Are You Productive or Are You Just Busy?
Adapted from a soft skills workshop led by Tanuja Ramchal
“Hey, are you free later tonight?”
© The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
“Hey, are you free later tonight?”
“Sorry, I have too
much to do. Maybe next time.”
The above
conversation is one we’re all too familiar with. We have packed schedules in an
effort to be productive.
But, is that really
efficient and does it add to your well-being?
Productivity is not
about getting more done and being caught up in the busy trap. Instead, it’s getting the important things done consistently by asking, ‘Does this activity take me closer to my goals or further away from them?'
According to the
famous 80/20 principle, the majority (80%) of the activities you engage in on a
daily basis provides very little benefit (20%). The rest contributes to your happiness and
productive results. With this in mind,
you need to focus your attention on the important activities and automate, delegate, or
eliminate the rest. For example, an hour of exercise versus an hour of
scrolling through Facebook aimlessly will lead to very different results. The
matrix below can help you determine what activities to focus on.
Important/Urgent Matrix
© The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
When it comes to
productivity, another factor to keep in mind is your energy level. While time
is not a renewable resource, energy is. We operate at optimal levels when we move rhythmically between spending and
renewing energy. If you sleep two hours versus eight hours a night, the
quality of your output is going to be vastly different. Avoid a deficiency by building
energy renewal activities into your day. Studies have shown that working excessive hours is counterproductive.
Here are some steps you can take to be more productive:
- Be clear about your vision and goals and know what’s important for you to achieve them. Make decisions accordingly.
- Take an inventory of how you spend your time: eliminate activities which are getting in the way of your goals.
- Schedule important activities every day e.g. doing a mock interview is important if your goal is to get a job.
- Stay focused and make time in your schedule for renewal activities.
If you want to develop your awareness, have fun, and connect authentically with others, the weekly GCMC Soft Skills Workshops will help you overcome your fears and be more confident in your professional life. It's scheduled for Monday evenings from 6 to 7 p.m. in June and July. You can register in CareerLink. Space is limited.
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