psychology
5 habits that separate busy people from productive ones
© Mariia Korneeva / Adobe Stock
Your to-do list never gets shorter, you’re always doing something – but somehow you still feel like you’re not doing enough? Maybe you are one of those people who are constantly busy but not really productive.
There are people who are always doing something. They move things from A to B, sort or research something there… But somehow they don’t really do much. This is mainly because there is a big difference between just being busy and being productive at the same time. Say: Am I doing something all the time, but not getting any real results? So: Do I keep moving things around in the apartment, but it’s still not tidy? Or do I do some concrete things and get to a certain goal?
These 5 habits separate busy people from productive ones
1. You have a clear goal
Doing things just to do them doesn’t usually get us anywhere. So before we lapse into activism, it makes sense to define a goal. What do I want to achieve? Where do I want to go? Productive people know this and start every project with this thought. Only when they have set their goal and made their plan do they start to become active.
2. They seek help
Nobody can or knows everything. And almost more importantly: Nobody has more than 24 hours in a day. People who are busy all the time often tend to want to do everything on their own. They find it difficult to ask others for help. Those who are productive divide their energy cleverly and know at which points they can reach their goals faster and more efficiently if someone else supports them.
3. They learn from their mistakes
It sounds trite, but it’s true: mistakes are part of life. We all sometimes face challenges that we cannot solve or make wrong decisions. The most important thing is how we deal with such difficulties and mistakes. Reflectivity is an essential quality to be productive. Because if you just do and do and do blindly, without stopping for a moment and learning from what went wrong, you will probably always be busy, but you will not necessarily achieve good results.
4. You think long-term
At first it may feel good to smack down a huge portion of ice cream in the evening. Relatively soon after that, however, we notice that we don’t feel so good anymore: our stomachs are tight and we sleep less well because our bodies are struggling to digest. Even if this example does not specifically aim to be productive, it shows very clearly that just because something feels good and right in the short term does not necessarily mean that it will help us in the long term. Efficient people know this and are therefore less likely to act impulsively. They think long-term and consider exactly what will bring them closer to their goal – and not what is the easiest way at the moment.
5. You part with energy thieves
There are people, actions and things that rob us of our time – without really giving us anything in return. This can include people who aren’t good for us or spending too much time on social media. If you are constantly busy, you might do well to take a close look at what exactly he:she spends this time doing. Is it people or things that move you forward? Who make you feel good and bring you closer to your goal? If not, sorting is announced. Productive people have no time for energy robbers.
Sources used: hackspirit.com, psychologytoday.com