Rethinking Productivity: 4 Essential Tips

When does productivity really matter?  When you’re doing something that matters.

An article caught my attention a few months ago.  Merlin Mann at 43Folders.com announced he was taking his productivity-type blog in a different direction. Course correction?  Yes.  Compelling?  You betcha.

As an organizer, I guess it’s widely known that as a group, we have a somewhat passionate take on productivity.  However, what is productivity for?  It’s all well and good to be productive, and brag about blowing through 2,000 emails in one day.  But, what if you had less of those emails, or eliminated them entirely?   I think it’s time we start thinking of productivity in a different light: think of it like a filter with fierce gatekeeping skills, and less like a shiny new thing.

First, a confession.

I love gadgets and things that help me work better, faster, smarter, etc.  I have a PDA phone, and a shiny new iPod Touch (I heart my iPod Touch).  I also have a Moleskine in my bag.  Why should you care?  Because this is not about throwing out everything I use, but about using them better.

Productivity = Filter

I had a great conversation the other day with a friend.  We both felt that we were getting a lot of stuff done, but yet it wasn’t all that focused.  Oh sure, we felt good about what we were doing, but at the end of the day, was it just productively spinning our wheels?  The answer to myself was a resounding YES. Wheel spinning = not good.

So, what’s a girl to do?  It’s all well and good to get things done, better, faster + smarter.  The challenge I want to throw down (to you as well as myself) is that I will be better at filtering.  Now, the party girl in me is terrified.  “What if I miss something?  What if there is something I filter out that I shouldn’t have?”  That, my friend, is a risk I am willing to take.

There is so much noise out there, and at some point it’s got to be sifted through. Otherwise it’s possible to miss out on things right in front of me (and you?) right now, right here.  Inhaling a massive amount of useless chatter and information does nothing positive if it doesn’t have to do with an overall plan & direction.

Clarity & the Gatekeeper

A hundred years ago (or at least it feels like that), I worked as an Administrative Assistant to a Vice President and several Directors.  Oh yeah, I was busy.  One day, I learned I was getting a new boss (i.e. VP).  Before we even started working together, we had a closed door meeting in his office.  He laid out what was important to him, and what direction he was headed.  This short meeting made my life easier when fielding phone calls, taking meetings and general work around the office.  This clarity established a clear filter, and enabled me to be a better gatekeeper.  Did I make mistakes?  Of course.  Was it perfect?  No.  But, can you imagine if that meeting hadn’t taken place?  I would have been lost in Cubicle Nation with a very cranky boss.  Not fun.

Let’s break it down, and get to the point.

What the heck am I getting at?  If you’re rethinking what “productivity” means to you, here’s four essential things you need to roll around in your head:

1. Productivity has less to do with what you use, as how you use it.  It’s all well and good to have your inbox empty, but maybe there is a better way to use email altogether.

2. A filter is your friend.  It takes all the gunky stuff out, and makes the important stuff easier to see and get done.

3. Be your own gatekeeper.  If you work from home, honey you have got to take a serious role it tending your own gate.  Don’t be a doormat.  Guard your time fiercely, and be realistic.

4. Worry less about “missing out”. There’s plenty of things to do, and more than enough opportunities to go around.  Being afraid of missing out is a sure way to miss out on what really matter.

Is your path of productivity based on “something shiny” or a useful system?

How could you make it even better?

Do you need a new filter, some clarity or some gatekeeper skills?