Is it time for you to redefine ‘productive’?
Monday is laundry day in my house. I get the laundry sorted first thing and start plowing through each load as quickly as possible. When a meeting ends, I head downstairs to the laundry room, rotate the loads and repeat until all the piles on the floor are gone. I am incredibly productive in getting the laundry completed on a Monday. If I do loads on the weekend or in the evenings, it takes much longer and loads sit in the machines for hours or days. I maximize my laundry productivity when I conquer the task in one day and use meeting breaks to keep it moving. It feels good to be productive, and I always have a sense of great accomplishment when I have completed the task. However, as a business coach, laundry is not the best way to assess my productivity for the day.
Much has been written about being productive and maximizing productivity. Most references to maximizing productivity include efficiency, minimizing inputs, completing tasks and maximizing outputs. My laundry day is a great example of maximizing productivity. I complete the task with maximum efficiency using every meeting break to keep it moving forward. I minimize my inputs (number of loads) by utilizing every possible sliver of space in the machines. I complete the task when the piles of laundry have been output cleanly into baskets to be folded.
While it is nice to finish the laundry on Monday afternoon, it is not the best way to define how productive I was on most days, particularly if we look at it in regards to the business I’m running not too far from the laundry room.
How do you define ‘productive’?
What metrics do you use to assess your productivity each day? The number of tasks you crossed off your to-do list? The speed with which you completed the tasks? Your level of satisfaction with the items you crossed off your list? How much closer you are to achieving your goals?
If we only focus on crossing things off our list, we are going to have a lot of laundry days. Laundry is a task that gets completed and immediately is back on the list. It is never truly complete. Our to-do lists are the same way. Cross something off and something else pops up. Whether it is an email or a bill to be paid, the list will never disappear. We can get a lot accomplished but not actually move the needle. As we all strive to maximize productivity and get the most out of each day, we need to redefine productivity to be focused on maximizing our impact.
If you look at definitions of “maximize,” you will see phrases like “make the most of,” “get the best out of” or “capitalize on.” This lends itself to focusing on the quality and the impact our efforts have. To truly capitalize on time requires you to make progress on a meaningful goal. With a gap in the schedule, I will often focus on writing an article or creating deliverables for my clients. I feel accomplished when I have made progress on my goals.
Don’t get me wrong, the emails need to be answered. I am not suggesting we ignore the items on our to-do list. I am proposing we shift how we assess whether we were productive with our day. Here are three ideas for shifting your mind-set on feeling productive.
Look at your business goals for the quarter or year and determine which one you want to impact. Identify two tasks you can complete during the day that will take you one step closer to achieving the goal. When you have completed those two tasks, remind yourself that you are pushing things forward for your business.
Review your to-do list and identify the most impactful items on the list. Use that as your barometer of productivity. Making progress on or completing those items during the day should leave you feeling accomplished with your day.
Leave your workspace. Take a walk, do some laundry, listen to music, but do not do a work task. Letting your mind wander could be the most productive thing you do with your day. Often you will come up with ideas on how to approach a problem or what the appropriate next step on a project is. Giving yourself space to think will help you maximize your impact when you return to your workspace.
I have heard many times about the need to be more productive and get more done. Getting more done does not always move you closer to what you are trying to achieve. The laundry will pile up again tomorrow. To maximize your productivity, you need to maximize your impact. Shifting your mind-set to appreciate the impact of your efforts will allow you to end each day knowing you spent time helping your business grow and thrive. Over time, you will find that your sense of accomplishment at the end of the day will be driven not by the number of items crossed off your list but by the impact you had on your business and customers.
**Originally published on Puget Sound Business Journal, June 2021