Productivity. Is it what you think it is?

If you’ve been here a while you’ll have heard me say this a bazillion times before:

Productivity is not about doing more in less time.

At least not for me, anyway. 

(Confession time: I still get triggered by the word ‘productivity’... more on that in a future post!)

For me, being productive is all about honing in on what matters. 

It’s about spending our precious time and energy on the important things. On the things we value.  (Which also means spending less time on things that don’t matter.)

Makes sense, right?

So what’s the first thing you should do when you want to be more productive?

Figure out what’s important and what isn’t.

And that, dear reader, is the biggest piece of advice I can give you if you want to boost your productivity this year.

Remember that this isn’t just about your work. It’s about what you want your life to feel like. What do you want to create space for? What would you be happy to see the back of?

I spent a lot of time pondering these questions over the Christmas break, and came up with my manifesto for intentional living during 2020. It’s a list of ten statements that reflect what’s important to me, and it’s pinned on the noticeboard next to my desk so I can see it every day.

It includes things like…

“I will honour screen-free Tuesdays”

“I will honour creative Thursdays”

“I will check Facebook once a day”

“I will do 30-minutes of cardio at least once a week”

“I will not check my email on my phone”

“I will go for a walk with Sue every Friday morning”

See how I’ve turned what’s important to me into something I can actually do/not do?

I want to spend less time glued to a screen, so instead of saying something vague like ‘watch less TV’ I’ve committed to screen-free Tuesdays. After I finish work for the day, my phone, laptop and TV are off limits. 

I’m not aiming for perfection. There will be some Fridays when it’s not possible to get out for a walk. When that happens, I’ll simply pick it up again the week after. (Unlike resolutions, it’s not possible to ‘break’ an intention. Would you agree?)

My manifesto for intentional living will be my anchor as I move through this year.

It’ll remind me what’s important so I don’t spend my time and energy on things that aren’t. (For me, that includes mindless scrolling when I’m feeling uncomfortable or bored and automatically reaching for the remote control every evening.)

If you want to be more productive this year, I’d encourage you to come up with your own manifesto or set of rules* for intentional living. Getting clear on how you want to spend your time will make it so much easier to keep distractions at bay and stay focused.

Will you be giving it a go? Do you already have your own list of intentions for this year? I’d love to know so please do share in the comments below.

* If you have a rebellious streak, it might be best to avoid the word ‘rules’… find language that works for you!