Do you wake up each morning ready to slay the day? Or maybe you pull the covers back over your head hoping to hide for a little bit longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some days I can effortlessly get so much done. It just flows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On others though, my energy levels are flat, I procrastinate big time and I struggle to find motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s infuriating is that I seem to have little control over it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So how do you build a productive mindset?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s look at the characteristics of productive people that we can all learn from\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I love making lists. It\u2019s almost an obsession because it helps me feel organized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although often it\u2019s more about making me feel better than it is about being productive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because for some reason, I think that if I write everything I need to do neatly down in a list, it\u2019s like I\u2019m doing something about it all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But productive people are next-level organized<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They take time to plan and figure out what needs doing and the best way to go about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They have tools and systems that help them to hone in on details and make effective plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But as well as knowing what needs to be done, the most productive of people know how to choose wisely what to do first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With a to-do list as long as your arm, where do you start?<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we feel bombarded by tasks it can be demotivating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What often happens is that we tick off the easiest things first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But when you think with the most productive mindset you go for the most important things first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Productive people<\/a> take this into account. They use the value of tasks to determine their priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That way they tackle their to-do list in a smart way that makes the most use of their time and energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the common misconceptions of productive people is that they always have to be busy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But busyness is rushed and can be hectic. And that\u2019s not good for productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s about quality and not just quantity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why productive people are active rather than busy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They are single-minded in their pursuit of one thing at a time, rather than juggling many balls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many people misguidedly value multi-tasking in our society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we lead busy lives we can feel pressured into wearing many different hats all at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But at what cost?<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we divide our attention we lose focus and flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Research<\/a> has shown that trying to go back and forth between tasks is far less efficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Highly product people don\u2019t spread themselves too thinly and put their attention on the present task at hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The hustle culture has gotten a lot of prominence in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n People like American entrepreneur Garry Vaynerchuk wax lyrical about the hustle-non-stop mentality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After all, gotta hit the grind if you want to succeed, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well, no not really.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I think it probably can work for some. But I think it overlooks the reality that it all depends on your personality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because for plenty of others, it only leads to guilty, burnout, and feelings of inadequacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We need to build in rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because the drive we have to do all the time is not our natural state. It is actually just a byproduct of a totally constructed social system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Capitalism can push an unrealistic standard of productivity on us that tempts us to base our entire self-worth<\/a> on how much we get done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet it\u2019s vital to switch off and take time to do absolutely nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This allows you to recharge and refresh \u2014 which actually can boost your productivity in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Breaks are also one of the things that can help you ride out the challenges you may face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most great success stories involve tenacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Getting things done can take time. And in order to keep on going you\u2019ll need not only motivation but also persistence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even highly productive people don\u2019t always feel like they\u2019re making progress<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You may see their efforts from the outside but take for granted the persistence it\u2019s taken to get to that point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Resilience<\/a> is only something that we can build through practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That means highly productive people are prepared to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the toughest of times, highly productive people return to their \u201cwhy\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Getting things done takes drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Highly productive people are really good at self-generating this drive which creates enthusiasm and motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How?<\/p>\n\n\n\n And they remind themselves of this often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It doesn\u2019t always need to be ground-breaking motivations. Life is often about trade-offs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Doing the laundry and unloading the dishwasher is important because you need clean clothes and dishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But it might also free up important time later, so you\u2019re not losing time and energy on unimportant tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But when it comes to big accomplishments, highly productive people are able to tap into their bigger vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They start out by establishing a clear motivation for anything they want to do, and from that set a goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Belief in yourself is mighty powerful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s going to crush your productivity if you don\u2019t believe in yourself. That\u2019s why the most productive people have a growth mindset<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They have a can-do attitude toward life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They know that whatever their skills, knowledge, and talents are now \u2014 they always have the potential to develop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n They recognize that the power is in their own hands and how they apply themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That means taking full responsibility for themselves and what they want to achieve. But it doesn\u2019t mean going it alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The more self-aware we are of our strengths and weaknesses, the more productive we can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That way, we don\u2019t waste effort on the things that really aren\u2019t our particular skill set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We know when someone else will do a better job, so we can put our attention on what we do best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n People with a highly productive mindset are collaborators. There is after all strength in numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even when you prefer to work alone, you can still get help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It takes some self-awareness<\/a> and deep-rooted self-esteem to be able to seek support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But it\u2019s important so that we don\u2019t run ourselves into the ground trying to do it all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We can acknowledge when we need a helping hand and know how to ask for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Newsflash: Willpower alone doesn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve ever thought that highly productive people just have more willpower than you, then this might come as a surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We can\u2019t rely on the strength of our willpower to follow through with things. Some experts have even suggested it\u2019s a finite resource that runs out eventually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But willpower is essentially self-control and that can be strengthened with practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Very productive people have honed the skill of monitoring their own behavior and applying discipline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And it serves them well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
2) They prioritize what matters most<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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3) They are focused on the task at hand rather than splitting their attention<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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4) They don\u2019t necessarily buy into hustle and grind<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
5) They are persistent and don\u2019t give up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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6) They are self-motivated and know their \u201cwhy\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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7) They have a positive outlook and a growth mindset<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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8) They are self-aware and know when to enlist help<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
9) They are self-disciplined in keeping themselves on track<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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