Productivity Is a Measure of Profit: Effectiveness is Priceless
Posted on January 07, 2024 by Robyn Fountain, One of Thousands of Leadership Coaches on Noomii.
"Productive" has become a term used to measure value when it's really a way to measure profit. Become effective instead and feel the wins stack up.
Productivity, usually defined as the measure of output per unit of input, is often about doing more tasks in less time. However, in the quest for productivity, it’s important not to overlook the significance of effectiveness.
Productivity, at its core, is a measure of how efficiently resources are utilized to achieve desired outcomes. Unfortunately, the concept of productivity has crept outside the confines of the workplace and into our home lives as well. There’s a constant push to do, go, be and for individuals who get frozen in procrastination, decision-making, and simply starting, the mental and emotional effects can be devastating.
I recently viewed a TikTok video created by a woman who explained the difference in how she sees taking a shower and how folks with executive function challenges do. In short, “neurotypicals” usually experience taking a shower as 3 or 4 steps, while the creator sees the task as a monumental 15-17 steps. That is overwhelming; and yet the actual event only takes minutes for both people and usually results in a positive outcome.
Feeling effective in life and taking charge of your circumstances are essential aspects of personal development and well-being. It involves a proactive mindset, a sense of purpose, and the ability to navigate challenges with resilience.
Here are some key principles to help you feel more effective and take charge of your life:
1. Practice Self-Care: Taking charge of your life includes taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. Ensure you get enough rest, engage in activities you enjoy, and prioritize your mental well-being. Self-care is fundamental to sustaining a proactive and effective lifestyle.
2. Develop Resilience: Resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity. Strengthen your resilience by developing coping mechanisms, maintaining a neutral vs. a self-critical outlook, and viewing challenges as opportunities for personal growth.
3. Celebrate Achievements: Acknowledge and celebrate your successes, no matter how small. Recognizing your accomplishments boosts your confidence and reinforces a sense of efficacy. Reflect on your progress regularly to stay motivated. Small wins are still wins.
4. Success Appreciation: Success becomes more meaningful when contrasted with setbacks. Embracing setbacks allows you to appreciate your achievements and milestones even more. Overcoming challenges adds depth to your successes, making them all the more rewarding.
“Work with your rhythms, not against them” practices a philosophy that emphasizes aligning your tasks and activities with your natural energy levels and biological patterns. This approach acknowledges that individuals have different peaks of productivity and focus throughout the day, week, month, quarter, and year. By understanding and leveraging these personal rhythms, you can enhance efficiency, reduce stress, and optimize your overall performance.
Working with your rhythms is a personalized approach that recognizes the uniqueness of each individual’s energy patterns. By aligning your tasks with your natural ebbs and flows of energy, you can enhance effectiveness as well as increase pride and confidence.
As an Effectiveness Coach, I will guide you through tracking your patterns and develop a personalized strategy and action plan. We will identify your definition of a win and discuss your greatest bottlenecks. After all of that, I also offer “buddy double” time and hands on services in addition to our sessions in order to optimize for more wins in the early weeks or months.
