MULLINGS ON PRODUCTIVITY

Remember this common phrase “work smarter not harder”? It was coined in the 1930s by Allen F. Morgenstern, an industrial engineer and creator of the work simplification program, who aimed to increase production with less effort. Although Morgenstern’s focus was primarily on industrialization, the phrase can and has been applied to every single facet of human endeavor.

But what does it mean to you?

When you’re working hard, you are busy with a lot of things but are they of any value to you? What do you achieve in the long run?

Most times, being busy is buried in the need to be perfect but by working smart, you become great at the few things that matter. You become an expert in the areas you’ve chosen.

You are productive because you’re driven by purpose.

What you do or where you work doesn’t matter. we are always looking for ways to be productive with whatever time we’ve got.

I think one of the reasons why we are so focused on being productive in this generation is that we are obsessed with progress. I guess it’s part of the current digital age where you can be easily distracted. So avoiding all of that and doing actual work can be hard. The feeling gets worse when, at the end of the day, you cannot exactly say what you’ve accomplished even though you were not exactly idle. This takes a toll on your mind.

Being productive means whatever you did that day was a step towards a decided goal. You have added value to yourself, your workplace, and your organization.

“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” — Paul J. Meyer

When trying to be productive, you don’t focus on doing too many things but rather doing fewer things that make sense. Finding ways to streamline activities that lead to your purpose.

Here are some of the things I’ve done to be productive:

1. Create a plan and prioritize.

This plan helps to streamline my thoughts/tasks and depending on what I want to achieve. It gives me a step-by-step guide on how I’m going to complete a particular task. Because I’m writing these things down, I can take out unnecessary things. It’s a way of reducing a to-do list while focusing on completing those tasks that matter.

2. Schedule your time.

I give myself a particular period to focus on tasks. During this period, I don’t tolerate any form of distraction. It could be 30 minutes or an hour, I just set my timer and work on a project nonstop till the timer goes off.

3. One task at a time.

Pick a specific task, focus on it alone, and finish before moving to the next one. Believe it or not, multitasking doesn’t work very well in all kinds of situations. If your attention is scattered in different places, you might end up not doing anything well. So in the end, you’ve wasted your time, strength and have achieved nothing. Focusing on one single task blocks out distractions and helps you move closer to your goal.

4. Get Rid of Distractions:

This is usually phone calls, Netflix, or social media, so I put my phone on do not disturb or vibration. Removing distractions from workspaces ensures that I’m not distracted unless it’s extremely important. Keep your eyes on the prize.

5. Be in the present.

Be mindful, don’t spend the whole day worrying about how productive or unproductive you are. I try to focus on what I’ve done and how I completed my tasks effectively. As part of being productive, I also note all the unplanned outcomes that occurred to ensure that they are properly planned for the next time. I try to write what worked and what didn’t so I can improve on them next time.

6. Be organized.

I don’t work well in scattered environments and I do not like to look for things. I make sure my files and tools are in the right places so I don’t waste time looking for them. Create a system that works for you and stick to it.

7. Get enough sleep.

Lack of sleep can leave me cranky and tired which means I’m less productive all through the day. I’m assuming this could be the case for a lot of people. While getting enough sleep is essential, try not to oversleep. Find a balance. Don’t fight with your alarm once it goes off. Get up and start your day.

8. Eat well.

Hunger gets me distracted and stressed which leads to avoidable mistakes. Find time to eat well during your day. Nothing heavy, so I’m not sluggish and sleepy, just something satisfying enough to sustain me.

9. Take breaks.

I like to take little breaks to rest my eyes. We all need rest from time to time, so take a ten-minute break every hour to stretch.

10. Say No sometimes.

I’m still working on this. I feel we should all be deliberate with our time. Only focus on tasks that are connected to your end goal. If you say yes to tasks that are not related to your goals, you’ll end up wasting your time and resources. So try not to commit to things that are not part of your big picture.

11. Lastly, ask for help.

I don’t have to know everything. I don’t need to have all the answers but I try to know where and how to find them. So instead of wasting my time worrying about problems I cannot solve, I look for those who can and seek their help. Also, there are times when you know what you’re doing but asking someone who knows more than you in that particular field might make you better. When you feel stuck, it’s okay to reach out to someone who has been in that position before.

So tell me, what do you do to be productive each day?

With Love,

Dora.