Productivity with a Purpose

While it may be easy to get caught up in the Productivity Trap from time to time, productivity can and should be a good thing.

Productivity with a Purpose is about freeing up time from the unnecessary, as well as the necessary but not fulfilling, in order to focus on higher priority or more fulfilling work. The end goal is simply about doing more of the things we love, or enjoy, and less of the things we don’t.

Two things I personally enjoy are spending quality time with the most important people in my life and helping others excel in areas of my strengths. So if the end result of my effort to be more productive is not allowing me to do more of these things, I probably need to make some changes.

When I do feel myself slipping, these 3 things can help.

Clarify Priorities

If you’re on a road trip with no destination in mind, you will arrive somewhere, but it may not be the place you’re looking for. Clarifying your priorities allows you to begin with a destination in mind.

When identifying your priorities, it can be helpful to visualize your personal and professional roles in life, like husband, colleague, mom, manager, etc.*

Be sure not to forget self which might cover areas like health, professional development Continue reading “Productivity with a Purpose”

3 Time Traps of the Ambitious Mind: Passion, Perfectionism & Productivity

Productivity

Productivity is not effectiveness. Activity is not accomplishment. Performing lots of tasks very efficiently may be productive, but if those tasks are meaningless to your vision, it’s not an effective use of time. There’s a big difference between doing things right and doing the right things. The Productivity Trap is doing many things very well that are ultimately meaningless.

Solution: Try a low-information diet. Reduce the amount of information your consuming by restricting all types of media except that which is essential. Yes, reading too, especially reading. If it’s not important or urgent, let it slide. Your time should be reserved for your most important goals.

Perfectionism

Perfectionism is typically based on fear – fear of Continue reading “3 Time Traps of the Ambitious Mind: Passion, Perfectionism & Productivity”