Virginia WaltonIn an article on Inc. com that featured the signs of exceptional productivity, Jeff Haden stated busy people stay on task while productive people also build in time for new opportunities and methods. I loved this idea. It means productive people are finding time to work on themselves. They are learning and developing even though they have numerous demands on their time.
The inverse of that is that busy people are not doing this.
Cue the image of the hamster on his wheel.
They are super busy and going really fast but getting NOWHERE!
Here are the signs you are busy, not productive.
1. You are going through the day, week, the month without clear sight of the goals.
You are doing, doing, doing without a plan. How can you feel productive if you are not working towards a goal? You may be getting things done, but odds are you are not making progress.
2. You are not in control of your time.
You are letting your calendar run your life, rather than managing your time.
My favorite example of this is when a colleague walked into a meeting I had scheduled and asked me what the meeting was about. He obviously could not have come prepared if he did not even know why he was there. That is busy, not productive.
We were in a culture that just blindly accepts meeting requests. If you do not know the purpose, you do not know if this is a good use of your time.
Stop blindly accepting meetings and this goes for outside of work too!
3. You are exhausted and feel like you have not accomplished ANYTHING
If you are just trying to get things off your never-ending to-do list, you will only get satisfaction when you can cross the item off and that is short lived.
This is because you are not making progress towards a broader goal. Making progress gives us the energy to keep going, to keep pushing, to advance until we get to the goal.
Crossing tasks off the list does not push you forward because there will always be another task added to the list.
If you are working towards your goals, you get a sense of energy as you complete the work.
If this sounds too familiar, it is time to make a change.
As you look at your calendar you need to start asking yourself some questions.
What are my goals for the week?
These should be your goals, not your boss’s, your kid’s, your peers, or your spouses.
This does not mean that your goals cannot be in support of them, but it is the angle from which you approach it.
What do I need to accomplish to this week for our business objectives and advance my goals and objectives for 2022?
What do I need to prioritize this week to make sure I am supporting my children’s education and activities?
What are the priorities for our family this week?
Next look at your calendar
Do the events, meetings, activities, and tasks help you achieve these goals?
If they are not, then why are you spending time on them?
I realize doing laundry and getting groceries may not feel like they are meeting your goals, but I will challenge that thought.
If you have a goal for your children to succeed in school. They need clean clothes, sports uniforms, attire for gymnastics or dance. Not to mention, they need healthy, quality food to perform at their best. So yes, these things align with your goals.
Of course, if you have the means to delegate these, then DO IT!
I have a secret…. teenagers can do laundry and grocery services can save you time and money. Is your time worth the $10 fee?
Next, delete or delay anything not moving you towards your goals or energizing you.
This may sound scary, or you are thinking, I can’t delete meetings at work. Guess what? You can!!
If it is not a priority this quarter, kindly ask your colleague or even your boss if this can be pushed back a few weeks because you are focused on priorities that are more time-sensitive.
If your boss says no, then double-check that you are in alignment with priorities! Most managers would appreciate your striving for alignment and proper prioritization. I mean, wouldn’t you appreciate an employee that checked in on that rather than he/ she focusing his/her efforts on the wrong thing!
It may take some time to develop these new habits, but it is worth the investment!
If you are ready to make the change, I am here to help.