Busyness vs productivity - how to excel at work and life

For quite some time I've mistaken busyness for productivity.

Looking at people’s productivity, it is a measure of efficiency of a person completing a task.

We often assume that productivity means getting more things done each day. But that’s not the smartest way to go about it. Productivity should rather be measured in terms of getting important things done consistently. Being productive is about maintaining a steady, average speed on a few things, not maximum speed on everything.

So productivity is about getting important things done efficiently and consistently.

In my head, always being busy was a great way to higher productivity. Doing a lot, working long hours, that’s the way to get things done! I believed that he more time I invest, the less I take brakes, the more I will get done. No-brainer, right?

False, at least for the most of us.

First off, we need sufficient recharge time to perform at a high level. Our brain needs rest, just like the body, to function optimally. For a lot of people, this fact is dismissed. Our high-performance, always-on culture stimulates busyness. And our macho behavior only strengthens it. (Read more about it in this article)

Second, we often focus on the wrong things, keeping ourselves busy with real or imagined urgencies and with distractions, not taking the time to focus on more value-adding work (for example, putting processes or solutions in place to avoid the urgencies in the future).

For most people, there are some unpleasant side-effects of busyness: stress, running behind playing catch-up, figthing fires, never-ending to do list, pleasing, etc. Together with the fact that busyness is actually counterproductive, we should be motivated to change this approach, to find ways to focus on the right things, in an efficient way. But I see that we, massively, tend to fall into the trap of busyness.

So the question arises:

Why aren’t we focusing more on what is important? And why aren’t we organizing ourselves and our work in such a way that WHEN we work, we are as efficient as possible and are getting the right things done in less time?

(Read this blogpost about how focusing on the most important things supports your happiness and high-performance)

Busyness = Easiness

One of the reasons we tend towards busyness is that being busy is easier than being productive. You don't have to take a moment to think of what is most important (which can be hard to do) and you just run from the one most urgent thing to the other, mostly being controlled by other people's agendas or emergencies that could be avoided if you would take time to be really productive.

Besides that, the most important tasks are also often the most difficult to resolve or to execute, making it extra hard to prioritize them.

But keep this John Maxwell quote on top of mind and train yourself to focus on getting the most important things done in the most efficient way:

You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything.

Eliminate as much as possible what is not important (essentialism). A lot of your busyness activities will not be important.

Busyness also keeps your from putting a structure in place that supports your focus and productivity. I must admit, putting this structure in place requires a significant effort. You will have to change something in the way you do things and this means behavior change, and that’s a pain in the *ss. Hence we tend towards choosing busyness and easiness instead.

(For more information on focus-training, see this post: Olympische Breintraining (in Dutch))

Also, sticking to busyness allows you to continue pleasing others by helping and supporting them with their requests. Especially for pleasers like me, it’s difficult to let go of this desire and dare to say no when it’s required to be productive. But it’s a crucial skill if you want to get done what is important for YOU.

Confronting yourself

So moving from busyness to productivity means you'll have to take a good look at yourself and change your behavior, which can be a bit tricky.

But to tackle the hard things and to CREATE time to structurally change something IS thè way to become more productive, to find more peace of mind, and to be happier (all 3 reinforcing each other). Because in the end, busyness leaves you with little control. You loose sight of the priorities. You loose sight of the bigger picture. You don't hold your own steering wheel and let someone else or life take over.

(For 4 uncommon productivity tips, check this blogpost )

Productivity = Impact

If you take back control of your productivity, if you focus on the most important items first and if you start mastering focused work, you're ahead of most people. Imagine the impact you could have on your life, on your job and on the people around you.

You'll own your time. You'll have to work LESS. You'll find more peace of mind, become even more productive in the process, and build your self-confidence and happiness along the way.

Busyness creates a vicious circle towards being unproductive. Productivity creates a virtuous circle towards less busyness, more peace of mind, more happiness and more energy.

Put a system in place

So… who’s in favor of productivity? And who would like to stick to busyness?

I know it's hard to step out of the busyness and I struggle with it myself. But I think about it, read about it, experiment with systems, learn, adjust and improve. And if you want to change something, put a system in place. Find ways to manage your work, take time to reflect on what is important, set goals, prioritize, track progress, evaluate and adjust, train your focus, build up your discipline and so on.

I'm upgrading my game this year and am fine-tuning my system. I'll share it once I feel confident it works. I said goodbye recently to being a part time project manager, putting my full focus on training and coaching (practice what you preach 😇). Those PM skills won’t go to waste however.

If I can end with one major tip in all of this: make sure you have clear goals that give you direction and focus, and know WHY they are important for you (this can work in your private life, at work, or as an independent or entrepreneur). The more meaning you can give to your goals and hence the tasks that lead to that goal, the more inclined you will be to do the right things:

Start with making sure you are doing the right things (effectiveness). Then look at doing them in the right way (efficiency). If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step you take just gets you to the wrong place faster.

Next steps

Do you also feel stuck in busyness sometimes?

Would you also like to take back control of your time / life and make sure you are climbing the right ladder?

I hope these reflections help you.

Feel fee to reach out to get clarity on what is important for you or to set up a system or find a partner in crime to move the needle towards your goals and dreams, towards what is important for you.

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To a life fully lived 🥂 !

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Jan Aquarius - Live. Grow. Matter.

#beyourbest