Productivity is a funny old word
It’s an output but it can also be a feeling.
I like to feel that I’m being productive in my working day, does that mean I’m being busy? That depends on my perspective.
Everyone’s busy, right? Busy is a state of mind. It’s not the same as being productive.
I don’t subscribe to the need to hustle in order to earn your stripes. Doing well, being busy, success, they are all subjective. They mean different things to different people.
When I worked with Toggl, I worked with many agencies who were looking at how they spent their time. The majority of them didn’t expect their staff to be working on-task for 8 hours a day. They knew it was unrealistic. Some only aimed for 4-5 hours of project time a day. The rest of the day was just other stuff – emails, meetings, impromptu chats, settling in, making coffee – all the work and stuff around the work. Something to remember if you’re juggling homeschooling and homeworking.
What I do know is that I have my sweet spot. The point where I have enough to do to keep motivated and alert enough to give me the clarity to be able to prioritise what needs to get done. Not too much that I feel overwhelmed or too little that I feel lazy.
When I’m lagging – for whatever reason – or overwhelmed, it can help to remind myself of a few simple techniques to help plan, prioritise and be more productive. You’ll already know that I love a list, a plan and a project management tool. Pair those with time-blocking or task-blocking – unstoppable. Of course, deadlines and urgent requests always help with that. We need a certain level of stress, don’t we?
Working smarter goes hand in hand with productivity. Setting up some simple processes, email hacks or some automation can save you loads of time once you’ve got over the initial setup.
If you need some productivity positivity, you can find some more ideas in these posts:
- Being busy doesn’t necessarily mean you’re being productive – How to work out where your time goes, then make a plan and stick to it.
- Inbox detox – Time to get on top of your inbox. For good.
- Finding time to find a time – How to simplify appointment making using Calendly.