For all of the definitions of “productivity” I’ve come across, none is as complete is a single word.
productivity = intentionality
It’s as simple as it gets. Being productive means being intentional. It means being intentional with your use of your 2 most valuable resources: your time and energy. It means that you deploy those things in service of the things that most deserve them.
It’s also been said that being productive means not just doing a lot of things, but doing a lot of the right things. But here’s the kicker: you are the one who chooses what the right things are. So we’re back to intentionality; consistently and reliably do what you intend to do.
Only you can know for sure if you’re doing the right things. And the only way you can know this is by reflection. But reflection isn’t a one-time thing you do. And it’s not done at one level, either. You need to reflect each day as you plan what you intend to tackle. You need to decide what’s important today.
But that’s just one level. In order to be confident in what’s important today, you need to have reflected on what your bigger goals are. And in order to have done that, you need to have thought about your deeper values.
And as if that weren’t enough, these aren’t things you only need to think about once. Your bigger goals in life can (and often do) change. Your values can change, as well–sometimes slightly, sometimes dramatically. It’s something you need to be aware of. If you don’t have that awareness, you can become disillusioned with a lot of your work, because it no longer aligns with (or even conflicts with) your larger goals or values.
But don’t worry quite yet about formalizing this process or setting a reminder. Your mind can sense when these things are out of alignment. When your tasks don’t match your goals, your goals don’t align with your values, and any combination like that–it becomes apparent to you fairly quickly. Your anxiety level skyrockets, you feel burned out, motivation lags, or you have trouble filling out your card each day.
If you’re feeling any of that, item #1 on your card today should become this: write for 10 minutes about what matter most to you in this life. That’s it. It may seem small, but it’s extremely helpful. It sets the intentionality for today, and likely the next handful of days (and weeks!).
Now get to it.
