Make Productivity a Way of Life

Success and productivity go hand in hand. They always have, but the very notion of productivity is evolving over time as new technologies emerge and cultural paradigms are challenged. So how should we think about productivity in 2022? 

When it comes to productivity, we need to think of it as a way of life, not merely a bunch of tactics and strategies to apply to our work or businesses. A more holistic approach is so much more effective long-term.  
 
So, if you want to increase your productivity, approaching it like a lifestyle change makes sense. You are, after all, a whole, multifaceted person who can’t be reduced to the moments you spend behind your screen or powering through your to-do list. 

First things first: A lifestyle audit. How do you spend your waking hours? What about your working hours? Whether you’ve adopted a time-management method or love tools and apps that help you optimize your performance, it’s a good idea to be aware of the way you currently get things done. 

 

Now that you have a better idea of your present productivity reality, look into these three outdated productivity tips to ditch if you want to be more successful. Perhaps you don’t need a complete productivity overhaul but embracing a few simple tweaks and swaps might make you happier and more efficient. 

 

Oftentimes, when you try to implement some of the mentioned elements, you may run into challenges. To resolve this very issue, I wrote my book "The Breakthrough Accelerator - Resolve your Biggest Challenge in 4 weeks"- Receive a Free download of this book by Clicking this Link 

 

Speeding up to get more done. Do you take pride in your ability to complete tasks super-fast? You might want to rethink that approach, as speed can give you the illusion of productivity and increase the risk of making mistakes. 

One myth is that you have to speed up to get more done. In fact, most of the time, by slowing down, we actually get more done. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true. Unfortunately, we’re all under so much pressure to perform, we think the only solution is to speed up. But speed leads to errors. Depending on our skillset, some processes can be sped up. We just need to know which can be, and which can’t. Now that’s working smart — not just fast.  

 

Embracing a productivity method as the ultimate one. The worst productivity advice is that there is only one effective way of doing things. There isn’t. Sure, joining the  

5 AM club is a great idea, but that might not work for you. We’re all individuals and we have to find which strategies and tactics work best for our particular circumstances. Overwhelmed with the very idea of figuring out how to manage all your responsibilities? Start small, try different approaches, ditch the ones that don’t work for you and build on what works. 

 

High performance at all costs. Sure, being a high achiever does mean having a high-performance mindset to a certain extent. But not at all costs. The glorification of hustle culture is starting to be a thing of the past. I know many very successful people who live very good lives. Unfortunately, some ended up in the hospital because of stress, anxiety, or simply poor health.  

 

Regardless of how productive you are in your [career], if you don’t take care of yourself, you’ll end up burned out, depressed, ruining your relationships or just plain unhappy. To me, true productivity means being effective in all areas of our lives. 

 

So, armed with these productivity tweaks, you are better equipped to face today’s unexpected challenges. Nothing else left but to Go forth & Conquer! 

Bring Focus to Your Work World

Good things come from sacrifice. If you want what you’ve never had, you must do what you’ve never done. It’s to start sacrificing the right things so you can have a better future. 

Don’t let anyone define success but you. Stop being “busy,” and start being focused.  

Spend your time wisely because many things want your attention and energy. Make sure they’re the right things. 

 

Oftentimes, when you try to implement some of the mentioned elements, you may run into challenges. To resolve this very issue, I wrote my book "The Breakthrough Accelerator - Resolve your Biggest Challenge in 4 weeks"- Receive a Free download of this book by Clicking this Link 

 

Take a look at the 3 topmost things that can define and secure a better future for you, professionally and personally:   

 

1. Other people’s definition of success. At some point, you have to realize that you have to give up other people’s definition of success. This is one of the most difficult things to give up because it is so deeply embedded in our cultural narratives that it becomes the standard by which we measure our lives. Even as entrepreneurs we have collectively agreed that fame and fortune are the markers of success. 

 

But, giving up other people’s definition of success is incredibly liberating and ultimately leads to the fullest expression of who you are and what matters to you.  

 

It’s not a one-time thing. It’s a daily habit of comparing less and creating more. “Success” doesn’t just mean what the larger mob of society says it means: lots of money, fame, and fortune. Many people with fame, fortune, and money have terribly empty, imbalanced lives. Your success isn’t defined by what other people say. No one can define your success but you. If you continue to let others tell you what success is, you’ll never reach it. Even if you did, it wouldn’t be a true success, because it’s not what you really valued. 

 

2. Busyness. The saying goes, “The most successful people I know are not busy. They’re focused.” How you spend your days is how you spend your life. 

 

A lot of people love being “busy.” They wear it as a badge of honor. When you ask them how they’ve been, what’s the response? “I’m so busy,” they lament.  

 

But it’s a subtle brag. They like the feeling. When you’re busy, you don’t really do anything — just because your calendar is full of meetings, appointments, and commutes doesn’t mean you’re actually making any progress towards your true goals. Are you focused, making tangible action steps towards what truly matters? Or are you just “busy?” 

 

When you’re busy, you are on autopilot. You can’t see the hours slipping away, time you’ll never get back. 

 

But when you choose to be focused — to spend your time and energy on achieving your true goals — that’s where the magic happens. That’s where focus turns into flow states, hyper-focused mental efforts to make fast progress. 

Most people prefer the emotional boost of bragging about how “busy” they are, instead of actually doing the real hard work. Choose focus, not busyness. 

 

3. Distraction and Entertainment. Reinvesting your free time is one of the most important ingredients to your success. Successful people don’t see it as ‘free time.’ They see it as the only time they have to do the things they really want to do in life and they don’t take a minute for granted.  If you’re working a full-time job, with a commute and family and bills, you don’t have a lot of free time. If you’re like most people, the precious little free time you do have is spent on entertainment and distraction, not learning, and growing. 

 

This is low-level thinking, and it will lead you to a, frankly, low-level life. 

But true success requires sacrifice. A common misconception many of those sleep-when-you’re-dead hustle-entrepreneurs claim is that you need be working all the time.  

 

The truth is you need to put in hard, grinding work — for a time. After you’ve spent the time creating your life, you can sit back and enjoy the work you’ve done. If you want to make great strides and achieve a truly extraordinary life, you need to reinvest your free time into learning new skills, putting in the work, and being productive. It won’t last forever. But you need to put in the time now, so later, you can have the life you want. 

Best Work-Life Balance Practices

This past year has really shone some light on workplace dynamics in the United States. Our culture has been so tied to this idea of working more instead of working smarter, that generations of humans are experiencing burnout at a far quicker rate than ever before.

With all the other added stress from the world around us, there is a greater need to find balance in every aspect of life, and it starts with the place you dedicate most of your time to during the week: your career. 

 

Oftentimes, when you try to implement some of the mentioned elements, you may run into challenges. To resolve this very issue, I wrote my book "The Breakthrough Accelerator - Resolve your Biggest Challenge in 4 weeks"- Receive a Free download of this book by Clicking this Link.

For several professionals, it’s both something they strive to attain in their own lives, as well as something they work to help their clients maintain. One can approach this idea of balance like greenery in life.

 

We can see life as a garden where what we focus on grows and what we ignore withers. A good gardener knows how to spread the water and fertilizer around so that all the plants flourish. Being able to identify your own unique needs helps you approach the world in a way that will encourage joy in all aspects of your life.  

As someone who helps entrepreneurs and businesses strategize and execute their business growth plan, the unusual circumstances over the past few months makes you realize that non-negotiables need to be set alongside the work.

Non-negotiables are things you’d like to prioritize time for in your life, and often do not involve a career focus. These are things that help to keep you healthy, happy, and engaged in other areas of life so that you can return fully fueled with inspiration and energy to your work when it’s time.

 

Items on this list include things like family time, date nights, long walks, any exercise you enjoy, cultural and culinary experiences, among others. Though due to the current pandemic, these activities have to be slightly adjusted. The key to making sure you have time for the things that bring you joy outside of work -- Know and respect your boundaries.

Many people give far too much of their focus and energy to their work. They believe if they can just make enough money or be successful in their careers all the other (difficult) parts of their lives will fall into place.

A simple boundary to start with, and one of the most difficult ones for career people to justify, is setting work hours. Let folks in the office know that you will be available from 9-5, and then don’t answer the phone outside of those hours. (Unless you need to save a person or the world…that’s important.) 

Whether you’re working a corporate job, with a smaller business, or for yourself, setting boundaries helps in implementing or updating existing contracts. This way, all parties involved know what the expectations are and are able to meet them fairly. Another integral step to achieving balance is to know where your passions lie, and delegate what doesn’t bring you joy where you can. 

Nature is the best companion for calling in more balance. See if you can spend 15 to 20 minutes outdoors per day and try to be as present as possible to the sounds and sights before you. Find moments to slow down and allow yourself – and the world around you – some compassion. That deadline you are stressing over will be handled in a much more efficient and productive manner if you have experienced mental clarity and relaxation. 

When all is said and done, not every day is going to bring rainbows and sunshine into your life. There will be times where work needs to take your focus. And that is OK. Work is a priority, but it doesn’t have to be your only priority. Engage in your passions and find comfort in the quiet hours between jumping through career hoops.