The mister and the lads got back from their Al Ain daytrip rather late last night, and because I still hadn’t finished my book, when the mister asked about my day, I said, somewhat despondently, ‘I must be the most unproductive person in the world,’ to which the mister replied, ‘but how do you know that everyone else is productive?’
It’s the kind of thing the mister says, and it sometimes cheers me up and sometimes gives me the screaming shits.
Anyway, the ensuing conversation reminded me of a lesson I have already learned, but seem to have forgotten. The lesson is: it’s no good having a to do list which reads ‘write book’. A list like that just leaves you feeling despondent and unproductive day after day after day.
So then, I spent an hour with a purple texta, making a list of the things I need to write in order to finish this draft. And today, I will work through one or two of those things and when the mister and the lads get back from the supermarket and their game of squash I will say, ‘I got a lot done today’.
Well but you could look at it this way too : You are already nearly finished your SECOND book. I think you’re wonderfully productive. Especially with 2 kids and a job as well.
Now get back to work.
see, I didn’t respond straight away, because I was doing what you told me to do…
Every time my partner spends a lot of his day on the phone to clients he feels like he hasn’t been productive. I have tried to explain that discussion is actually part of the job to no avail. So anyway, lots of people feel unproductive a lot of the time.
it is a bit silly, isn’t it? This obsession with productivity. Must do more ‘in the now’ practice
I love the simplicity of your approach. Mapping out specific steps rather than focusing on the end result. Way to go. I’ve written a book that presents P-A-R as a way to approach your work load.
PAR stands for the 3 tools for getting the right things done. And here they are:
• P – Prioritize – Focus on what matters most
• A – Adapt – See change as an opportunity
• R – be Responsible – Own the outcome
Life and business are not as complicated as we make them. “PAR” can be applied on many fronts: teambuilding, leadership, personal challenge, sales, strategic planning and implementation. It’s perfect for companies dealing with change and growth.
If you read the book I’d love to hear your comments.
Krissi Barr
BarrCorporateSuccess.com
Author: PluggedtheBook.com
Speaker: How To Dig Out And Get The Right Things Done