By Tonya Mott
On my “Less Doing” journey I came across this article, 7 Things You Need to Stop Doing To Be More Productive, Backed by Science (Click here).
I promise that I’m not a lazy person. For me this journey has been about doing the things that give me energy and make me happy. In the article it says that being productive is less about time management and more on managing your energy. It’s learning how to spend the least amount of energy to get the most benefits.
Here’s a sneak peak if what the article taught me:
- Stop working overtime and increase your productivity instead.
- Don’t say “yes” too often and instead of saying, “I can’t” say “I don’t”.
“The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say “no” to almost everything.”
— Warren Buffett
- Stop doing everything yourself and start letting people help you
Often times, even if your friends or coworkers can’t help you, simply having them around can help you become more productive.
- Stop being a perfectionist
- Stop doing repetitive tasks and start automating.
- Stop guessing and start backing up your decisions with data
- Stop working, and take some time to do nothing at all.
It‘s important to take time for reflection. We often find the solutions we’re looking for when we’re not actively searching for them.
I don’t know about all of you, but around this time of year I’m usually I’m daydreaming about palm trees and sandy beaches. Maybe if I learn to manage my energy better, I’ll sneak over to one of those Hawaiian Islands for a long weekend! I think I’ll start with Tip #7 and take some time to do nothing (meaning lounge on the beach with a maitai)!
