news, meditating, or working out. This will ensure you’ve got the necessary fuel for a productive day.
5. Tackle your challenging tasks before lunch.
Knock out your most challenging work when your brain is fresh. If you have meetings or other less demanding tasks, save them for the afternoon. By scheduling your day this way, you’ll be able to create a new and more productive way to manage your time.
6. Improve your email etiquette
Email is a productivity killer and usually a distraction from tasks that matter; don’t fall into this productivity trap. For example, people often copy multiple people on emails to get it off their plate, but this is a sign of laziness and distracts everyone else by creating noise against the tasks they’re trying to accomplish.
the equation
Productivity =
work time – (distraction +procrastination+perfectionism)
