3 Life-Changing Truths on Productivity

Having BIG beautiful goals means that there’s a lot to get done.

 

Whether your goal is to kick butt at work, to be super present with your growing family, build a profitable business or to travel the world (or all of the above), creating habits that increase productivity can help you achieve your goals faster, while saving valuable time and energy.

 

Here are 3 life-changing truths that will improve your productivity and focus, so that you can accomplish more in less time. 

 

But first, let me say this: “Productivity” is not about working harder, but working smarter. I personally want to make “smart” choices so I can relax and live well, NOT work more! Are you with me?! Here’s how:
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Saying “No” Is Really Saying “Yes” // 3 Life-Changing Truths on Productivity // simplyspaced.com


SAYING “NO” IS REALLY SAYING “YES”
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We live in a society where “bigger is better,” and doing “more is more impressive.” I’ve fallen prey to this societal delusion time and time again. I would say “yes” to every opportunity that came my way, and ended up being overworked, ineffective and burnt-out!

I was the kid that was signed up for 5 extra-curriculars activities after school, I’ve held down 3 jobs at a time, and worked 7 days a week. I thought that saying yes to EVERYTHING would make me feel more accomplished, but this unfortunately wasn’t true. In fact, doing more, meant I had less time to invest in doing things well. So I did a lot of things poorly, or delicately put, “half-assed.”
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It took me a long time to realize that having more appointments, commitments and titles, doesn’t make you more important or more happy… It just makes you more busy… More busy doing things you DON’T want to do.
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When Warren Buffett said that successful people “say ‘no’ to almost everything,” he was talking about prioritizing the most important things in your life and work, and eliminating everything else. By simply saying no to extra obligations, unnecessary activities and energy draining projects, we create more time and space for the “musts.”
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What are your “musts”?? What MUST you focus on to live your ultimate life?
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Consider what the “extras” are in your life right now. Are you committed to doing something that doesn’t bring you joy or create long term benefits? Practice saying no, and remember that the upside of saying no is much greater than the downside. Everytime you say “NO” to a superfluous commitment, you are saying “YES” to having the time to invest in your priorities and most importantly, yourself.


Multitasking Is The Most Harmful Habit // 3 Life-Changing Truths on Productivity // simplyspaced.com..
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MULTITASKING IS THE MOST HARMFUL HABIT 
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Why is multitasking so bad? The Guardian reported that multi-tasking increases the “production of the stress hormone cortisol as well as the fight-or-flight hormone adrenaline, which can overstimulate your brain and cause mental fog or scrambled thinking.” To put it simply, multi-tasking makes us dumber!
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Majority of us have adapted to our modern digital world by going into a “rapid switching mode” between tech and non-tech related tasks. We’re like short-circuiting robots!! We bounce between emails, social media, answering phone calls, and working on projects again and agin, as if this switching of gears is making us more efficient. Here’s the kicker… It’s doing the opposite!!
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Every time we switch from one task to another, we’re using up valuable brain resources to refocus on a different set of inputs and outputs. A study from the University of California, Irvine found that on average, one distraction causes us to stay off course for 25 minutes, before refocusing on the original task. 
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In short, distractions are the devil to productivity. Today, technology multiplies the amount of distractions we must battle with in order to create focus and efficiency in our day.
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The moral of the story? Be ruthless about blocking out distractions. If maintaining a quiet working space means putting up a “do not disturb” sign, do it!! If preventing yourself from impulsively going on social media, use internet blocking apps like SelfControl or Freedom. Don’t check email every time an “alert” pops up on the desktop or phone. Designate set times throughout the day to check email so you’re not being pulled in and out of your main task. Set goals for yourself, such as “only do this one project for 30 minutes straight.”
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Creating focus and sustained productivity means staying present and focused on ONE task at a time. It means proactively avoiding distractions, and not letting the buzzing, beeps and rings rule your day.
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Perfectionists are Procrastinators // 3 Life-Changing Truths on Productivity // simplyspaced.com
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PERFECTIONISTS ARE PROCRASTINATORS

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Needing the result of a project or performance to be perfect is not only unrealistic but highly unproductive. When we’re attached to a “perfect” result, we can get stuck in what’s called “Analysis Paralysis.” Ever been there?
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Analysis Paralysis is when we over-think a project, and stay in the planning or deliberation period for too long. Rather than just getting started, we over-analyze our task, which makes taking the first step more challenging. Instead of getting started on the task at hand, we stay in the planning phase far too long, and end up procrastinating.
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By simply beginning, we are taking ourselves out of analysis and into action. This forward movement enables us to create clarity in our direction by creating immediate, tangible results.
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At the end of the day, creating imperfect results is better than creating no results at all. By limiting your inner-critic and focusing on taking action, we’re able to accomplish more in less time.
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So get to work, you rockstar! You’ve go some cool stuff to accomplish!!
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image 1 via A Merry Mishap Blog 
image 2 via That’s What 3 Said
image 3 via The Glitter Guide

HI, I'M MONICA

I help high-performers organize their lives. Follow for my 3-step method + the Simply Spaced life.

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