How Productivity Helps You Everyday
Everyday Productivity
In this article, I want to share 5 things with you that I noticed benefiting me as a by-product of my own journey to be more productive.
I remember being a teenager, who trained in Martial Arts 2–3 times a week, had violin practice 1–2 times a week, and youth group activities at my church 1–2 times a week.
Needless to say, I always had something going on, and when the day came that I was able to get my driver's license, my parents couldn’t have been more thrilled.
I upheld these commitments while finishing high school and working a part-time job.
I carried the same type of schedule all through college, and into my adult life, where I was working a job, volunteering at my church, and freelancing on the side. Eventually, something had to give.
And it would have IF I had not learned to be organized, and maintain a functional productivity system for all of my jobs, tasks, responsibilities, and hobbies.
So If you are someone who wants to get more out of life and take your productivity to another level, then this article is for you.
Or you could be someone who feels like you are treading water, barely able to stay afloat because of the busyness of life. This article is also for you, and it is my goal, that by the end of it, you will have fresh hope for what could be, and an actionable plan to get there.
The Purpose of Productivity.
1. To make more time for the Important things in life.
Everyone wishes they had more time. I have seen it over and over again with myself and with others around me, Important things in life that couldn't be handled well, as a result of my own, or someone else's disorganization.
If it's spending time with your family, maybe attending an event that is important to someone close to you, or desiring to become more active in your local community.
When you begin getting organized, focused, and productive in your everyday life, you kick “busyness” out of the driver's seat of your life, and begin to take control again.
2. Being Productive Helps Reveal the Important Things.
The reason I can be efficient and productive is that I have attached my work to a purpose that is greater than myself.
I desire to be as active in my church as possible, but I am only able to do that when work and everyday life are handled proficiently.
I have noticed a lot of people who also desire to be more active in their church, but because of their “busy” lives, they are unable to.
They feel overwhelmed and busy because they haven’t attached their everyday lives to a purpose greater than themselves, or they are completely disorganized in their attempt to do so.
At the same time, I know of people who are “Go-Getters” who are organized, and self-disciplined, they are the ones who are the most involved because they are the ones who are able to make the most of their time.
So what is your “why?”
What is the greater purpose that you wish to make time for in your life, by handling everyday responsibilities well? Answering this question, and improving your productivity go hand in hand.
I have seen in myself, the more productively I am pursuing my purpose, the more of my purpose I uncover to pursue.
3. Productive vs. Hustle Culture
The goal of being more productive is to efficiently use the time you have to make room for the things in life that matter most.
The goal is NOT to fill up every second of every day with more work.
Working hard is an admirable skill that every person should be able to apply themselves to, But oftentimes productive hard-working people fall victim to the guilt of “I should be doing something productive now instead of resting.”
But the truth is, part of effective productivity is effective rest.
If you are on the hustle 24/7, 365 days a year, you WILL burn out.
It takes practice, skill, and discipline, but eventually, you will be able to Leverage your energy and discipline to know when your body needs a break, and when you need to tell your body to get back to work.
4. When you are Effective in your productivity, you can accomplish more with your life.
As I mentioned before everyone has the same amount of hours in a day, When you seek to be more productive You are able to take control of your life, and use your time effectively.
Anyone will tell you when it comes to finances, the first thing anyone should do if they are trying to manage their finances better, is to create a budget.
It is the same thing with your time, You should know what part of your day is going to what task, and have an external overview of your day.
It may take some time to start getting a feel of how long things may take for you to accomplish, but eventually, you will begin to get a grasp on planning your day.
The only thing you have to be careful of, is what many have found to be true, Parkinson's Law.
“work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”
There is a balance to recognizing how long a task should take, and how long you should give yourself to accomplish that task. Both of these take time and practice.
5. Being Productive ripples into every area of life. Personal and professional.
Being able to plan and organize your day, and your life is a tool that can be used in all of life.
For example, productivity systems and organizational methods can help to construct a budget and effectively manage your finances. It can help you get the most out of your free time, expand and master new skills, and explore and improve in new hobbies.
This can have results as small as improving in something you enjoy and do for fun, or as large of results as developing a new skill to take your career in a new direction.
Everyone has room for improvement.
It doesn’t matter if you’re an entrepreneur, CEO, or the average office worker. Being more productive helps you to take control of your life, makes room for what matters most, and helps you to accomplish more of your purpose on earth.
I believe as you consider the reasons you wish to be more productive, your life and work will begin to take on a new and fresh meaning.
