GreenSearch People: Personal Productivity - The Continuing Struggle

I don't know about you, but being productive through the proper and effective use of my time is a bear. I have read books on time management. I've talked with people in the green industry who appear to be very good at managing their time and have even used some of their techniques. But, it seems to me, that every now and then it’s a good idea to pull ourselves out of the details of trying to be more productive and consider some of the myths, realities, rules and principles governing this important subject.

• Myth: No one ever has enough time.
  Reality: We all have as much time as there is.



• Myth: There are many ways to save time.
  Reality: You don't save time; you can only spend it.



• Myth: The longer you work, the more you get done.
  Reality: Anyone ever hear of the law of diminishing returns?



• It all begins with a plan. A plan is defined as what you must do to have a livable future.



• Question: How much time should I spend planning?
  Answer: How much time do you want to have?



• The key to improving productivity through planning is to focus on the very few short-term activities that are likely to produce the biggest results.



• Challenge yourself. Everyday I will begin with the resolve to tackle the toughest thing I have on my list first thing after I arrive at work.



• If you want something to happen, make a place for it to happen. In other words, use calendars, action lists or other tools to make the accomplishment of a task happen.



• Perfection is something you never achieve - you only strive for it.



• You can only see as far as you can look.



• A goal doesn't become a goal without a target for completion.



• You can be 80 percent effective by achieving 20 percent of your goals.



• Either do it or don't do it, you decide.



• A project doesn't get six months behind.

I hope that these one liners give you a different look at reasons to be more productive. An excellent book on this subject is How To Make the Most of Your Workday by Jonathan and Susan Clark … if you can find time to read it.

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