Thriving in Productivity Rather Than Drowning in Activity

Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort. 

~ Paul J. Meyer

With the starting of something new, it can feel like it is important to "get moving", and to a certain extent, it is...

as long as that movement is intentional and focused, directed and decided.

When we think we have to go and do, sometimes that energy gets misdirected.

Activity is not productivity, and therefore, simply acting is not being productive.

So, what is the difference?

Activity is about doing something, and productivity is about doing something intentional to move forward, to advance toward a goal.

There are ways to stay in the productivity mindset versus succumbing to the activity temptation. Some of those include:

• Get realistic while you are ambitiously looking forward (know what you are capable of doing when you stretch and give your best) and share your goals with a few you like, admire, trust and respect
• Break your goals down into measurable, incremental sub-goals
• Schedule your planned completion (accomplishment) with a stretch finish date, too, and then lock those dates on your calendar and work backward
• Make a list of everything you can imagine being required to get through to your end
• Put everything on your calendar in chunks of time that are manageable for the way you work (if you work in bursts, then plan for 20-minute increments, and if you have longevity in effort, then look at 1-2 hour blocks) and cross those items off the list when you put them on the calendar
• For each effort, ask yourself the same questions: How is this advancing me toward my goal? and Is this the best use of my time, energy and resources right now? These questions are key to keeping you out of activity and in productivity!
• Engage others for the tasks that would likely be best done by someone else (this is about limiting pride and therefore limiting activity, and engaging in humility and allowing others to participate)
• Celebrate wins along the way
• Allow for downtime and for rejuvenating efforts, too, as these can be productive for staying whole and complete as you advance your goal
• Revisit your goal(s), and make a new list and adjust your calendar each week in order to stay productive and focused while advancing your effort

Being a productive person is admittedly not always thrilling and fun, yet it is intriguing, forward-thinking and forward-acting. It's exciting to know that the energy expended is being realized, and that surely makes for a thrill and some fun outcomes along the way!

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Debbie@DebbieLundberg.com 813.494.4438 DebbieLundberg.com