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4 Ways to be more productive
I've written about goals before as a principle to help you achieve more, but today I want to share goals as a productivity tool. So let's talk about finding ways to be more productive. Simply put when you write your goals down, give them deadlines, and ensure that you bring those goals into your daily to do list, you will be more productive in the things that you really want to accomplish.
So much to do so little time
There are so many things that demand our attention. Our big goals so often get lost in the sea of day-to-day crises because
many of us haven't taken the time to write out our goals.
Our big goals so often get lost in the sea of day-to-day crises because many of us haven't taken the time to write out our goals.
I heard about writing out goals for years before I actually did it. I was too smart to write out my goals, I had them in my head. If you are using that excuse let me tell you, it's holding you back.
Clarifying the future
Writing out your goals helps you to clarify them and understand why you are choosing that goal and why it's important to you. When you neglect to write out your goals, you leave yourself up to random circumstance instead of actively creating circumstances. Writing your goals gives you clarity and clarity will increase your productivity.
Writing your goals will give you an understanding of where you want to go, what you want to accomplish, and who you want to be there with you from a big picture perspective. Good goals take you above and away from the crushing weight of daily urgencies to weeks, months, or years away when you have accomplished some of the things that are important to you.
Goals can be used as a productivity hack because they provide clarity, focus, and when done correctly are tied to outcomes that are important to us personally. But most people don't really understand how to write goals. New Year's Resolutions have spoiled goals for many people. They think that those resolutions are goals. Most are poorly considered wishes. I want to lose weight, or I want to make more money, or I want to be happy. Yeah, these aren't goals.
Goals need deadlines
One of the real differences between wishes and goals is deadlines - goals have them, wishes don't. Deadlines create urgency. Deadlines hold you accountable. Deadlines make your goal just a bit more real. This is where goals and productivity collide.
A deadline can be any time in the future. But for your larger goals you should give yourself months at a minimum. A deadline that's too close could be frustrating because you miss it. A deadline too far away might not create a sense of urgency. That's why thinking carefully about the deadline is important.
You goal's deadline should be as specific as possible. Saying you want to accomplish something this year is still a wish. Writing that you have accomplished your goal by September 30th is a goal.
Don't be afraid to hold yourself accountable. What if you don't hit your goal by your deadline? Re-evaluate the goal, the deadline, and the resources necessary to hit it. I would much rather have that problem than to not write my goals and forget really important things and not consistently work toward them.
Baby steps
Rome wasn’t built in a day and your goals won't be achieved in one either. This is the productivity hack that goals provide. When your goals are clear you can make better decisions based on long term goals not just short term emergencies.
When you are clear about what you want to accomplish you can take small steps every day and not try to leap a tall building in a single bound! Daily actions is the key to hitting your goals. Those daily actions taken over the right amount of time allow you to succeed and be more productive.
Goals are definitely a productivity hack when they are done correctly. I deal more with long term goals in my 30 days of success course. You can check that out if you would like.
If you thought of any ways to be more productive that you would like to share, drop them in the comments below.
Until next time, make today count.
