9 characteristics of productive people
Ah la productivity… this word that we all dread. Especially with the hustle culture that torments us and makes us feel like we are always behind the others.
The truth is, your level of productivity can vary from day to day. It's impossible to be productive every hour of every day and for us, the key is to be aware of it.
But if you struggle with procrastination, maybe you need a little kick in the ass to boost his productivity.
Procrastination is stressful. And being productive is so positive to release the pressure! The goal is only not to fall into overwork.
But how do productive people organize their lives and achieve their goals? We will therefore examine nine characteristics of the productive ones.
We will explore their habits and skills and how they use them to achieve their goals and dreams. Let's go!
1. Productive people take time for themselves.
First, let's debunk the myth that productive people work around the clock. It's physically and mentally impossible to work that hard and produce results that are efficient and accurate.
The most productive people are those who take time for themselves. Whether it's snuggling up on the couch with a popcorn, seeing friends, or enjoying some hobby, taking time to get away from your responsibilities is very important.
When we take time for ourselves (and enough time, not just 5 minutes), we end up fearing our tasks much less since they are simply part of our life. Basically, taking care of yourself de-dramatizes the mental burden of all your responsibilities.
Taking some time to relax is also super positive for working on your creativity! It is when your brain is at rest that it cultivates new ideas. Overworking yourself literally has no positives, it serves no purpose other than making your life miserable. So take the time to plan break, you will observe all its benefits. Besides, you deserve it!
2. Productive people identify their highlights
Productive people are insightful. They are very good at introspection and they know each other very well.
They are able to identify their best moments of productivity. In the morning you're super on, but as soon as you've finished your dinner you want to sleep? Maybe you are a morning person so it would be better to plan your big tasks for the morning and save easier tasks for the afternoon.
The important thing is to take a moment to observe yourself and to recognize your strong and weak moments. This way, you can plan your schedule to maximize its productivity while taking advantage of your weak moments to take time for yourself.
3. Productive people prioritize
Time is precious. This is why, to be a productive person, you have to know how to prioritize your tasks to focus on the essentials.
I've always said, the best way to waste your time is to focus on details. Not that the details aren't important, but you have to know how to balance your perfectionism, at the risk of never finishing your tasks and falling into a vicious circle of uncompleted responsibilities.
To be able to prioritize, you need to assess your goals. In this way, you will be able to easily determine the path necessary to get you from point A to point B and therefore, to prioritize the important steps to accomplish, in how long and in what order.
By prioritizing your tasks, you will be able to allocate your time and resources efficiently and thus achieve objectives more quickly.
4. Productive people are disciplined
Organized and productive people know the importance of being disciplined and getting things done on time. You will not always have the taste to accomplish your tasks. However, that does not always mean that because a task makes you c*&! That it will not be beneficial for your long-term goals!
That's why, once in a while, you have to kick your ass and just do it.
Quite simply.
Do it and move on.
Discipline also involves being rigorous with your schedule and respecting your deadlines and planning. Obviously, you have to include a minimum of flexibility, but all in all you shouldn't have to change your plan every day because you haven't been able to achieve its goals.
If you have such a hard time completing tasks that you have to change your plan all the time, your plan is too much anyway. Take a couple of minutes, make a realistic plan and stick to it.
5. Productive people plan
Ah, there you go. It wouldn't be a Bleu Latte item if we didn't talk about planning. No, but for real, productive people are usually great planners.
It's so easy to be effective when you know where you're going. Think about it, there is nothing more complicated than starting a project without any guidelines. We go around in circles, we scratch our heads...
Whether you like to make super detailed plans or only with a few direct points to give you freedom, it's your choice. But you absolutely have to know where you're going.
The best way to think about activities ahead of time is to put it down on paper! Planner, notebook, to-do list: never mind. The important thing is that it works for you.
6. Productive people reflect
Productive people have good critical thinking skills. They are aware of their thoughts and actions.
Indeed, they give themselves time to reflect and make informed decisions. They know that thoughtful decision-making is more effective than hasty decisions.
Spontaneity can be fun, but when it comes to planning big projects or heavier responsibilities, you have to take the time to stop and consider all the elements involved in order to make good decisions.
Take a breather, think about it and everything will be fine.
7. Productive people are flexible
To be productive, you have to be flexible. In life, there are changes and unforeseen events and you have to know how to adapt.
This is why I strongly recommend the practice of planification flexible.
This will help you plan your goals effectively, but also allow you to take changes into account and incorporate them into your plan without affecting your final goal.
To move forward, you have to adapt. Stay open-minded and keep moving forward, no matter what happens to you. Life is on your side!
8. Productive people are realistic.
So be realistic in your expectations! If you want to start moving and you've never exercised in your life, maybe it's better to start with a few walks a week instead of 60 minutes of crossfit a day.
If you set goals so far from your current reality, you are almost asking for failure. One step at a time! Start with small changes and you will see, it will be very easy to accomplish these tasks because it will not "feel" like you have to climb Mount Everest every day.
Nothing prevents you from adjusting your objectives to increase their level of difficulty as you get used to it! Planning is for that.
The important thing is to keep your eyes open to what you can accomplish and what may be out of your reach right now. Do not engage in overly ambitious projects, it is mega demotivating.
9. Productive people take notes
Finally, productive people take notes. It's impossible to remember everything that goes through our minds. Whether you have a stroke of genius or just want to jot down something important to remember. The power of taking notes is truly underestimated!
It's worth taking two more minutes to take a pencil and put your thoughts on paper. Note taking helps you organize your thoughts and keeps you focused on your goals to maximize your time.
It's also a great idea to keep track of what you've accomplished. In the end, it's super motivating to see how productive you've been in the past few months!
To finish
L’organisation and productivity are valuable qualities that can help you achieve your goals and dreams.
If you find it difficult to take things in hand and you tend to procrastinate, start by working on acquiring these characteristics, it will make a big change in your life.