There’s a notable distinction between being busy and being productive. Being busy doesn’t always necessarily mean you’re being productive. Despite what some might believe, being productive is less about time management and more on managing your energy. It’s the business of life. It’s learning how to spend the least amount of energy to get the most benefits.
HERE ARE 7 WAYS TO START BEING MORE PRODUCTIVE
1. Stop working overtime and increase your productivity instead.
The more you work, the less effective and productive you become over both the short and long term, states a 1980 report from The Business Roundtable titled “Scheduled Overtime Effect on Construction Projects.”
It’s important for us not to overwork ourselves and get enough sleep to maintain a high level of productivity. Next time you’re wondering why you may not be working productively, the reason may be simple as you being deprived of adequate sleep.
2. Instead of working harder, we should focus primarily on the efforts that produce the majority of the results and forgo the rest.
By focusing on the efforts that produce productivity, we have more time to focus on the most important tasks.
According to the Pareto principle, 20 percent of the effort produces 80 percent of the results; however, 20 percent of the results consumes 80 percent of the effort.
“The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say “no” to almost everything.”— Warren Buffett
One way to increase focus on things that produce productivity is by eliminating things that reduces our productivity. For example, if you’re trying to use lessen your use of social media, delete the tempting apps from your phone, may be a useful step in increasing your focus on the things that brings productivity.
3. Stop doing everything yourself and start letting people help you
I believe this one is straightforward. Often times, even if your friends or coworkers can’t help you, simply having them around can help you become more productive.
4. Stop being a perfectionist (Particularly referring to Steemit Bloggers)
This one has been a major challenge to my productivity particularly as a Steemian. I spend so much time trying to perfect an article which few people read anyway because the bitter truth is that people rarely read posts on this platform and that could be because there is a lot of garbage on Steemit.
As a blogger you ask yourself why should I spend so much time and effort to write an article which very few people get to read it? Before there is to be an icon indicating how many people have viewed your article. Atleast even if you don't get as much money (SBD's) as you would want, at least as a blogger you will be comforted by the fact that a good number of people how viewed your post, similar to the type of dopamine you derive when over 200 people have liked your facebook post. But the view option is no longer there. Meaning, you don't get a big reward in terms of Steem Dollars and you still dont know how many people viewed your post. That's disheartening and discouraging for a blogger.
So as a blogger I decided to stop putting hours of my time trying to make a post that may or may not make 5SBD's and invest my time on more productive activities.
So what do I do/ or What should you Do?
For me when it comes to Steemit, I choose the topic I want to write about, and gather the precise and most important information from which I make my post. If there are internet links or Steemit Post where more of the information can be found, I refer my followers to that source.
The more you want to be a perfectionist, the less your productivity.
Here are some problems associated with being a perfectionist:
- They spend more time than required on a task.
- They procrastinate and wait for the perfect moment. In business, if it is the perfect moment, you are too late.
- They miss the big picture while focusing too much on the small things.
5. Stop doing repetitive tasks and start automating.
People often forget that time is money.
6. Stop guessing and start backing up your decisions with data
If you can optimize websites for search engines, you can optimize your life to grow and reach your maximum potential.
7. Stop working, and take some time to do nothing at all.
Most people don’t realize that when we are too focused on something, we’re essentially locking ourselves in a box which can end up being counterproductive to our work or the results we’re chasing. It’s important to walk away from work once in a while and have some alone time, which is good for the brain and spirit, according to “The Power of Lonely,” from The Boston Globe.
It’s also important to understand that we don’t become more productive overnight. Like everything in life, it requires effort and practice. Change doesn’t happen just by sitting around and waiting for it. Instead, take the time to learn more about what you can do to increase your productivity and find actionable ways to optimize your energy and time for a more successful and happier life.