Busy Does Not Mean Productive

Ask your co-workers “What did you do today?” A common answer will be “A lot, I was so busy and flat out all day”. This indicates nothing about what was actually achieved.

But there is one question that will give you a sense for productivity, “What did you achieve today?”. It is easy to be stuck in a monotonous motion where only large tasks are considered and aimed at achieving. Yet, if you set a daily goal, you will be more focused on that specific metric you have created. So how can you make the most out of your day and maximise your productivity?

The Apple Effect

Steve Jobs would start by noting many yearly objectives from his staff and then successively pare them down until he had only three. These three became the   compass setting for what the company needed to achieve in the following year. This minimized distraction and it articulated in clear terms what the metric of success would be. Everything else either supported those goals or was secondary.

One Day At A Time

The purpose of having a daily goal is to drive your actions on a daily basis.

Are there days you might not accomplish your goal? Of course, otherwise you are not setting the bar high enough. However, to maximize your chances of success set your goal at the end of each day for the following day. The reasons are simple; firstly you will be able to sleep better at night. Sleeping on one critical objective will tune your mind into the many nuances of how you can achieve it, and most importantly, you can start the next day off with a clear objective—no need to waste time each morning trying to shuffle all of the inevitable email priorities that have accumulated overnight.

We are built to deal with urgency opposed to strategy and it is only human nature. However this instinct works against us, distracting and obscuring our view on the long term. By changing this thought process, the following three things may happen:

1. You will train yourself to focus on your plans as opposed to the urgent. There may be a grey zone between the two but urgent items are usually the most distracting.
2. You will minimise the likelihood of distraction. By deciding ahead of time which tasks are needed to be focused on, you find yourself being well trained in the art of managing distraction
3. Each day will bring a sense of accomplishment. As achieving daily goals becomes a habit, this will become a source of ongoing satisfaction.

We work with many businesses who are wanting to become more efficient and effective in their day-to-day functions. From helping to set long-term goals we have seen many businesses grow . If you would like to find out about our Goal     Setting Days, please contact us.