Determining What Productivity Advice to Use

No one can argue that productivity is essential to
success: Conjuring up brilliant ideas is something that
many people do every day. However, taking steps
towards turning their brilliant ideas into something
concrete is what separates the entrepreneurs from the
rest of the pack.
I have spent a lot of time studying, discussing, writing
and attending training sessions on productivity. I have
learned systems of some of the most successful people
on the planet and studied the psychology on why they
work, why we procrastinate and what we can do about
it. I’ve even been handed step-by-step instructions on
how to implement their systems in my own life.
With enthusiasm, I began to use the tools and techniques
of the successful. Guess what happened? Nothing. In
some aspects I became even more unproductive.
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Environment
I became so caught up in learning the processes and
applying the different techniques that I lost the direction
and clarity that the productivity systems were supposed
to solve. And this can happen to the best of them. I am
not saying to stop improving your productivity; you just
need to hone in on what works and what doesn't.
Here are four tips to avoid getting bogged down with
productivity tips:
Learn the basic psychology of productivity.
By learning more about yourself, you can discover what
techniques work best for you.
There are several factors that determine your
productivity. Motivation, talent, training, work
environment, time management skills and even fears all
play a part in your level of productivity.
If you want learn to become more productive then first
learn more about yourself. What really motivates you?
What creates stress? What are your skills that you can
utilize? What makes you feel like you have had a
productive day? What weighs you down? What fears do
you have difficulty in overcoming?
Related: 5 Tips for Getting the Most Important Things
Done Every Day
Knowing this information will help you determine the
best systems for your personality.
Keep the advice that resonates with you.
You may come across an article that shares the "Top 20
Steps to Becoming More Productive." There is a
possibility that 18 of those tips are just going to slow
you down, because you would be attempting to
implement something into your life that is not as
effective as it is for others. Be discerning about what
advice and systems you chose to use in your life.
Use the right tools for you.
At one point I had a client call me in tears because she
felt so overwhelmed with her task list. She explained
that someone told her to start using Evernote to help get
her organized and on track. She had spent several days
trying to learn what all Evernote could do for her
business but in the meantime her to-do list continued to
grow. Through her tears she asked, “Why can’t I just
write my lists on a piece of paper?”
This is a perfect example of someone trying to use tools
or systems that actually cause more stress and
decrease productivity. I am not suggesting that you
should stop using Evernote but at that moment in my
clients’ life, it was causing more harm than good.
I use several different types of software depending upon
what my clients need me to use in order to keep track of
projects, but my favorite productivity tool for my
personal life and business is an index card.
Does it make you feel 'light' or 'heavy?'
If it begins to feel like a burden and you dread sitting
down to go through the productivity steps you are using
in your business, then you are off track. Productivity
systems should create a sense of "lightness" to your
day, not "heaviness." They should give you a feeling of
intent, purpose and motivation. They should help remove
burdens from your life and not add to it.
Productivity tools are not a one size fits all. Choose
what works best for you, your life and personality. Just
because a particular method works best for one
successful person does not mean it is the best option
for you.