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Doing Productive vs. Being Productive

by Mike Vardy

The reason I started the long-gone website Eventualism (back when I did productivity parody) was because I found myself “doing” productive instead of being productive. When I had an epiphany regarding my incessant need to dive into productivity porn, I decided to turn preaching about productivity on its ear…and Eventualism was born.

Much like Stephen Colbert did on The Colbert Report (only with not nearly as much talent at my disposal), I decided that by creating a persona that offered a methodology that gave one permission to be “eventually productive,” I was showing the ridiculousness of having any methodology that teaches that very thing.

The same can be said for productivity…to a point.

With all of the systems, programs, and methodologies that are out there that can enhance one’s personal productivity, the problem lies in choosing one and sticking with it. That’s the hardest part.

It’s easy to be transient in personal productivity matters because it’s human nature to want to learn, explore and achieve mastery. But there’s a tipping point. This is where willpower comes in…not just to focus on doing things but to stick with one system that allows you to do those things in a timely fashion.

My friend Patrick Rhone once shared that he has a friend that goes to the same restaurant on the same day and orders the same thing every time he does. While that may be boring to some, it has familiarity going for it. The friend will know if his meal is “off” since he orders the same thing. He’ll be familiar with the staff because he goes to the same place. He can plan around his trip to the restaurant on the day he regularly goes there. All because of familiarity.

You can do the same with a productivity tool.

Find one you like, adapt it as you need and then use it. Use it all the time. Very few people can shift back and forth between tools and they definitely can’t if they don’t have at least one that they trust and are disciplined with.

The key to being productive over “doing” productive is informed self-elimination of choice.

So pick something to use and stick with it. Once you do that then you’ll be able to do a whole lot more a lot better.

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About Mike Vardy

Mike Vardy is a writer, speaker, productivity strategist, and founder of Productivityist. He is the author of The Front Nine: How to Start the Year You Want Anytime You Want, The Productivityist Playbook, and TimeCrafting: A Better Way to Get the Right Things Done, coming soon from Mango Publishing.

Categories: Intention and Attention

Trackbacks

  1. The Tools that Keep me Productive - The Productivity Blog | The Productivity Blog says:
    January 30, 2015 at 2:21 am

    […] like to explore new processes, new ideas, new ways to get things done. And for a while they wind up doing productive more often than being productive…but they start to shift the other way over […]

    Reply
  2. 37 Life Lessons in 37 Years - Productivityist says:
    April 20, 2016 at 10:50 pm

    […] productive ultimately gets you nowhere. “Being” productive is where it’s at…and will be. Make sure the productivity system works for you — not the other way […]

    Reply
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