Productivity can set the difference between success and failure. Productivity can take you to the top; but it can also sink you at the bottom.
In this post, we see the most essential elements polishing productivity. Setting up these key elements, productivity will be with you.
Productivity is an essential of success. We all have the same 24h; that is a universal constant we cannot change.
The way we use those 24h it's what differentiates you from the person you have at your left right now. That's what sets the path of success, or failure.
If you are able to polish and elevate your productivity, the possibilities of success will tremendously increase.
"Productivity is the ability to efficiently use and fill your time with activities that add value to your life"
Productivity can also be seen as the ratio between input and output of production. The higher the input and lower the output, the less productive we are.
The goal of productivity is to lower the input while maintaining the output as high as possible. Make the most out of our time and manage to put as little work as possible to obtain the expected result.
Activities Contributing to Productivity
Productivity takes up all activities that add value to our life in some sense. And this is much more than the traditional definition of:
Productivity = Work
We are going beyond that. We are going for any activity, also besides work, that can make you better. Achieve your goals, but also conquer your private life, shape your relations and enjoy life. This, the definition is converted to:
Productivity = Private Life + Personal Projects + Personal Relations + Family Life + Self Improvement
Private Life
As Stephen Covey states in his book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, the first step for success is to own your private life. Set up your mind; your feelings; your thoughts.
Any activity contributing to your private life would be considered productive. It indirectly shapes your future. The more we work in out private lifes, the better we'll be able to translate it to our public life. And the more successful we'll be.
Personal Projects
The most obvious and known face of productivty ; work towards your goals. Use your time efficiently and achieve your goals.
The most traditional -and true- side of productivity. If you want something in life, you need to put on work. The more efficient we are at that work, the sooner it'll come.
Personal Relations
We live in society. We need each other, but we should carefully choose who we are interacting with. What relations -and what kind- we are building.
Building strong relations can create a synergy between you and your partners; bring something better, bigger goals.
Productivity is also about spending the time to build those connections.
Family Life
Family is your home; your place to be.
You need to put time supporting your partner, rsing your kids, and building a comfortable and envolving environment.
Productivity is also working on your family. In some sense, the biggest of your projects.
Nothing can make you more successful than a happy and supportive family environment.
Self Improvement
Life is about getting better as time moves on; becoming a greater person. And to achieve it, time is key.
Reading books, spending time alone... finding yourself. All those activities are productivity. They shape your personality, and your inner thoughts.
Why Is Productivity Important?
Time is a finite entity. We all have a beginning, and an end. As time moves on, the end gets closer until, it finally comes, and 'au revoir'.
Productivty enables you to use your finite time wisely. To get the most out of it; to not lose a single day in your life; to continuously improve and become greater.
Greater person, greater businessman, greater father, greater friend,...
Productivity can set the difference between success and failure. And moreover, it can set the rate at which success is achieved.
You can get there in 5 years, or 5 months; it all depends on how productive and focus you are on that specific activity.
Adds Value to your Time
You spend time. And the time spent, is gone forever; you cannot recover it.
Think wisely and spend time adding value to your life. The most essential and basic of time productivity.
If you are in doubt if that activity encloses "being productive", ask yourself:
Will it add value to my life? Will it help me becoming greater in any aspect of my lfe?
"Time is a finite entity. It comes to an end. It's all about using that time wisely. About not letting it go to waste"
The 5 Essential Elements of Productivity
Productivity is shaped and developed by five different elements. In combination of these elements, you'll be able to bring productivity to its brightest.
Work on these five elements carefully and start using your time wisely. Start doing more in less.
1. Organization
If you think about productivity, you think about organization. There's no one without another. I
f you want to be productive, you need to be organized. It enables to manage your time; to plan your day and structure it in such way that you have enough time to do all you had to do.
If organization is not there, there's no productivity. You don't know what to do, how to keep you distracted.
Against boredom, we find distractions. Any distraction works; mobile phone, social media, laying on the couch, food, watching TV,...
If you want to avoid distractions (yes, you want), you need to be organized.
Find the Correct Balance
Organization will enable to find the correct balance between all your goals. Personal projects, family life, fitness, relations,...
Being organized can prevent from focusing too much in a single goal. That is benefitial in the short-term, but not sustainable.
The more focus and obsessed you are with a single goal, the more you'll despise other aspects of your life.
Central of Productivity
Organization is the nucleus of productivity. It's the key element of productivity. If you are able to be organized, you are productive.
Organization, is shaped by the other four essential elements of productivity. Acquiring the other four apptitudes will take you to be organized, and productive.
2. Discipline
Discipline is the ability to control your impulses and feelings and stay on track towards to your goals.
Discipline is the fuel of life
As Napoleon Hill said in Think and Grow Rich, "Your brain is able to control and own your mind". Discipline trains your brain.
As another muscle, your brain can get stronger. The more training (discipline) you put, the stronger it will get. A strong brain is able to control your feelings and overcome your weaknesses.
Discipline drives productivity. It puts you to work when you least feel like working. It keeps you on the right path, and puts you back on track when you are about to fall down the cliff.
If you are able to become disciplined, you are able to be organized, and productive.
Discipline over Motivation
Motivation is important; it's the trigger of all desires and actions. But it's so volatile and unreliable that you cannot hold on to it. It'd be too risky. That's why you need discipline.
Think of a car. The contact key is our motivation. It turns on the motor. It gets u going. It starts the journey. But once the car runs out of fuel... end of the journey.
Discipline is the fuel. It's what maintain u on the right path. It's what keeps the car working on the long term. And the better fuel, the longer our car will function properly.
Think of a car. The contact key is our motivation. It turns on the motor. It gets u going. It starts the journey. But once the car runs out of fuel... end of the journey.
Discipline is the fuel. It's what maintain u on the right path. It's what keeps the car working on the long term. And the better fuel, the longer our car will function properly.
While motivation comes and goes, discipline is an aptitude you build within you. If you are disciplined, it won't matter how motivated you are; you will still get sh*t done.
3. Desire
Desire is one of the most powerful driving forces of your actions towards a goal. It creates the urgency of doing something HERE and NOW. And this urgency leads to productivity.
If you don't have desire for something, you won't do it. When you want it, you are fully focus.
You want to achieve it no matter what. And to achieve it, you need to use your time wisely. You need to bring productivity up.
Napoleon Hill knew about the importance of desire. As he said in this book Think and Grow Rich:
“The starting point of all achievement is DESIRE. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat.”
Desire puts you in 'emergency mode'. You feel the urgency of finishing now. There's a burning feeling inside you telling you to get to work. To get it done.
The Three D’s Rule
With the Three D's Rule, you'll be able to see the importance of desire, and the interconnection of such with the other elements of the productivity matrix; discipline, and determination.
Desire is a driving force. Very powerful. In fact, it's powerful enough to determine our goals more clearly. To boost our determination for something.
The combination between desire and determination will bring discipline to your life. It'll make you more disciplined; more organized; more productive.
4. Determination
Determination enables you to visualize your goal; to take you there as soon as possible.
Determination is the ability of definining something in your life. It can boost your productivity.
It will make you more aware of your goals. It will put your goals in first priority. And the higher the priority, the higher the desire to achieve it.
Determination and desire go hand by hand. One is the cause -and consequence- of the other.
Determination creates desire. But the desire can also cause you to be determined for your goals. This reversible relation is what boosts productivity to its fullest.
5. Environment
You like it or not, we are influenced by our surroundings. Our closest friends, the climate, location, our house, family, neighbours,... everything contributes to our focus and productivity.
If you are enclosed in a favourable environment for productivity, you will be productive.
If the environment bombs you with distractions every five minutes, encourages you to leave work, and doesn't support you. That will lead to the destruction of your productivity.
A healthy environment will boost your productivity. It will co-operate with you, instead of going against you. And what's even better; it will support you.
You have control over your environment. You can set up your environment in such way that makes you more productive. Here we have two types of environments to work with: human, and physical environments
The Human Environment
The human environment refers to all connections and close relations in your life. You family, closest friends, workmates...
Keep those that favour your personal development and productivity, and stay away from those that destroy your entity.
The Physical Environment
The physical environment involves all physical objects around you. Your office, house, car, and other physical objects that can boost your productivity.
If you are able to control and master these two environments, your productivity will bright more than ever.
You'll be built in a favourable environment for achieving your goals and using your time efficiently.
Conclusion
Productivity can set the difference between success and failure. Time is a finite entity, and it comes to an end for everyone. It all depends on how you manage your time. How wisely you use your time.
In this post, we went trough the 5 most essential elements of productivity. This interconnected matrix will help you boost your productivity and start using your time more wisely and effectively.
