Want to be Super Productive?

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

The productivity methodology of folks at the top of the chain frequently appears flawless, effortless, and intrinsic. More than likely, it isn’t any of these. It’s carefully-crafted habits put into place and held as ideal. Highly productive people keep their Big Dream in mind. They know where they want to go, when they want to arrive, and how they want to approach the tasks. You can do this too, and here are some ideas you can put in place so that you move on up the chain.

Observe Those Who Fail and Don’t Do What They Do. One of life’s most valuable tools is the ability to observe and then to learn from those observations. So take a good long look at people who aren’t successful, make a list of what they’re doing, and don’t do those things. You could begin your list just by looking through your Contacts list on your phone and jotting down what you don’t like that you observe keeping your friends from success.

Be Systems Smart. Are you the person people go to when they can’t find an address or a phone number? Why is that? Because you are organized. You have systems in place to contain and control your data. You cannot build success on a weak foundation, and disorganization is one weak foundation. Outlaw sticky notes…unless you keep them all together in a spiral-bound notebook with dates.

Don’t Multi-task. Maintain a Single-Minded Focus. It isn’t possible to do more than one thing well. Create an environment where you shut off all distractions while you are doing that one thing well. We all know the siren call of Social Media. Turn those off. Turn off your phone. No TV. Close your office door. Tell your kids not to ask you questions for one hour. With focus, you’ll be surprised how much you can accomplish without distractions. And please, complete what you begin.

Set Goals. Make them as specific as you can. Make them meaningful and attainable. Keep them practical or relevant. Have a time frame for their achievement. You can set lifetime goals for Career, Education, Family, Physical, Public Service and the like as well. Write them down. It’s a form of commitment.

Start Big and Break Them Down into smaller pieces. It’s the old concept of eating the whole elephant. That’s not possible, but a bowl of stew might be. Take the small steps you can see to take while holding the Big Goal in mind. You’ll be there before you know it.

Prioritize Your Tasks. Do you know what time of the day is best for you to get tons done? Use that time with wisdom. Create your To-Do List in three segments: Most Important, Kind of Important, Not Important. Your daily goal should be only the Most Important tasks during your most productive time zone. If you get to some of the Kind of Important tasks, it’s a bonus.

Set Your Alarm for a Break. You know how long you can focus before you begin to get weary, so when the alarm goes off, step outside for a breath of fresh air, a sip of cool water, a face up to the sun. Rest your mind and you’ll return to the next interval charged and ready.

Create Times for Emails, Phone Calls, etc. Remember the tip about working with distractions? Once you’re done working without distractions, you can then attend to emails, voicemails, text messages, and While You Were Out slips. Do they still use those?  Once in the morning and once in the afternoon – if you stick to it – will make you more productive.

Observe Your Own Life. What are you now doing that could be delegated to another? Are you using archaic tools? What could you learn that would ultimately save you a ton of time? If you will take the time and trouble to observe, then automate or delegate, you will become more productive.

Focus, Focus, Focus. People learn quickly who the go-to person is to get a job done. If you are one of those go-to people, it’s not fair to you and your own dreams to say “Yes” to all the tasks requested of you. When you know your own dreams, desires, and goals, and you keep them as your #1 focus, it’s not possible to do the tasks others think you should. Stick with your own schedule.

It’s up to you to determine what you will accomplish in this one opportunity in your lifetime. Make it a good one!