How to Improve Productivity

Too often we hear people complain that there just isn’t enough time in a day to accomplish all the things we want to do. Well, whenever you encounter these moments of frustration, always tell yourself that you have exactly the same number of hours that Albert Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci and Mahatma Gandhi had, and yet, look at what they have managed to achieve in their lives! How do they do it? Well, if there’s one thing you must grasp, if you wish to experience an increase in productivity and a strong sense of achievement day to day, it is the concept that not every task is created equal.

This is especially true when it comes to those things which when completed will lead to a greater sense of accomplishment & feeling of success and achievement. Far too many people look at having completed the items on their To Do lists as a sure sign that they’re achieving at a great level. Students too, suffer from this as they strive to complete their daily timetable of subjects to study at home. (You do have a timetable right? All good students need them to focus on their subjects and make them a part of their daily routines. Start designing one if you have not done so!)

The problem with this line of thinking is that in many cases the items which make it onto our lists are a little more than “busy work”. They are items which do require attention, but in the grand scheme of things, having completed them doesn’t serve us in a greater capacity with respect to our larger, more important goals. For students especially, reading your textbooks alone is not enough. You need to ask yourself – have you learnt this topic as opposed to merely reading or skimming through it? Remember this: Reading is not learning! You need to internalise the lessons and concepts in order to qualify that session you have just put in as a learning session. Otherwise, you have not made full use of the time that you have spent.

The challenge is that while you may feel like you’re making progress, because after all, you are checking items off during the day, make sure that you are also, taking a careful inventory and ensuring that the things you are working on in the first place will yield your greatest R.O.I.O.T (return on investment of time). Always remember that time is a limited resource and your investment of time must pay dividends in the long run, otherwise it is just a waste of time! A tip for students then is to learn study skills that will maximise your R.O.I.O.T. Go to the library and look up books on study skills and note-taking that will help you save plenty of time as well as how to use it effectively.

You and I have a choice as to what we give our time to. We don’t have a choice as to how much time we have. No matter how hard we try we are not going to be able to squeeze anymore than 24 hours out of a day. Prioritise your time wisely. Once you’ve completed the tasks which will have the greatest return on your investment of time then you can go ahead and do the other things that are important but not crucial to your success in life. The key thing to remember is that you have got to be vigilant in working on and first completing those items which will give you the greatest return on your time spent.