Are you Busy or Productive?

Being busy is not necessarily productive. Being productive is not necessarily busy. The question is: are you getting the right things done to produce the desired results? The right approach is to do less and produce more. Follow the 80/20 rule whereby by doing 20% of the work you will get 80% of the output. You are productive yet not busy. How do you go about it?

·        Set goals: Goals, especially written ones, allow you to focus one-directionally to do things relating to your goals. It means your activities are goal-driven   It is meaningful and it is productive because it is what you want.

·        Daily to-do list: It is a powerful tool. By looking at the list you will know the few important things you must do. Upon completion and by crossing them out, it gives you a sense of satisfaction and achievement. This is the true measurement of your productivity – you have done what you wanted to do.

·        Take breaks: Being busy and working non-stop is counter-productive. This is a good example of taking a deserving break. You try to settle a problem but you have tried many ways to no avail. However, you are able to spot the mistake quickly after taking a short break. Taking a break is to clear the clutter, refresh your mind and regain your concentration and energy.

·        A balanced life: It is a balancing and essential act to lead a productive life. You must devote time to work, rest, play and spend time with family. Ignoring any one aspect of your life will throw you out of balance and create an emergency situation and get you busy for nothing. When you work long hours, you do it at the expense of your family. If you work non-stop your health is compromised. When you cut short your sleep, you cannot perform at your best.

·        Avoid putting out a fire: Be proactive and take preventive measures to avoid emergency situations. This is a sure way to avoid getting busy but not productive. Be farsighted and do advance planning in doing the right thing at the right time. As an example, you are busy every day and you delay sending your car for maintenance. One day the car breaks down and you are caught in an unwanted situation at the wrong time.

Life should be productive and enjoyable. The most important thing is to set goals, plan ahead, organize your daily activities and follow a balanced life.