Productivity: How to Be More Productive in One Word
What is Productivity?
It’s getting the results you want with less effort and in less time. When we want to be more productive, we are just looking for ways to achieve our goals faster so we have more time to spend on what we want.
The natural question then is, “How to increase our productivity?”
Countless books have been written on the subject. Many gadgets manufactured. Hours of content uploaded to YouTube. We are surrounded by productivity gurus and endless advice:
- 5 proven tips to get things done
- 7 simple steps to achieve greater productivity
- How to sleep less and work harder to be productive
- 15 habits to completely transform your productivity
- 3 morning habits that are destroying your productivity
- 5 superfoods to increase your productivity levels
Noise, noise, more noise.
Do you really want to know how to be more productive and achieve better results in less time?
The answer to this question is quite simple. No nonsense, no bullshit, no 5-step program.
To be more productive, one needs to be more disciplined.
That’s all it takes. Discipline. Nothing more, nothing less.
That planner you bought from your favorite content creator, larger monitor, mouse and keyboard made specifically for productivity increasment, tablet, second phone, etc. won’t do shit. Seriously. They won’t. They will only distract you from the important work that must be done.
But wait, it can’t be that simple, right? There is a whole industry of YouTubers, podcasters, app developers, and productivity gurus who can give me good advice.
Oh yes, certainly. Give you good advice for just $9.99 per month. Or by selling you a course, app, book, gadget, or something else. Just this one thing and your life will change forever.
Bullshit.
Discipline is the answer!
It won’t cost you anything. But it’s hard to master.
Hacks to Increase Discipline
Yes, there are definitely hacks to increase your discipline, hence increased productivity. But not for the productivity itself, because how you spend your time depends on discipline, and nothing else.
Therefore, you need to look for tips on how to increase your discipline, not productivity.
Maybe create some good habits (single-task, Pomodoro technique, remove temptations, exercise, sleep more, etc.). Maybe isolate yourself from the world around (a good pair of noise-canceling headphones is a cheap version of this if you don’t have the luxury of working alone in a room or office). Or something third. Choose what works best for you.
A Productive Day in 4 Simple Steps
What does a productive day look like?
- Choose something important to work on (a task from your MIT list (most important task), perhaps).
- Focus on the task at hand for a certain number of minutes/hours.
- Pick another important task after that.
- Repeat.
Between tasks take breaks. Stretch. Breathe. Eat something healthy. Drink plenty of water. Even use social media or some other form of relaxation if you want. But when is time to do the work again, focus on the task at hand, and get it done. Don’t try to multitask, because it never works.
Hard Tips to Be More Disciplined
Want to write a book? Sit in the chair. And write.
Want to pass an exam? Sit in the chair. And study.
Want to read more books this year? Sit in the chair. And read.
Want to learn how to repair a car alone? Sit in the chair. Read. Go outside and practice what you read.
Want to do more things and be more productive? Sit in the chair. And focus on the task at hand.
More Things or Important Things?
Years from now, when we look back on our life, will we care more about the fact that we did things just for the sake of crossing them off our To-Do lists, or about the fact that we created something meaningful. People can get a lot done, but a lot of it is not important at all. We have movement, but we don’t have progress.
Evaluate all the things on your To-do list with one simple question: “Will this make a meaningful contribution to my or someone else’s life?”
If the answer is No, eliminate it from the list.
If the answer is Yes, put it on the MIT list (most important task), and do it first thing in the day.
Your legacy won’t be made on crossing things from To-Do lists, but from doing work that is important and meaningful.
…
I’m not a productivity expert, nor do I want to be. I’m just a Simple man training discipline and getting things done every day. And it works.
Discipline is all you need to be more productive, satisfied, and happy with your life.
Cheers!
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