So many of us look for tips and tools to increase productivity in our day.
Here are a few tips I’ve learned over the past few years:
1. Have MORE than your “why”. So many people tell me their ‘why’ but still remain to stagnate in a job they hate or don’t do what they say they want to do, or bail when the first sign of adversity hits.
Even if they have that ‘why’.
Here’s why.
The ‘why’ needs MULTIPLE inspiration points.
See, the difference between being MOTIVATED to do something, and being INSPIRED to do it are completely different.
Motivation is when you’re pushed.
Which is why going to a Tony Robbins event or something like that totally gets you pumped up and feel like nothing can stop you.
Tony’s pushing you. The people around you push and encourage you. The whole environment pushes you.
Heck, even when I do my little 8 person mastermind, people are pumped. (Not that I’m anything like Tony)
But then most of us lose the motivation when we’re thrown back into the ‘real’ world.
I’ve experienced it many times myself.
Attending multiple big AND small events I’ve just sat around for years with the ‘knowledge’ but not the action.
It’s the reason I invest in myself each month with coaches who just call me out and support what I’m doing.
But we need our own inspiration points and triggers if we want to increase productivity
Personally, I have inspiration triggers posted on my wall right in front of me, over my computer monitors so I see them every day.
They remind me of my ‘why’ – what it’s all for.
I even have little ‘reminders’ like “stop buying shit” which is really saying “you already HAVE enough knowledge/programs/etc to get where you want to go – JUST DO IT.”
Other ‘reminder inspiration triggers’ on my wall are questions such as “what are you willing to trade your life for?”
Which relates back to my ‘why’.
Can you see how these EXTRA inspiration triggers help with ‘productivity?’
The NEXT biggest ‘secret’ I can share about productivity is this…
HABITS and SCHEDULES.
I won’t get into a whole explanation about this because you probably know what I’m saying.
EVERY successful entrepreneur, who is productive, have success rituals and habits they do daily.
They also schedule their day around their FLOW zones.
Screw the 5 am club if you’re not a 5 am’er…
Just because you see someone else doing something, and it doesn’t resonate with you…adjust that success habit to fit YOUR flow zone.
That’s a big one.
Let’s take the “5 am” club
I’ve seen many people “swear” to do this every new ‘change’ point in the year…only to fall off again.
Why?
Because they’re FORCING their body to do something that is totally unnatural for their biological clock.
Sure, you CAN force yourself to get up at 5am…but if you’re just sitting around doing nothing because you’re bio-clock doesn’t kick in until 10 am – who gives a shit? Just because you say “I did it…I got UP at 5 am?”
I’m just giving you an example here.
That's the reason so many people give up with their ‘productivity’.
Because they really force themselves to do things that do NOT flow with their natural bio-state.
Listen, I’m NOT saying make things EASY.
That’s the wrong approach as well. We DO have to challenge ourselves – move out of our comfort zone…we both GET that…
However, I AM saying that when you understand WHEN you rock and when you DON’T, you fit those surges of productivity INTO those slots.
Get it?
This is why doing a bit of inner reflection will help you.
It not only allows you to let go of the stigma you might “think” you need to be productive…
And gives you back the decisive power of WHEN you’re going to be productive.
Just because your seminar dude said you need to be at the office at 9 am and do 500 cold calls a day doesn’t mean you need to if you sound like you just woke up, are in a pissy mood, or have no inspiration to do what you need to do.
It’s JUST a waste of time.
I even talk about how much of our lives we can sacrifice if we're not careful in this post
Which brings me to the last point on productivity
Colleagues and coaches.
If you don’t have people in your life that totally support you, CHANGE the people in your life.
If you don’t have people in your life that you are PAYING to tell you shit you need to hear, GO FIND THEM.
Ask any successful person if they have coaches in their life. I don’t care if it’s football or farming. All of those peeps have someone they’re paying to tell ‘em what they need to do.
Because we lose sight ALL the time – just because we’re too far in the forest to see the trees most of the time.