The Truest Form of Productivity and Why You Need to Master It
that translates to three and a half hours weekly—time that could be devoted to next-level objectives. Talking on the phone, texts, e-mails, and social media notifications all add up and eventually cost you more money than you could ever imagine. Do you feel like you should be accessible at all times? Don’t! Only desperate people are accessible every hour of every day! Don’t be that person who when your device beeps or chimes or vibrates, you immediately look to see who liked your Facebook post or commented on your Instagram. If you’re dedicated to becoming highly productive, become stealthy at it. People will soon notice that you don’t text back immediately or respond to e-mails instantly. The smart ones will recognize that you’re busy and committed to your next level. You also must make sure you never live in a reactive mode but rather a proactive mode. This is especially good advice when it comes to computers and phones. Use your computer to get the information you need to learn, not because you’re bored or want to be entertained. Promise yourself that you’re not going to go surf or look at negative news headlines. Don’t go check your bank account, then end up watching 100 YouTube videos on how to pop a huge pimple. I truly believe that e-mail is one of the biggest distractions that you’ll encounter on a daily basis. When people e-mail you, they are asking you to jump. And our usual response is, “How high?” But the truth is that you don’t have to jump. You can re- ply when you want to. You can use an autoresponder that com- municates: “I reply to e-mails every day at 2 p . m . and at 7 p . m . Other than that, I’ll be working on my bigger future.” This is something I have seen people do, and I think it is brilliant! And it’s not just digital media that distracts you. It can be anything! People will call you up to have coffee, lunch, or drinks multiple times throughout the week if not every day. And if you want to see them, great! Say, “You know what? Tuesday I’m working all day, but I could do Wednesday at five. Do you want to do that?” It is about picking out the time for nonwork activities strategically. Learn to say no more than you say yes and you will thrive!
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