Tag! Productivity–How Do You Get So Much Done?

I’ve been tagged- Jennifer Louden nudged me in her post on peace + productivity. It’s part of a string started by Ben Yoskovitz in his Instigator Blog which he’s calling The Ultimate Guide to Productivity Group Writing Project.

Here’s what Ben said:

Write a post on your best productivity tips. Challenge yourself by picking your single best productivity tip (although this isn’t a requirement; you can give us more if you want!)

What Jen wrote in response to this really resonated with me:

Noticing my thoughts and putting down the struggle to make things different than they are in this moment… in other words, getting free from the need to change or fix anything; instead embrace, embrace, embrace

In addition, my good friend Adam Kayce, from Monk at Work (can I still call you my good friend even though we haven’t talked in a few weeks?…) added his bit on how productivity comes from clarity.

I’ve talked with hundreds of entrepreneurs (not to mention corporate employees) who don’t feel a strong connection to what they do. They aren’t sure if they’ve really found their niche — and as a result, their ability to engage productively in their work is compromised. And it’s because they don’t have a clue what they’re really about on an essential, fundamental level.

I’ve also talked with a good number of people who do. They have clarity about who they are and what they’re doing. They know why they’re doing what they’re doing — and that gives them focus, drive, and love for their work. They don’t waste time wondering; they know, bones to skin, what they’re here to do.

What do I think about all of this? Well, I think they are dead on. And, I think there is yet more clarity needed here.

What is “productivity”?

The dictionary mentions two different definitions of productivity. One is about producing something, “as measured in terms of the rate of output per unit of input.” Meaning, you put in so much effort per hour, and you produce something out of it.

I think many of us are productive in this way- we just produce stuff- emails, articles, things, (clutter!… :-)).

However, it’s the second definition that intrigues me:

“Ecology: the rate of production of new biomass by an individual, population, or community; the fertility or capacity of a given habitat or area.” (from the Oxford American Dictionary.)

One definition is just about producing stuff, and is kind of industrial in nature. The other is about ecology- how what we produce adds to the fertility of the entire region.

Producing something useful- and not only useful- but something that is fertile, and adds to other people’s productivity/quality of life.

So What’s my tip?

Clarity is needed. Focus is needed. External deadlines are needed. Embracing where we are is needed, as others in this string have suggested.

My biggest productivity booster is noticing a sense of aliveness. What do I mean by that?

There are deadlines. There are urgent needs. There are demands and requests. And then, there is the heart.

For instance, I had someone ask me to write up a book proposal, and the timing was… well, let’s say it’s important to strike while the iron is hot- and it was hot.

I kept trying to get to it, for about a week. And I realized I wasn’t, even with a deadline. I had clarity, I had a deadline, and it still wasn’t happening.

By stopping and noticing where my heart was, and how it felt- it didn’t feel alive. It felt like it was stirring- it wasn’t dead, I was going to do it. Just… not… yet.

So, I put it aside, and focused on what felt alive to me. And, the project has returned, alive, just in time to give to my friend this Friday, when he’s talking to a couple of publishers on a conference call.

Hmmm… could be my heart knew more than my head?

Aliveness has a spark to it. For instance, I have a list of things I’m ‘supposed’ to be doing, but this blog post is ‘alive’ for me. So, I’m taking fifteen minutes to do it. It’s what my Nonviolent Communication teacher LaShelle Charde calls “being loyal to your feelings and needs.”

I challenge you: whatever you to-do list says, whatever urgencies are demanding your attention- what task in front of you feels alive?

See if you can trust that sense of aliveness moment-to-moment. Don’t worry, you won’t spend all day at the beach- unless it’s alive for you. Sometimes, working on a project, or cleaning the dishes, or clearing out the basement are alive.

Trust that sense of aliveness in your heart. That’s my tip. There’s more, but that’s enough. 🙂

Okay… I’ll tag:
Dave Schoof of Engaging the Disquiet because I know that productivity is a big thing for him.
Colleen Wainwright, at the Communicatrix because she’s a wacky, zany person with some good insights.
Patrick Galvin at Buzz Builder just ’cause I like him, and I enjoy reading what he has to say.