The Art and Science of Productivity: The best Practices to maximize your output on Time.

Brian Tracy in his Maximum achievement strategies wrote that "There are no limits to what you can achieve except the limits you accept in your own mind. Man on the general operates far below both his mental and physical capacities. Well, I'm not talking about the "Great Myths of the brain" here. We can really achieve more than our expectations if we can stop wishing, say, or intend and start working as it's what we do that counts and not what we say, intend, or wish.

Life does not give us what we want, it gives us what we have paid the price for.

Productivity refers to the physical relationship between the quantity produced (output) and the number of resources used in the course of production (input). The concept of productivity can be applied to any individual. Productivity aims at the maximum utilization of resources for yielding as many goods and services as possible, desired by consumers at lowest possible cost. Productivity is the ratio of output in a given period of time to the input in the same period of time. Productivity can be influenced by so much factors but human factors (Human nature and human behavior) are the most determinants of productivity.

In the traditional sense, productivity is about maximizing outputs, increasing profits, or both. But in the modern sense, when we say “productivity,” we often mean “personal productivity.” Personal productivity is ultimately about achieving goals.

All successful people are productive, they simply get things done. It's possible for a person to have an overwhelming number of things to do and still function productively with a clear head and a positive sense of relaxed control but then, you must have captured all the things that are needed to be done now, later, someday, big, little, or in-between into a logical and trusted system outside of your head and off your mind. Focusing on primary outcomes and values is a critical exercise, certainly. But it does not mean there is less to do or fewer challenges in getting the work done. That's a great way to live and work, at elevated levels of effectiveness and efficiency.

This article is going to focus its attention on the humanistic factors that affect productivity leading to timely output maximization and goal achievement.

The Art and Science of Productivity.

Today's society tends to separate all endeavors into either art or science but these two are not completely different from each other, they have things in common. While art is creative, it also contains elements of science through balance, form, and perspective. Science while being very organized and regulated contains artistic elements of creativity and expression. This article will show you the best practices of productivity from both ends.

Know Yourself:

Staying productive is one of the key challenges we face throughout our daily lives. It’s almost like every corner hides an opportunity for procrastination to snatch us away. When it comes down to it, staying productive is a skill that relies on really knowing yourself, your core purpose, and what your main priorities are. Understanding oneself is a great tool for productivity. It's of utmost importance to know who you are, what you want to achieve, and how you normally get things done at the best cost.

Have a Scale of Preference:

The role of having a "To-do list" cannot be overemphasized but it's important to give priorities to activities. Productivity is not just about getting all the things on your 'To do list' done although, getting things done is really an important part of being productive, but it really doesn’t count much if those tasks don’t get you closer to your goal.

In order to ensure that you are being productive, you should make yourself a to-do list for the day and possibly, a night before the day, then ruthlessly audit tasks to put them in order of importance and urgency. What tasks are important for our long-term success vs the ones that are important for our daily success? Keep your purpose and long-term goals in mind when doing this. Do you have a task that can be done by someone else? If yes, then delegate such a task and focus on the one that only you can handle.

Delegation comes with an element of risk but it has been proven to increase responsibility and increased responsibility is important for improving the morale and job satisfaction of your team member. Give responsibilities to qualified members that have a proven track record with success in a certain field, and trust that they will perform the tasks well.

Stephen Covey’s famous ‘Matrix’ is a good place to start when organizing your tasks for short and long-term success. Study the chart below.

Activities IV should not be allowed to interrupt important duties.

Extracted from The Remarkable Woman

Be Organized and Stay Conscious of Your Time

Schedule your day so that you are clear on what you are going to do and when you are going to do it. Also, be tactical with your scheduling if you are more productive in the morning, frontload your schedule. If you are a late riser and find you get more things done at the end of the working day, then be tactical but be aware that nearly everyone is better able to focus in the morning. Know what exactly works best for you and make use of them.

A research conducted suggests that in an eight-hour day, the average UK worker is only productive for two hours and 53 minutes. That's right you're probably only productive for around three (3) hours a day.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American works 8.8 hours every day. Yet a study of nearly 2,000 full-time office workers revealed that most people aren't working for most of the time they're at work. They were distracted with a combination of the following;

1. Checking social media – 44 minutes (spent doing this during the working day)

2. Reading news websites – 1 hour 5 minutes

3. Discussing out of work activities with colleagues – 40 minutes

4. Making hot drinks – 17 minutes

5. Smoking breaks – 23 minutes

6. Text/instant messaging – 14 minutes

7. Eating snacks – 8 minutes

8. Making food in office– 7 minutes

9. Making calls to partner/ friends – 18 minutes

10. Searching for new jobs- 26 minutes

Carefully arrange your workspace to minimize these distractions.

Stay Focused:

Focus on a single task set a deadline to get it done and then get it done! It's important to know that focusing intensely is mentally exhausting and challenging so plan breaks, create opportunities to rest, and give yourself some downtime.

Starve your distraction and feed your focus.

Lack of sleep affects your stress level and productivity. Sleeping well is essential to have a productive day. When you sleep your attention span is recharged. With a good rest, it will get at maximum load; that’s why it is recommended to do the tasks that require greater concentration at the beginning of the day. Also think that if your focus reserve is full and you do not use it, it will be gradually lost, wasted.

Break down your complex goals into actionable steps that can easily be handled and delegated.

Note that staying busy does not imply that you're being productive. Plan some rest, take care of your mental health. Remember the saying that "health is wealth"