Hi there!
So much has been said and written about productivity. Everyone has an opinion and “fresh” perspective.
Here’s an approach that’s not so fresh but will have the desired results – getting more done – if first, you honestly respond…
►First a few simple questions:
- Are you clear on WHAT (more) you’re trying to get done?
- Are you clear on “why?” – Why getting that particular thing done is necessary – so necessary in fact that you are now wanting to do more of it.
- Are you clear on “who?” – When that thing gets done (or those things) who benefits?
- Are you clear on HOW they benefit?
- How badly do you want to get more done?
OK…so those questions may be simple but the answers are far from simple!
If you answered ‘yes’ to those first 4 questions and some variation of “VERY BADLY” to question #5, move on to these: [ and if you answered “no” on any of the first four, get clear before moving on]
6. What stops you from getting more done?
7. If you had the power to immediately have an overnight change in your habits, which habit would you adopt so you can get more done?
8. What one thing can you stop doing on a daily basis that would make it possible to get more done?
9. Do you want to get more done badly enough to stop doing that thing?
If your answer is “no” to the last one, reading this article will be a waste of your time.
The most truthful thing that can be said about getting more done is this:
How much more I can get done is directly correlated to how much I WANT to get more done.
If you want it badly enough you will demonstrate your total commitment by doing the following:
Start creating that habit you referred to in question #7.
Stop doing that one thing you referred to in question # 8.
It really is that “simple!” We tend to complicate life. You will make the necessary changes required to get more done just as soon as you are ready and willing to be fully committed to getting more done.
►What stops you from total commitment?
Answering this question will require some self-reflection.
►Identify your time-wasters…Very popular ones are: (If you hear/see yourself in any of these – stay still for a bit and reflect on why that is…)
- Excessive TV and other mind numbing entertainment
- On-line activities
- Talking/hanging with other folks who are not getting more done
- Looking for mis-placed things
- Feeling badly about not getting more done
- Not forgiving yourself and moving on!
►Some skills/habits to develop to get more done:
- Organization – having/maintaining systems for papers, projects, files, etc
- Accountability – checking in with someone on what you intend to do and being held accountable
- Early to bed/early to rise – no need to explain!! J [Nothing like pre-dawn productivity]
- Communication – to delegate, explain, connect, etc
- Goal-Setting – having targets, milestones, helps with accountability…no success without goals
- Forgiveness – keeping the pipeline to your blessings OPEN, lightening your load so you have space for increased productivity
- The 3 P’s… Planning, Preparation, Practice…- we get more done when we plan to! Preparing our minds and our environment to get more done is crucial…and practicing the things we do ahead of time gives us more time to do more and better quality of outcomes
- Exercising – a great energy booster and head clearer; great side benefits too like excellent health 🙂
- Be STILL…that would be the habit of PAUSE. As with sentences – can you just imagine this blog without punctuation?! So it is with a life without stillness and pause and rest. Be still long enough to connect to your source. For me that is God. Successful people know how to tune out and get re-energized. Stillness is the most powerful way to do this. It’s called meditation by some. But don’t get confused with technique, just get still, get present and permit your mind to concede ‘power.’ Thoughts and thinking can really keep a person busy, even when they’re sitting still. The idea is to tune into your deeper source, not your patterned thoughts and self-centered cares.
- Deep Breathing. ..which by the way is what you can do when you pause throughout the day. Breath, deep breath is a habit that is MOST understated and underestimated. It’s actually not one that gets mentioned often by folks I coach. But I have to bring it up because it’s pivotal to success. Breathing from your diaphragm is breathing to excel. That’s the kind of breath that pushes the needed substance into our blood stream to our brain. We simply need oxygen and all that’s in it for a reason: LIFE! Ask any high performing athlete or performer, they will tell you about the power of breath.
If you identified a habit you can create to get more done, sign up here for a free 21 day program – ecoahing for 21 days.
There’s no mystery about how to get more done, you just have to want it badly enough then make sure you are armed with the habits and skills to get more done. Find out where the ‘blockage’ to your creative/productivity flow is and unplug it!
What else should we cover on this topic? Let me know if there’s a way I can help you to be more productive.
Wishing you an abundance of productivity and joy,
♥~