Do you consider yourself a productive person? Before we can discuss the qualities of highly productive people, we need to first understand what productivity is. Many people think productivity is churning out lots of work within a short time. This is somehow true, but it’s not complete. True productivity is getting the right work done efficiently. It is using the limited time we have to create lots of high impact work.
So what are the habits of the most productive people?
They embrace simplicity
Simplicity is what drives true productivity. Think about all the many small tasks which compete for your attention every day. Are there some that can be eliminated, automated or delegated? The highly productive people are ruthless at cutting out those unnecessary tasks that consume their precious time and sap their energy. Do you seriously need those 20 tasks on your to-do list?
They manage distractions
There is always something around us that tempts us to divert our attention. The most productive people are always aware of the threats posed by distractions, and hence they create clear boundaries between what they are currently working on and the other unimportant diversions. Let your works station be sacred and you will accomplish more of what you set to do.
They take more breaks
Being productive is not about draining copious amounts of coffee to stay alert. At the end of the day, you are only human, not a robot. Your brain does get tired after long hours of work and will start giving you signals that it’s time to take a break. Take some time off to recharge your batteries by talking a walk in the park, going for a drink or by simply meditating. You will come back fresher, ready to accomplish even more. Effective people respect their bodies and their health, because at the end of the day that’s what is most important.
They delegate
You cannot do everything, despite what your inner control freak lets you believe. There is so much output that can be achieved by a team, so delegate some tasks to members who can perform them. One activity may not be your cup of tea, but someone else may be very good at it. Delegation increases the chance of high quality output being produced, while also allowing other people to shine.
They tap into their inspiration
No strategy can match the power of inspiration. The most productive people know how to tap into their inspiration to motivate them in achieving their goals. Yes, inspiration doesn’t always come and sometimes we have to crawl over the finish line after huffing and puffing the whole time, but we can learn how to leverage those inspirational moments to transform our work experience.
