Are you feeling overwhelmed with work and personal responsibilities? Do you find yourself struggling to keep up with your to-do list and feeling like there’s never enough time in the day? We’ve all been there. That’s why “How to be productive” is one of the most searched phrases on google. But what exactly is productivity, and how can we achieve it without burning out?
What is Productivity? 🚀
Productivity is the measure of how much work you can get done in a specific amount of time. It’s a concept that’s important in both our personal and professional lives because being productive allows us to achieve our goals and accomplish more in less time.
At its core, productivity is about getting things done efficiently and effectively. But unfortunately, there’s a common myth that productivity is all about working harder and longer hours. This approach can sometimes be effective, but it often leads to burnout and decreased performance over time.
Productivity vs. Efficiency ⚖️
While productivity and efficiency are often used interchangeably, they’re not the same thing. Efficiency is about doing things quickly and with minimal waste, while productivity is about achieving a lot in a specific amount of time.
You should aim to strike a balance between productivity and efficiency. It’s great to get a lot done, but it’s also important to make sure you’re doing things well and not sacrificing quality for quantity.
So how can we be more productive without sacrificing our mental and physical health? The answer lies in “working smarter, not harder.” This means finding ways to maximize your productivity without overexerting yourself.
My favorite definition of productivity was given by Peter Drucker, who defines it as ”the balance between all factors of production that will give the greatest output for the smallest effort.” — Emphasis on “greatest output for the smallest effort.” This brings us to the productivity formula.
The Productivity Formula 📌
The fundamental principle of productivity is represented by a simple formula that describes productivity as useful output per unit of time as shown above.
This principle has been developed and refined over time by many individuals in various fields. My favorite modification of it (shown below) which I learned in a productivity course by Ali Abdaal, introduces two important multipliers — Forethought (F) and fun (f).
Forethought — Involves planning ahead of time and following through with said plan.
Fun — Finding ways to enjoy your work or tasks.
How to Achieve Healthy Productivity 🚀
Using the productivity formula, you can achieve productivity without breaking your mind or back. The following steps outline how.
1. Plan ahead (Forethought) 🗺️
This is key to productivity because it is by planning that you are able to determine the best way to achieve maximum output with minimal effort. When planning, your focus should be to set or determine an end goal, and a course of action to achieve that goal in the available time, without burning out. The key factors to take into consideration are what tasks to do, when, where, and how to do them.
For example, I want to write an article on productivity. The key tasks I need to perform are research, draft, expand, edit, and publish. By planning ahead, I have determined that the best course of action would be to write between the hours of 6 am and 8 am (because that’s my brain is most active), at my desk (because its my most productive space) and with the help of a few curated blogging tools (because they make writing so much easier). Those two minutes of planning before starting are now saving me much time and effort.
2. Prioritize (Useful Output) ⚖️
This is when you determine which tasks are important and worth doing, and which should be automated, delegated, or discarded altogether. — Based on relevance to your end goal. For example, I might decide that research and editing for this article is a waste of my time and mental strength, so I outsource those tasks to ChatGPT — I know, I’m obsessed.🌚 This way, I can focus only on the tasks that require effort from me.
3. Work with a Schedule (Time) ⏱️
Time is our most valuable non-refundable resource. — Albert-László Barabási
Remember that the goal is not to work longer, but to get a lot done in the available time. You want to make sure that you spend what time you have performing tasks that result in useful outputs. You can achieve this by scheduling your priority tasks every day and sticking to that schedule. Ensure to schedule relaxation and fun into your day too.
4. Enjoy your work (Fun) 💃🏾
Let’s face it, work isn’t always pleasurable. But you can find ways to make your work fun. — Whether by gamifying your tasks, or rewarding yourself for every milestone you hit. I find the Pomodoro Technique to be a great way to make work more enjoyable. This works by doing 25 minutes of work and then taking a 5-minute break, and repeating the cycle. This, and the satisfaction that comes from beholding a completed project adds a ton of fun to my work.
There are a lot of other methods to achieve productivity in work and life and I’ll write about more of them soon. If you found this helpful, let me know in the comments. Noteworthy: Everyone is different, so you should experiment with different methods and find what works best for you.
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