A lot of people mistake productivity with creativity. Being productive can also mean having conscious control over your resources so that they are more readily available when the need arises. If you are an artist but hadn't painted in years you are creative by nature, but not productive presently. You get the picture.One aspect of productivity has to do with managing and making the most of your time.We always complain that there isn't enough time for anything but we fail to take into account the many hours we spend in idle anticipation, waiting for something to happen, anything in fact. Being productive means also being proactive and not just with your time, mind you.What if you ended your day laying in your bed knowing today was a blast. It was productive, you've done and completed all that you've set out to do. Say you are in bed now with a smile and earnestly planning how to make tomorrow better because you felt good about today. In a sense, you've become productive and unleashed a potential you didn't know you had. What if for instance you felt that today was a total disappointment because nothing ever went right and you were late for almost all your appointments and your car had to break down in the middle of 4 p.m. traffic in Interstate 805. I mean let's face it folks THIS CAN HAPPEN to you and in more than one occassion. See setbacks like these as mere challenges, as a way life tests your mettle. I mean it could have been worse right? I sometimes expect the worst so my surprises are pleasent ones. What I am trying to drive at is IT'S ALL ABOUT PERSPECTIVE. Why ruin a perfectly good day especially when you woke up feeling good about it.
Well, as before, being productive requires careful planning as well as identifying ( and nurturing) key qualities which you need. Plan ahead. Plan for a backup plan and a contingency plan should your backup plan fail too. Organize your activities into sets of time. Don't say, " Today I'll mow the lawn.". Instead, say, " Today, I'll mow the lawn before 10 a.m.." Do you see the difference? You were specific on the second statement but on the former what you actually meant was ," Today, I'll mow the lawn at my leisure and convenience." The right mindset changes everything. Set your goals in small increments towards a larger goal. This takes away most of the pressure brought about by time constraint. Be flexible with your time but be aware where you take off and where you add to. Be mindful of your time as well as that of others. If what you set out to do today couldn't be finished then finish something else (which, in most cases, was something you've put off since who knows when anyway). I never make a schedule planner of daily events because they tend to be stress inducing. You open yours and see which schedules and appointments you have to move to another date because you didn't have enough time. Always take into account the "in-betweens". For example your commute to another appointment you presume would take you a good 30 minutes; Then make that 45 minutes and say you needed the extra 15 minutes to freshen up. I know we don't always have this commodity but making your day less stressful makes you more productive and proactive.
Set your goals in time increments. What do you plan to accomplish today? What do you plan to accomplish tomorrow? In a week's time? In a month? In the near future? In the long run? You get the drift. Write down what your goal needs to see completion. Make a list of several key areas you need to address and give each area a realistic time frame by which you plan to accomplish it. Don't cut corners and don't compromise by taking risks. You'll only slow down and be really familiar with the column you'll have to write down called , " Reformulate your plan". Lastly, try to be more positive in all that you do. Don't lose your cool. Forge ahead and if you need to take the long way out to see today through completion then do so. You'll feel better knowing you've done what most people would have given up on. Until our next post, folks...do take care and thanks again for your time.
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