Mastering productivity – a cross-blog series

This article is part of a four-article series, all published today on different blogs. If you find this article useful, check out the other parts:
- Mastering Productivity – Money at Dumb Little Man
- Mastering Productivity – How to be more effective with your time at Zen Habits
- Mastering Productivity – Energy at LifeDev

Productivity is a subject I write about on a regular basis. Lately I have been getting some feedback that I have a different approach to the subject, as compared to other productivity blogs. This made me realize that I have never really explained what I mean when I write or talk about productivity. So it’s about time to get into the details of productivity, and I got so enthusiastic about the subject that it turned into a 4 part series. Best of all, you don’t have to wait for the other parts. They are available as you read this, just on other blogs. So surf to them to read on and while you’re there, do take a look around because they provide a lot of good content.

What is productivity anyway?

When we think of productivity, words like better, easier and faster come to mind. Productivity is everything that our current approach is not, right? Our current approach takes too much time, doesn’t bring the results we looked for and was pretty difficult or cumbersome. There’s got to be an more efficient way of doing this, you sigh in despair.

And you’re right! Most of the times there is a more efficient way of doing what you are doing. But I’m going to be in your face and say that it’s not important to know whether or not there is a more efficient way. Productivity is not about doing things more efficiently. Well… not solely about efficiency anyway. Productivity is nothing if you don’t take effectiveness into account as well.

Effectiveness is first

Effectiveness is about doing the right things. This is asking yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing in the first place. What does it bring you? It might be that you’re obligated to do the task at hand (like doing the taxes), but most of the times there is a choice. Knowing why you do what you do, is the first and most important step in improving productivity. If you’re doing the wrong things, efficiency is not going to make things better! It will only make sure you move in the wrong direction, but it will be easier, better and faster.

So if there’s anything you’ll learn from me, please think about why you do the things you do. Choose to do those things that bring you joy and energy, and stop everything else (but do pay your taxes…).

Efficiency is second

If you know the right things to do, you want to do them right. This is the secret to efficiency. Only when you know the right thing to do, then you’re allowed to think about doing it better.

Like I said, I’m gonna be in your face on this one. Don’t waste your precious energy and your precious time on things that do not make you happy! Not even thinking about how it could be done easier, just don’t waste that energy! Stop doing it NOW.

So you’re working on stuff that makes you happy, great! Now how can you do what you do, easier, better or faster? That’s what efficiency is about, doing the right things smarter. There are always ways to do things smarter, be it by using the right tools, or by eliminating distractions or even by outsourcing it all together. Search the net for something you want to do more efficiently and you’re bound to find inspiration or how-to guides.

Productivity = Effectiveness x Efficiency

So back to productivity. Productivity is effectiveness and efficiency combined, but in that order! First know the right things to do, only then are you allowed to think about doing it better. Both are important of course, and the combination defines productivity. The relationship between the two is not simply an addition, but a multiplication. The effects are combined and multiplied! This has immense implications:

Situation A:
You’re doing 100% what you want to be doing (effectiveness) but you suck at doing it (say 10% efficiency). You end up with 100% times 10% = 10% productivity. Not impressive right?

Situation B:
If we turn it around, and say that you’re doing stuff that’s not making you happy (say 10% effectiveness) and you’re brilliant at doing it (100% efficiency). You still end up with that 10%.

So what’s the difference? Well in situation A you’re doing what you love to do, and can learn how to do it better. In situation B you have mastered a skill that is not going to make you happy! That sucks big time! You made your way up the ladder, only to find out it was leaning against the wrong wall!

You have to put in the energy to find out what you want, and then find out that you have to learn that skill (and you’ll end up in situation A). Situation B makes you miserable, situation A is wonderful and has room for improvement. Can you see why I put so much emphasis on effectiveness? Know what you want to do, it makes all the difference!

Rest of the series

This series is special in the way that you don’t have to wait for the other parts. They have all been published today, but on other blogs. In those articles we’re going to dive deeper into this subject and specifically on the following topics:

• Money
  How can we make our money more productive? Money is an asset and a tool, we’re looking at the difference between frugality and abundance and how they fit into the concept of productivity
• Time
  How can we make our time more productive? Time is valuable and scarce and above all limited. Time that passes can never recovered, if there’s one asset to treat precious than it’s time.
• Energy
  How can we make our energy more productive? This is about your energy, not about natural resources like oil or gas. You have a certain amount of energy and how can we put this into the most effect?

This series consists of the following articles:
- Mastering Productivity – a cross-blog series at How to be an Original
- Mastering Productivity – Money at Dumb Little Man
- Mastering Productivity – How to be more effective with your time at Zen Habits
- Mastering Productivity – Energy at LifeDev