The Power of Productivity
One of the number one concerns of business owners today is productivity. Whether it’s their own productivity or that of their employees, it’s impossible to find a successful entrepreneur who ignores this. People often think of increased productivity as working harder, working longer hours, or not stopping until the job is done. While these tactics can work, they are often not sustainable long term and will create discontent in your life and the lives of your employees. By instilling simple, sustainable changes, we can increase productivity while increasing satisfaction and pride.
The Importance of Productivity
Productivity evolves with the times. A hundred years ago productivity looked like cutting and splitting wood for the winter or filling a cellar with harvested food. Today it looks like not checking your Facebook page while at work or completing inventory on time. Productivity isn’t working harder. Productivity is working smarter. Using your time wisely can provide a sense of accomplishment and pride, it means earned success, expansion of knowledge and experience, an increase to the quality of life, and helps motivate your coworkers around you.
How to be Productive
The road to being productive…is actually pretty smooth and relatively simple. It might require a very small amount of sacrifice, but the payout is entirely worth it. Let’s take this one step at a time.
Less is More
Attempting to get twenty things done in one day is often unrealistic. Start with two or three accomplished tasks and be ecstatic when you check off even more. By setting attainable goals, you’re much more likely to accomplish them and improve confidence. As opposed to not finishing and feeling like a failure, thereby getting even more discouraged and unengaged. Beat the cycle and set yourself up for success.
Tackle Larger Projects Earlier
There is a sweet spot in the day when your brain is firing off at a decent pace and your attention is consistent. This time is usually earlier in the workday. No, I’m not talking about at 5 A.M., but I am talking about morning to mid-morning. Busting those big projects out earlier in the day relieves pressure while utilizing your brain cells at their most powerful. Learn when your body is at its peak production level and schedule difficult tasks around that.
Learn to Prioritize
This is possibly the most important tactic when looking to tackle productivity. If we can’t differentiate between the importance of projects on our to-do list, those important tasks will fall through the cracks and create preventable chaos. To become better at prioritization focus on what future consequences or benefits are if a task gets pushed out or finished early. Pro tip: you can never be too prepared for taxes.
Don’t Multitask
Wait, what? Yeah. No. Don’t. Multitasking has been studied and proven to show that it brings your productivity down, not to mention the fact that most of us can’t even multitask if we actually wanted to (nobody wants to). Stop multitasking and start finishing one task at a time. Quality is better than quantity.
Follow the 80/20 Rule
20% of your work accounts for 80% of your results. Understand that so much of your day is spent in accessory work and not in the core work that gets you solid results. This tactic is like prioritization and “less is more.” Focus on finishing the tasks that have the greatest impact.
Understand the Power of “No.”
It can be hard to tell someone no, especially if that person is a potential customer or friend. However, this can often be in your best interest. Don’t take on too much or you’ll find yourself letting tasks slip and falling behind.
Take Breaks and Refresh
Make sure you take care of yourself while on this journey to productivity. Breaks can do a lot for our mind when we’re feeling overwhelmed or burned out. Eating a snack can replenish your body and mind, taking a walk can leave you feeling refreshed, calling a friend to chat for a few minutes can help you recalibrate.
There are a thousand other ways to improve and maintain productivity and what works for some may not work for others. Remember that less is more, refreshing is crucial, and prioritization is key. Once you begin implementing these into your work life, you’ll likely find yourself using these in your personal life. Becoming productive can increase your sense of accomplishment, it can bolster your knowledge and experience, and set you up for success. It takes consistent effort, but it provides such a great diversity of benefits that it shouldn’t be overlooked. As James Ling, an outrageously successful businessman said, “Don’t tell me how hard you work, tell me how much you get done.”