What makes some people so productive? How does Beyoncé get so much done? How does Richard Branson have time to manage hundreds of companies and still have time for family?
And if we all have 24 hours, why are some people doing so much more with the same amount of time?
There’s no limit to the number of blog posts and videos sharing productivity hacks. And there are a bunch of best-selling books promising to show us how to “Get Things Done”.
After absorbing a bunch of productivity-focused blogs, videos, and books as well as combining it with my life experiences I’ve picked up on three main philosophies for living a productive life. Later on, I’ll post about the productivity tips but for now, I want to focus on the common thread.
FOCUS ON THE RIGHT THINGS FIRST
One of the traps of productivity is that we’re starting off by trying to be as productive as possible. Instead, shouldn’t we focus on being as effective as possible? If you’re doing the wrong things fast (efficiently) you’re still working on things that don’t move the needle.
Effectiveness starts with having clarity about what’s important to you and focusing on that.
So, how do you gain clarity?
We have to decide where to invest our time, energy, and talents. The word “decide” originates from the term “to cut off”. It’s not just about what you want, it’s just as important to know what you don’t want.
OBSESS ABOUT A FEW THINGS ONLY
Have you ever noticed that people who achieve uncommon goals and projects are obsessed? I know that obsession is normally seen as something negative, but what if we’re fanatical about stuff that’s important to us?
We’re living during the greatest epidemic of WMD (Weapons of Mass Distraction). Each time we sit in front of a computer there’s a competition of willpower between your ability to focus and the pull of social media, Youtube, Netflix, useless political news, answering email, and of course celebrity gossip updates.
There’s no limit to the types of distractions out there. In order to be a producer, a healthy dose of obsession with whatever we’re working on is a requirement, especially today.
FINISH WHAT YOU START
Goals, projects, and tasks that are not completed have zero chances of being successful. Antoine de Saint-Exupery (I don’t who he is but his quote is EVERYWHERE.) said,
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
It sounds absolutely crazy to say this but the most important thing in productivity is to finish what we start.
Sounds simple, right? Well, like Brendan Burchard likes to say, “Common sense isn’t common practice.”
I recently heard someone use the term “uncommon follow-through.” Most people spend a lot of time talking about things they’d like to do, have, or experience but the unfortunate truth is that only a small percentage of people actually start. And an even smaller percentage of people actually accomplish what they plan.
Most people don’t do what they know they should (quit smoking, exercise, eat more veggies, save for retirement, etc). None of these things are rocket science.
The ability to execute is a skill that eventually becomes a habit. The good news is that we have an opportunity to develop this skill if we treat even the simplest chores, tasks, and items on our to-do lists as an opportunity to build our execution muscles.
The goal of productivity isn’t to do more. It’s really about cutting off low-value stuff so we can focus on the things we really care about. Find a system that works for you.
So, from these three philosophies which one resonated the most with you and why?