We’ve been taught that to get more money, success, raises, and hikes- we need to do more and keep doing more. But after doing more, do we seriously get the desired results? No, right? Unfortunately, this happens with most of us as we confuse activity with productivity. We think that when we are busy, we are moving ahead. In contrast, it keeps you in the same place. So doing more is not the option. We have to do less and smarter to boost our productivity.
What is the difference between Productivity and Activity?
Being active is getting things done; being productive is getting the right things done. You need to prioritize what’s right for you and then align your tasks with it. Productivity is quality-oriented, and activity is quantity-oriented. Let’s understand this with an example: Two Businessmen named John and George have two adjacent electronic stores-
John
- keeps his store open for 10 hours/day
- keep doing many things with no strategy, planning
- get 5-6 customers a week
George
- keeps his store open for 4 hours- only at peak times
- plan, strategize his business models, and improve as required
- get 7-8 customers a week
Now, you got that George is doing it the correct way: being Productive. You can also notice that George is getting more customers even after spending less time. This sounds funny, right? John is a hard worker, spending more hours on stores but loses in front of George who spend less time on store and gets effective results.
This is possible because ‘Doing less is a game-changer. It forces us to focus on what matters and clutter the busy work and unnecessary efforts. John(the Productive Businessman) might be utilizing his non-store hours to plan, and strategize his business models (which really matter for business growth).
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How to Do More by Doing Less
First, note two things:
- Time is limited, and if you waste your time doing things that won’t take you up, it will be a waste.
- Urgent doesn’t always mean important, and busy doesn’t always mean productive. Pause and think about times when you have been busy but achieved nothing significant.
Steps to Boost your Productivity
- Make a Clear To-Do List
- Align your tasks with your aim
- Chunk out the non-productive things
- Focus on Quality
- Do it nice, not twice
- Work Smart, Focus on getting results
- Remove distractions
- Be busy doing right things.
As we can see in the image, the person is putting all his efforts to move the vehicle. While others or he may feel that busyness will take him ahead, it simply can’t! The Other person has put his time to make a productive solution. Now you can understand that being productive is never about looking busy but spending less time for things that keep you stuck.
Recognize that you don’t need to do everything in order to make the most of your day. By doing less, you have more time to narrow down your attention and focus on doing the high-impact work that gives you better results. Successful people understand this productive secret. They know that if they want to get more done, they need to focus on doing the important, not just everything. Thus by being productive and doing less, you end up achieving more.
Successful People follow the right things, its your time do it. Tap and Follow for latest updates:
By Khushi Shah
