Busy Vs Productive
How many times have any of us said that we don’t have time right now because we are just too busy. This then leads to us getting stressed because we feel like we are chasing tasks and not getting to the end, and the tasks seem like they are piling up more and more.
Many of us take the phrase “being busy” as to be a positive thing, however being busy doesn’t always mean being productive. It is often the case that these two words are used in everyday life, but they are as different as night and day. The good thing is that we don’t have to be busy in order to be productive. It’s often the case that without being busy, we’re actually more effective.
So how can we distinguish between busy and productive and what can we do to put ourselves in a more productive state?
1. Busy people multitask. Productive people focus on a single task.
Effective working people differ from busy people primarily in that busy people multitask and cannot focus on one task. Whereas productivity occurs when we focus on a single task and we devote ourselves fully to that task.
2. Busy people are often trapped. Productive people take purposeful breaks and can switch off.
What busy people often underestimate is the efficiency of purposeful break scheduling, most of us often work more efficiently afterward if we give our brain a break now and then. To work productively, we need an efficient brain. It’s no use working all day long when our mental capacity is not established.
3. Busy people are constantly distracted. Productive people create a system.
Busy people get lost in the many tasks they have to do every day, whereas productive people work from a structured system prioritising tasks.
4. Busy people get caught up in the details. Productive people keep track.
Check whether you are currently busy with details that have such a small impact on the overall outcome of the tasks that it is not worth thinking about. Busy people deal with unimportant details that have virtually no impact on the success of the task.
Being busy is about working harder while being productive is about working smarter. Being busy is frantic while being productive is focused. Being busy is fuelled by perfectionism while being productive is fuelled by purpose. Being busy is about being good at everything while being productive is about being great at a few important things.
Work smarter not harder.
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