Productivity Experiment – Day 8 – Determine Your Mindsets

Today we are considering mindsets related to productivity. How we think about work and the beliefs we hold about getting things done will influence all we do. It’s essential to examine our beliefs, test our thoughts, and decide what mindsets we want to live by, not accepting the mindsets that we have by default.

My Productivity Mindsets

Never use the word busy. I don’t believe that busyness is a real thing. It is something we place on ourselves. Busyness is like a goldfish; it will always grow to the size of its bowl. If I allow myself to think I’m busy, or to act busy, then I’ll be busy. But, if I make another choice, if I choose to control my time, I’m not busy, I’m free. Therefore, I never use the word busy to describe my life. My life may be full, but it certainly isn’t busy.

Do less stuff. One of the problems of our fast-paced technology-laden world is that we do more than we should simply because we can. Having the ability to do more doesn’t mean that we should do more. Doing less stuff forces a level of focus and intensity that few people experience. Also, because we know that 20% of our actions tend to produce 80% of our results, doing less stuff makes a lot of sense as we focus more time on the 20% and leave out the rest.

Think first. This productivity experiment is an example of this mindset. When I’m reacting to my situation, I’m not as productive. But, taking the time to think through productivity in detail is allowing me to be significantly more productive.

Take a few moments and consider your mindsets. What do you choose to believe about the nature of your work? How will that belief affect how you operate and how effective you are?

Photo by kylie De Guia on Unsplash