Post #12: 4 Reasons why Your Productivity Problem May be YOU...

So, how do we make them happen?  Well, the answer is activity and productivity.  Work productivity is (for some) a struggle that requires consistent attention.  It demands honesty, accountability, and humility.

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Are you the type of person with loads of plans, and at the end of them all, you have minor execution?  If you are, you’ll want to park for a while; this post is for you.  In ministry, I’ve learned that there is a constant need for creation, innovation, and implementation.  However, we all can honestly agree that the only way the items above will happen is for someone to make them happen. 
 
So, how do we make them happen?  Well, the answer is activity and productivity.  Work productivity is (for some) a struggle that requires consistent attention.  It demands honesty, accountability, and humility. 
 
FACT: there are many reasons why people struggle with productivity.  Indeed, I can’t even attempt to begin to deal with them all in this post.  However, there are a few items that, if you start to consider and implement, can drastically improve your productivity.  So, for those in activity agony, I pray these 4 points will help you get going. 
 

• If you feel overwhelmed, then you’ll need to address that first.   Anxiety is a harsh reality for some and a movable barrier for all.  If the thought of your workload frequently causes you to feel overwhelmed, then you’ll need to make this remedy your priority.  For starters, create your daily “success list” a day in advance.  Also, break your task down into realistic pieces.  Walking into a blueprint for your day can take much of your stress away.
• Procrastination Kills!  We’ve all been in a panic for completion because of wasted time.  As you’re reading this (prayerfully, not during a time when you should be productive), remember your most recent “procrastination-panic.”  Remember those feelings and allow them to motivate you as you press forward today.  Resolve now that you won’t wait!  Act now!  If you struggle with this, here’s a suggestion.  Consider your distraction and make a note of it.  For example, if you think of some random fact you’d like to Google, don’t allow the agony of wondering about it to derail your focus; and certainly, don’t stop your work to look it up.  Instead, designate a piece of scratch paper, and use it to list all your trivial distractions.  Then, allow yourself a SMALL amount of “downtime” to look them up (I’d recommend no more than 10 minutes every 3 hours).  This will allow you to resume your work and enjoy it. 
• Don’t fall into the “motivation” scam. In other words, don’t hinder your work because you don’t FEEL motivated to.  Motivation is often the poor scapegoat that carries the blame for our lack of productivity, and it is indeed a false claim.    For example, have you ever been “motivated” to pay your rent or mortgage?  Of course not, and you didn’t need to be.  You didn’t require motivation for this payment because you understood there was a more significant factor to consider: FORECLOSURE & EVICTION.  Carefully considering what happens when you don’t make this payment provokes you to get up and do what needs to be done, EVEN when you don’t feel like it.  Resolve to know this:  motivation may be a force, but it’s certainly not the fuel. 
• Finally, if you’re over-tasked, you’re essentially creating your failure.  Don’t believe the hype!  Everything is not an emergency; you don’t have to do it all right now.  Like it or not, every task has a priority, a deadline, and its own delegation potential.  If you try to cram 15 hours of work into an 8-hour day, you’ll go home disappointed every time.  Instead, assertively and professionally, communicate your ability to complete an assignment and the time it will take.  Sure, you may get a few “side-eyes.”  However, you’ll keep your sanity.  
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So, what do you think?  Agree or disagree?  What did I miss?  What are your thoughts?  Let me know in the comments below.  Like us on Facebook and subscribe to the blog.  Until next time.

Imperfectly,
Kevin D. Jones, Sr.
(@kevindjonessr)