Do We Need to Further Increase Our Productivity
Recently, I read another article titled “How to Increase Your Productivity“. Writing about productivity is easy. But what else do we have to do? Isn’t it more than enough already? Get a good education, get a well-paid job, climb the career ladder, marry, take care of children, organize a household and keep it in order, increase our productivity and become more and more productive. Everything has its limits. Don’t you think so?
Let Us Look at the Word “Productivity”
This article is about your personal productivity. The word productivity is particularly used in economics. When the word productivity is used, one thinks of the production of more products. It can also be more ideas and innovations, more posts on a blog and so on and so forth. In the private life it can be about cleaning the household or ironing the laundry. To be more productive means to get more done. An important factor in the productivity is time. I will be writing more about productivity and time in this article. In particular about the importance of a balance of work and leisure time.
The productivity of a production company is about how much can be produced within a certain period of time with the existing machinery and labor and how much has actually been produced. If there is a discrepancy between the expected and the actual value, the reason is determined why less than expected was produces. There is also the question how much more could be produced with more machines and more workers and if this investment would create a higher profit.
When a company offers services, more productivity is not possible. Good marketing can bring more orders. A good and friendly service ensures positive mouth propaganda.
If a company increases its production or services, a market for it must exist or be created. If the market is saturated, the excess production would stay in the warehouse, which is an unnecessary cost factor.
The increase in productivity has its limits even in the economy.
It Does Not Have to Be more Productivity
It does not have to be more productivity, which will improve your lifestyle and what makes life more joyful. More and more people are aware of this fact.
You know I have nothing against More. I have written not only many articles, I have also developed products with the word “more” . These products are developed to help you achieve more, have more and enjoy more. This kind of More is advantageous.
Become More Successful
More Self-Confidence
More Money
Enjoy Life More
More Joy
More Energy
More Creativity
More Courage
More Spirituality
And more
Yes, there are many people who are not so cool These people who work from nine o’clock in the morning to five o’clock in the afternoon, five days a week, do not read articles titled ” How to Increase Your Productivity “. They have other worries. It is those who have planned and are busy the whole week, who are productive anyway, who can’t do more. More productivity is not possible for them. The time factor plays an important role when it comes to productivity. The day has 24 hours and the week has seven days. Time can not be stretched. It limits the possibility to be more productive.
People who are very productive have a long-term plan and divide it into short-term plans. Monthly and weekly plans are made. It is good when you write down every evening what you will do the next day. The following morning you know with what task you start. You do not have to think about what should be done next. And so a workday takes its course.
Do you think you could be more productive? Or do you want to set a limit to your high productivity? This can be advantageous. Read on to find out why.
My Tasks Are Ranked According to Priorities
On my desktop I have a To-Do list, on which I write down everything that is to be done by priority. Some tasks that I am doing are part of the daily or weekly routine, and then comes the next task from the To-Do list. Many tasks on the list are part of my long-term plan and my general vision. The list includes the development of new products, as well as the writing of new articles to which I sometimes add a video.
Getting done certain tasks on the list take days and some even weeks. Making a video is time consuming. It takes several hours to prepare for the shooting and to record several videos. Cutting a video takes several hours to three days. I am working on a new post for at least three days. I start with research, then I make notes that serve as a template for writing the post.
I do not think I should or could be more productive. I enjoy my work and yet I take enough time off. I work independently and can therefore always go to a cafe or for a stroll.
In the household I have a help. She is trying to leave no work left. Some food I have brought. But all the fresh food I prefer to choose myself. So I go shopping twice a week. On the way to the supermarket or to the fish market I have a coffee and leaf through the daily newspaper. I always take enough time for lunch and dinner. Quite often I visit one of the many nice restaurants in the area. I usually make a day trip to go shopping clothes. At least twice a year I travel for one to three weeks.
I have a good balance of work and leisure. I am satisfied with my productivity. Because of my age, I do not have to prove anything. I set my goals myself.
There Is No Time for More Productivity
How could a mother be more productive, who gets up at six o’clock, takes care of herself, wakes up the children, helps the little ones put on clothes, makes breakfast, brings the children to school, gets the working day pass, picks up the kids, goes shopping, cooks, washes and irons the laundry, cleans the house, and then sits down for a moment. She can then just fall asleep. There is no time for more productivity.
If you have a company, you must have plans and be organized. And still unforeseen things happen, which must be taken care of immediately. The best plans and tips for more productivity do not help, if something suddenly happens. In companies with few employees the boss must be present. If an employee is getting sick, he must step in. Today quick, good and friendly service is very important.
I do not see the need to increase productivity. These are considerations that were of importance during the decades after the Second World War. Today, the problem is the fixed factor time. It is possible that you might be more productive with better time management. Watch where you waste time and when you are unproductive. Can you answer emails faster? Can you reduce the time you spend on social media platforms? Can you limit the time you are on the phone? Can you outsource tasks to gain time? If you gain more time, you can increase your productiveness.
Review Your Daily and Weekly Routine
It is a good tip to review your routine from time to time. What has changed during the last months? Maybe there is something you need to re-adjust or change.
In my case it was about getting more free time. Before I left my apartment in Vienna, I spent four months packing and I was working on my website every day. After I arrived at the address, where I live, until I have found my new home, it took quite some time changing my address. Every few weeks I went to Rome to look for land. After returning, a lot of mail awaited me and I had to catch up with lost working hours. I had to force myself to do something that had nothing to do with work. On my first free day I went to buy a new wardrobe. That was necessary. The next week I took a trip to a lake, where I had lunch on a terrace. And since then I get away from work once a week. I then do not think of more productivity, but more fun. When I come back, I am more productive.
Make More Time For More Productivity
If it is possible, delegate tasks. You could hire an employee to do some of your work. If it is online work, you can outsource it. There are a number of platforms where you can search for employees. They will not be employed by you, but will work for you by contract. The work contract is generated by the platform. You can make an offer for a project or pay an employee per hour until further notice. You can watch the employee while he is at work for you. If you are not satisfied with his productivity, you can cancel the contract.
Before you get help, you need to answer a few questions.
• How much does an employee cost – employed or per contract?
• How much can he help?
• How much time do you gain?
• What can you do with this extra time?
Decide whether or not you are more productive thanks to the time gained.
You Are More Productive With a Higher Frequency
The right frequency plays always a role. If you work a lot and you are exhausted, you are getting slower and things don’t work out right. This means that you are less productive. Being exhausted reduces your frequency and when things do not work out, your frequency is further reduced. This is why you have to take a break from time to time, relax and do something you enjoy. This will raise your low frequency. When you get back to work, things will work out and you will be more productive.
You need to take a break every day, a little more every week and every few months you should take a few days off to recover, to get distance from your work and to be open for new ideas. Recovery increases your frequency which is very good. If you are stuck in your daily routine, you will be blinded and overlook things you should better change or renew. Even a weekend trip makes a difference.
Daily Time Out
Take some time out every day. Always do something different during this time that it does not become routine. You are supposed to break out of the routine.
Examples, what you can do during this time:
• Have lunch outside your company.
• Take a stroll through the city and buy something that you enjoy and that you do not necessarily need.
• Meet friends for a coffee.
• Make an appointment with a masseur and enjoy a full body massage.
• An appointment with a beautician or a beauty dermatologist is doing well.
• Do some sport.
• Take a half-hour nap.
• It is wonderful when you meditate for 20 minutes.
While meditating, one usually has valuable inspirations. These inspirations seem to be from a good spirit who can look into your future and knows what is best for you and your company. It is as if one were connected with a higher knowledge and perhaps this is so.
Meditating relaxes and in this relaxed state one sees his life and his tasks from a different perspective. Everything seems easier and lighter.
If you are looking for a solution to a problem, you will find it during meditation. It may be that you get a good and important idea during meditation. For example, that you should give up one of your projects and pursue another one instead.
Meditation helps improve productivity.
Weekly and Monthly Time Out
Take a few hours a week off and do something that will do you good. In doing so, you gain distance from your work and your company and when you are back you will see your company from a different angle. This can cause you to make positive changes and improvements. You will also increase your productivity.
Leave your work one or two days a month. Do not think about your plans and tasks. Allow yourself an absolute time out. You will benefit from this. You frequency will rise and when you come back to work you will be more productive.
Your productivity decreases if you work day by day. If you allow yourself a break of a few days, your productivity will increase.
A Whole Weekend Away From Your Usual Environment
A weekend trip is wonderful. You are away from your daily routine, your work, your company and your usual environment. You will return with new ideas and see everything with different eyes. Thanks to the recovery, your productivity will increase. It will sink steadily in subsequent days and weeks until it’s time to take again a weekend or longer off.
Holidays of Two to Three Weeks
Vacation is necessary to fully recover and to be again more productive.
I once read that it takes three weeks of vacation to absolutely recover. I think that this is different from person to person and depends on how much someone needs recovery. If you take breaks regularly, two weeks of vacation can be enough to recover. In my opinion two weeks of vacation are the minimum, in order to continue your work with full force.
Holidays In Your Own Garden or A Trip Abroad
A holiday in the own garden can be relaxing. But you will not give up your daily and weekly private routine. Therefore, it is better to travel during the holidays.
The journey to the resort can be exhausting, but then you are really away from your usual environment and your routine. The more everything differs from the usual, the better. Get to know the world of your holiday destination.
This is different during your vacation
• Sleep, rest and waking times
• Mealtimes
• The food itself – Other foods and drinks
• The landscape – Take trips and explore the surroundings.
• The mentality of people – Watch the people at your holiday destination.
• The Language – Learn a few words and phrases at your holiday destination.
• The history – Show interest in the history and visit sights.
After returning from your holiday, your productivity will rise at work and privately.
Loss of Productivity Due to Interruptions
Often comes something in between, which must be done immediately. If you have to interrupt a task, you get out of the flow. This takes time and reduces your productivity. When something urgent comes into the house, the best plans and tips on how to be more productive do not help. Those who write about more productivity and how to be more productive, do not think of that.
What to Do When You Are Disturbed at Work
While I wrote this post, I was informed that a gutter drips. The gutter was rusted in several places. Two talks and three Espressi later, I have commissioned cost estimates. Then it was time for dinner. Before I continued writing this post, I had to read it from the beginning. This means productivity loss. But this is how everyday life looks. Yes, there are days when things take their course without disturbance. But there are again and again interruptions which are unavoidable. Not just for me. For everyone.
My friends know they can not disturb me during the day. They send either an email or call between 5 and 7 p.m-. A dripping gutter or a rinsing toilet sink must be reported immediately and repaired as soon as possible. This takes you out of the flow and costs time. In such cases, one can only remain cool, get done everything necessary and then resume the scheduled work.
Of course, there is no general recipe for the various reasons of disturbances. Everyone can solve different types of interruptions differently. I recommend that you avoid preventable interruptions and solve the unavoidable ones quickly
A few tips to prevent unnecessary interruptions:
If your friends and acquaintances do not stick to call only at certain times, turn off the phone and on at the time during which you are reachable. Or have a telephone service answer your calls, who can call you in important cases.
A man I know, who is very successful, is available between 7.30 and 8-30 in the morning. The rest of the day, his secretary connects callers only when something is really important and urgent. He can be fully focused on his work. This way one is very productive and as a result very successful.
Ask yourself if you could be more productive and what you need to do or change to increase your productivity. Keep in mind that you can win more with regular recovery phases than if you fight with coffee against fatigue. Keep in mind that more productivity should not stand above enjoying life.
