Are you as productive as you need to be? Most days I struggle to find the time to do everything I planned to accomplish. Unfortunately, I find my writing goals usually suffer the most, because other tasks are more urgent or immediate. I think “If I only had more time, I’d get more done.” In actuality, time doesn’t necessarily mean accomplishment. Productivity isn’t a matter of doing more or having more time to do it. Productivity is about doing the most with the time you’ve got.
I’m always on the lookout for ways to get the most out of my day –
Prioritize - Usually I think of prioritization as ranking all of the activities I have to do, most important and urgent to least. However, prioritization is also about knowing what’s important before you agree to take on a task. Learn to say no when asked to participate in a school drive, or neighborhood committee, unless these events are absolute priorities in your life. We all have different priorities, but if writing is one of yours, you might have to skip a girls’ night out, your favorite TV show or leisurely Sunday brunches. Personally, I put my family first and foremost, so the leisurely Sunday brunch with my husband and kids trumps writing, while girls’ night out goes on without me. It can be difficult to say no, at least for me. I don’t want to disappoint others, but I don’t want to disappoint myself either.
Simplify – Don’t complicate the simple things. Everything doesn’t have to be done to Martha Stewart standards to be completed successfully. Sure it would be great if we all had time to iron our sheets, grow our own vegetables and paint the living room with each season. Don’t hold yourself to unrealistic expectations. Martha has minions at her beck and call. Until you get your minions, settle for good enough.
Focus – Whatever you’re doing, give it your full attention. Multitasking only increases the time to complete any task. Sure you’re doing two things at once, but if it takes twice as long, you really haven’t gained anything. And chances are the quality of your results will suffer. I usually spend 30 minutes on a single activity and then I move onto to the next item. I don’t always complete an activity in 30 minutes, but I find that after that time, my productivity dips. When I start any task, I have a burst of creativity, probably because I’ve been storing up ideas in anticipation. I take massive action and then I run out of ideas and energy. If I move onto another task, part of my brain will continue to work on the task I left uncompleted. When it’s time to come back to it, I’ve got fresh ideas and restored energy.
Don’t confuse productivity for being busy. You can be busy without getting much accomplished or you can accomplish a lot, without being particularly busy. Productivity is all about the results you produce.
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