Global SG Knowledge Podcast: Productivity Challenge & How Less is Sometimes Better
It's been tough in the last couple of weeks to keep up with everything and finish all the tasks while maintaining the high quality I'm used to.
Anyway, I'm not here to complain but to share some key learnings with you. So, without further ado, here we go…
1. Saying “NO” Can Lead to Higher Productivity
I consider myself being a person who is profoundly motivated by challenges and prefers doing more to less to achieve (close to) 100% productivity. But, of course, there is a limit, and if you breach that limit, things suddenly start falling apart. To illustrate this, I drew a simple graph:
The most challenging part is to be self-aware and figure out what your tipping point is (ideally in advance so that you don’t end up in the situation where things get immensely stressful and overwhelming) and make sure that your [# of projects] oscillates somewhere in the sweet spot range. Because if we fail to do so, not only we’re going to experience diminishing productivity, but also the quality of our work will be in danger.
When it comes to the productivity of all the high achievers, I believe this is the essential and hardest skill to master. And that’s why we should learn how and when to say NO before it’s too late.
2. Put Yourself (and your work) Out There
I'm a punctual and detail oriented person and so this is a very hard thing for me to do.
Before I'd even imagined sharing the first podcast episodes with “the world,” I wanted everything to be perfect, again… I planned to have a superb audio, podcast intro/outro and, last but not least, good looking website dedicated solely to the “podcast project.” All of this would be incredibly difficult for me to execute, especially when I can only spend so much time on the One Side Project Challenge.
Fortunately, I've got friends around me that push me to do things I'm not that comfortable with.
The result? Feel free to enjoy interviews with inspiring entrepreneurs below:
Also, let me know what you think about my new website:
3. You DON'T Have to Start with the Fancy Equipment
I started quite lean, but I still invested around $120 into the “semi-professional” microphone and recording & editing software as I described in the previous post.
As I discover later on (when I'd forgotten the microphone at home and had to figure out an alternative way to record an upcoming interview), it isn't necessary.
Solution?
I bought the Voice Recording HD app on iTunes for $1.99, and I can tell you the quality of recording is comparable with the podcasts shared above. And you don't even have to use any additional microphone. Just play around with the settings of the app and position of your smartphone and you'll be good to go.
If you're interested in the audio quality sample, ping me on Twitter, and I'll be more than happy to share it with you.
As always, give this article a 💚 recommend if you enjoyed it, and follow One Side Project Challenge for my future updates and other inspiring side projects.
The author is a young entrepreneur and dreamer currently on life’s mission inChina. He’s also a healthy lifestyle geek that likes reading and helping others to achieve their goals. Co-Director @Startup Grind, VP of BizDev @Whoolala and avid learner. For more information visit www.jsmejkal.com.
