Productivity does not have to be difficult. You don't have to work hard to be more productive. Do this instead.
We are going to dispel many myths about productivity. They will be replaced with new mantras that guarantee to change the way you look at "work." Ultimately, everything you think you know about productivity will be destroyed.
Many people think productivity means getting more work done in a day. Does not less equal more? Why would you eliminate this rule when it comes to working? If productivity is measured quantitatively and not qualitatively, then you don't want to be productive. You want to be busy.
Busy does not equal productive.
Every business is moved forward rapidly by mainly a single task. If you are in sales then it is a numbers game. The more customers that are presented with your offer the more sales you will win. Your single task is to get in front of the faces of potential customers. Selling is an afterthought at that point.
Sales are a product of numerous presentations.
Manufacturing impressions on your product is the goal so every other task is a bonus. If the other tasks don't get done that day your business will not be severely affected. Among the many tasks on your to-do list, only one is imperative.
The reason you may fail in business is that you don't know the one task on your to-do list that threads the needle. You need to speak to an expert in your market or niche who has the experience and has proven to be successful. Or find the source material from those who have been where you are going.
If you are the first in your business niche then good luck! But remember, only one thing is going to drive your business forward.
Lastly, procrastination is the nemesis of productivity. But procrastination is merely the absence of momentum. Galvanizing momentum means fighting inertia. How do you defeat inertia?
Start with the little things.
Put time estimates next to each task on your to-do list. Which ones only take two minutes to complete? Do those first. This will generate momentum. This momentum can carry you through the larger tasks.
There are three major types of tasks:
- Micro Tasks
- Macro Tasks
- Projects
Sending a two-minute email is an example of a microtask. And these may be important because it could be a roadblock task (which is another type of task).
Roadblock tasks are tasks that remove roadblocks. Your business may need more goods to be sold so if you don't perform that microtask then your business will meet a roadblock.
Identify micro tasks and eliminate them.
Macro tasks are things that take more time and energy. Cold-calling for sales is a macro task. Holding a meeting is a macro task while scheduling a meeting is a microtask.
Drawing up your pitch deck for investors is a project. Ultimately, this is why you're building momentum. The goal is to chip away at that project which hopefully is important to your business.
Lesson: Productivity is dependent on prioritization.
Experience, expertise, data, and intel all contribute to your ability to prioritize. Men of Order uses Google Analytics to view where traffic goes on this site. With this data, we know what kind of content to prioritize and how much of it we need to succeed.
Data is paramount.
Collecting case studies and conferencing with experts will empower you to make better prioritization decisions. If you're always guessing and betting on hypotheticals, you will fail.
There is a graveyard of tech companies that have failed because of guesswork. Some arrogant founders thought that some great new feature would make the app takeoff. And his only return was time and money wasted. When all he had to do was read the reviews on his app (data) and fix the complaints.
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