😎 Productive about productivity

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Don’t start with productivity

Being productive is about doing as much work as you can in the shortest amount of time, right? WRONG (I mean, yes, correct, if you’re talking about A-Level Economics or something).

The first secret to productivity is clear intention, not the method or framework or any particular app.

Terry Toh, a productivity coach, says the first thing anyone needs to have is a clear idea of what they want to achieve and the drive “to crystallise it with as much detail as possible”.

Do you feel like you’re always busy but going nowhere? Chances are you lack a clear goal. We all like short-term gratification (hello, bubble tea + late night snacking) but that’s basically what happens when you cross tasks off your list while losing sight of the big picture.

“If someone doesn’t have that intention, then no tool, framework, book, article, or coaching will help you, because you don’t know where you want to go,” says Toh. So the first step is to set your goals properly (check out the Thrive issue on how to set S.M.A.R.T goals)

Not just efficiency

A lot of productivity methods and apps tend to centre on how to best manage your time, or how to organise your ideas effectively. But the real thing that you should really be concerned about is managing your well-being.

Think about it: If you spend an hour laying out the best plan to execute 150 things in the most efficient way possible, but forget that you are not a robot but a human being who will likely tire out after the first 50, you’ll fail at the plan anyway. Energy and mental health are very important.

Productivity tips are not difficult to either Google or implement. But many of us can’t sustain them (much like New Year’s fitness resolutions) and we eventually fall off the track.

Lakshmi Ramachandran, a life coach and keynote speaker, says it’s because many suggested actions don’t fit neatly with your life circumstances.

To find an approach that works, you need to have a deep understanding of self.

“When there is an element of personal fulfilment, it immediately gives people energy… that provides the fuel needed to complete the other responsibilities and tasks,” she says.

Am I just slacking?

Another thing we often feel: productivity guilt. That’s the feeling of shame or guilt that comes when you think you’re not doing enough or just procrastinating.

And even if you are a high-functioning type, such negative thoughts can still cripple you.

Madeleine Dore, author of I Didn’t Do the Thing Today: Letting Go of Productivity Guilt, suggests that terms such as “lazy” and “unmotivated” are misnomers associated with procrastination – behaviour that could actually stem from deeper underlying issues, such as a fear of judgement or making mistakes.

Dore says: “There’s no such thing as perfect. There’s no perfect space, there’s no perfect time, there’s no point where you will be perfect and ready”.

Consistent small steps can lead to big changes. For instance, if you sleep super late, like at 3am, and you want to change this, just sleep five minutes earlier every day. One day you’ll be one of those people who sleep by 11pm!

TLDR:

• Don’t obsess over being productive
• First, start with a clear goal, which means knowing yourself well
• Energy and mental health > time and knowledge management
• There’s no such thing as perfect