Historically, the idea of “productivity” has been associated with long hours spent in the office, hard and difficult work, and a severe lack of work-life balance.
Today, however, modern technologies and systems are changing the nature of how we understand productivity in important ways, just as those modern technologies and services also allow us to compare credit options easily, handle our personal finances, and correspond with colleagues and associates easily and effectively, from anywhere in the world.
Here are a few “new rules for productivity” that can help you to be productive in a more sustainable way, and that also allow sufficient room for balance across the different dimensions of your life.
Look for ways to fall in love with the process rather than the end result
When you are highly focused on the end result of whatever it is you’re doing, it will naturally tend to be the case that you are far more restless and stressed than you would otherwise be, and you may even resent and dread undertaking your everyday tasks in the first place.
By contrast, the recent explosion of interest in mindfulness, meditation exercises, and the importance of being engaged in the present moment, have all had an influence on developing notions of productivity.
The bottom line is that if you can take steps to help yourself fall in love with the process of what you’re doing, as opposed to being highly fixated on the end result, you are likely to perform better, enjoy a higher degree of well-being, and find that you have more energy and willpower as well.
Where possible, do less
Productivity is all too often associated with the idea of “busyness,” or, in other words, the notion that it’s important to be as busy and preoccupied as possible at any given moment, and to constantly be juggling as many different tasks, projects, and obligations as possible.
What many people have been finding more and more in recent times, however, is that doing less – and being more focused on what you’re doing at any given moment – can be a very powerful way of enhancing productivity and effectiveness, while simultaneously reducing stress.
This is largely the basis of Cal Newport’s popular book “Deep Work,” for example.
Prioritizing effectively, and intentionally doing less, can help you to maximize your potential.
Optimize your own well-being and energy levels to boost your productivity
Productivity is often seen as more or less the opposite of self-care, but it shouldn’t be a surprising or controversial idea to state that the more well rested, positive, and energetic you are, the more productive you are likely to be when you engage in your work.
Optimizing your own well-being and your energy levels, through things like adequate sleep, good nutrition (check out Activated You reviews for ways to boost nutrition), physical activity, and time spent with loved ones, can help to make you a lot more effective at your job, can grant you inspiration, can make you more resilient, and can enhance your overall productivity in a broad range of different ways.
Productivity is something that we all strive for, both at work and in our personal lives. And what motivates one person may not work for another, so it's about having a good understanding of you and what pushes you to strive for more. The three tips mentioned above can certainly contribute to enhanced productivity, so it's up to you to interpret them in a way that suits you and commit to them in order to see the results you are looking for.