…or how to stop working your ass off.
…or how to stop working your ass off.
Like many middle aged slightly overweight men I have a little used gym membership. It’s not for lack of understanding the value of physical fitness but rather a perspective as to the futility of the effort at times. Let me explain.
When you walk into my “lunk free” gym the first this that strikes you are the treadmills. I’ve never counted them but 50 wouldn’t be an unreasonable guess as to how many are stretched out in a mechanical gauntlet as you enter. Depending on the time of day you’ll see from a few to a mob of people all in motion at various speeds along this collection of stationary taskmasters. People put in their 45 minutes, running or walking, on their quest to improved health. Few of them will argue that fitness is a “build to a conclusion” activity but rather a continuing process. Compare that to the productivity treadmill we put ourselves on and there’s some realizations that come to light:
Stop looking for “the” tool
If you think about the gym you’ll remember the number of different machines and workout areas they have. One machine for biceps, one for triceps, one for running, and one for glutes. This specialization is needed to make the biggest impact on the muscles in those groupings. Why then do we feel that productivity should be any different?
We search for the one uber-tool or technique to solve all our problems. The “productivity unifying theory” is a fallacy and a waste of time. If we reallocate 1/2 the time we waste on trying new tools to understanding our requirements and what works best for us, we can lock in on the tools that will work in short order.
Examine but do not adopt someone else’s process
When was the last time you went to a bowling alley? One of the dubious experiences in the sport is the rental of bowling shoes. No one I know has ever been 100% comfortable in their rented shoes, be it for the shoes themselves and how they fit, or for doubt in who was wearing them last.
Productivity processes are like bowling shoes (bear with me…this is going somewhere I promise.) Professionals never go into an alley and rent their shoes. They look at the ones other professionals use, find ones that work for them, and then break them in to get the greatest benefit possible. This can be applied to any piece of sporting equipment — golf club grips / baseball mitts / basketball sneakers, etc. Take time to look at what others are doing but don’t kid yourself that you will be able to slip into their shoes and have the same level of success without making the fit just right.
Educate yourself to be productive
There’s an old joke about a building supervisor dealing with a leak on his property and needing to call a plumber. The plumber arrives, spends five minutes, hits the pipe once fixing the leak and leaves tendering a $900 invoice. When the outraged super demands an itemized invoice, the plumber returns: “$50 for service call, $850 for knowing where to hit.”
Productivity is as much art as it is science. Both require the development of skills and techniques as well as an understanding of the nuances of the mediums being applied. There is no single course, class, video, instruction guide, or degree that gives you everything you need in one shot. The more diversified your studies and research, the more effective your resulting processes will be.
Read about methodologies from both people who use and who reject those approaches. Learning the weaknesses is as important as understanding the strengths. Couple that information with introspection into how you operate most efficiently and you’ll get headed in the right direction.
Productivity isn’t a methodology or a metric…it’s a mindset.
Being productive is a matter of accomplishing what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, without sacrificing quality of life or other accomplishments. Setting realistic goals, adapting to changing situations, and learning new ways to keep moving forward are all part developing those productivity muscles.
It’s time to get off the treadmill and start mixing it up.