Are you just productive, or are you efficient?
There is a big difference between being productive and being efficient.
When I think about structuring my day and getting things done, my mind immediately goes to the word productivity. Or at least it used to.
How productive can I be today? I would ask myself this almost daily.
That is until I realized that I was being inefficient with my days and wasting my most precious resource of all, time.
Productivity means little if it comes at the sake of being inefficient.
What I used to create in an entire day, generally takes about half that time now. It’s not because I am more productive, it’s because I’m more efficient.
So how can you use your time to efficiently produce more every single day?
Well I’m glad you asked!
Here are my top three tips for how to accomplish more in less time:
1. Prioritize:
I have never been a big fan of lists; especially “To Do” lists, and I have found that using this next method sky rocketed my efficiency to help me make more money in less time. It was formerly used by President Dwight D. Eisenhower , and later adopted by Jim Rohn. Eisenhower’s Box allows us to differentiate between urgent and important, and see what items we need to take action on first. (See diagram below.)
2. Focus:
For most people, focus comes and goes; usually depending on the urgency or engagement level of the desired activity. Focus isn’t some ninja superpower that only a few of us possess, it is a skill.
Personally I have 3 things that help me focus. The first is my breath, the second is my WHY, and the last one is rewards. I use my breath to center myself, then I connect with my big picture vision, and finally I remember the outcome/goal/reward I have set for accomplishing the desired task.
3. Sprint:
Don’t worry, you don’t have to run! Sprinting refers to the method of using the Pomodoro Technique for 25-50 minute work intervals where you turn off all distractions, set a timer for the desired time, and focus for the entire time. After I finish one, I take a 5-10 minute break and either meditate, move my body, eat, or entertain myself (whatever gets your mind off the work you were doing). Continually working in this “sprint” like fashion helps me stay fresh and dramatically increases my efficiency.