I am always curious as to what words mean. I love looking up words in the dictionary and in the thesaurus. And today is no different. Today I wanted to know exactly what the dictionary said about “productivity”. And here is what it said:

A measure of the efficiency of a person, machine, factory, system, etc., in converting inputs into useful outputs.

Productivity is computed by dividing average output per period by the total costs incurred or resources (capital, energy, material, personnel) consumed in that period. Productivity is a critical determinant of cost efficiency.

Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/productivity.html

Converting inputs into useful outputs.

As a business owner, are you converting your inputs into useful outputs? Is what you are doing (your input) resulting in useful outputs? Is it resulting in you getting what it is you want? Or are you doing things yet never really see any results?

Let’s look at a few inputs when it comes to time, shall we:

1. Going to networking events
2. One-on-one meetings talking about your business
3. On social media
4. Creating content
5. Various other marketing activities

If you are getting the results you want, then your inputs are equaling a useful output. But what if they aren’t? Then what?

Tips to get the outputs you desire.

There are many ways to be productive and get the output from the input you put in. Here are several ways for you to do that:

• Determine what your outcome is. What is it you want out of your input? Do you want more income, a bigger customer base, more customers?
• Brainstorm what steps will more than likely, equal those results. Do you need to talk to more people, speak at events, ask people to sign up to your mailing list?
• Create benchmarks. In order to be productive, you need to know what you are doing. If you want to talk to more people, how many more people, by when will you talk with them, what will you talk with them about, etc. In other words, you need to measure your productivity.
• Set aside time to review your results often. In order to know if your inputs are leading to useful outputs you need to review where you are, what needs to happen to get to where you are going and what changes, if any, need to be made.

Productivity isn’t just about the doing.

Productivity is about doing what will bring you your end result. Anyone can be productive, yet if you aren’t working on the right things at the right time, you are just wasting time, money and energy.

How can you use the above tips to improve your productivity so that you get the results that you are wanting?

If you need help with any of the above steps, schedule a 30-minute complimentary Productive Planning For Success Strategy Session with me. You’ll walk away with a productivity plan for you to get to doing the right things at the right time!

Does it seem like your things grow legs and disappear on you?

Do you often find yourself running around looking for items that you swear were there just a moment ago?

Are you constantly trying to remember where something is only to feel frustrated that it’s not where you thought it was?

The Solution To Stop Wasting Time Looking For Things.

Create a landing space for your items. Your items will always be found, exactly where they are suppose to be. And you’ll never have to search for a lost item again.

Now, doesn’t that sound nice? I know it does to me! Furthermore, once you have a designated place for your items to be, you will stop wasting your precious time running around looking for them.

One of the things that people often come to me for is help in getting more productive. My first question to them is how often do they spend time looking for things. If I hear them tell me “all of the time”, I know one of the reasons they aren’t productive.

Determine Where You Need The Most Help First.

Here are a few steps to get you started.

1. Determine what item (or items) seem to go missing most often. If you tend to lose a lot of things, start with one or two items first.
2. Determine where would be the place you think you’d know to look first. If it is your keys (been there, done that =) would a place near the door that you use most often to exit be a good place to put them?
3. Clear out space and declare this is where my stuff goes. After you figure out your item(s) and the place they will go, create a space for it. You may need to put hang up hooks or get a bowl or tray for your items. Whatever you feel would work, do it.

Breathe a sign of relief because your racing around and wasting time days searching for things are over! With your system of having a place for things and things in their place, you’ll never have to say “I have no idea where my stuff is.” And you’ll never have to utter “Honey, have you seen my stuff?” Now, that’s a beautiful thing!

Be On The Look Out For What’s Next.

As you were reading, you probably realized ok, but what about the other things that come to me. Things such as mail, emails, texts, social media notifications and requests from others, to name some.

You will need a system for that and I’ll be covering that in future blogs. So for now, be on the look out for the type of things that come to you and what you currently do with them.

Like I said, I help a lot of people with becoming more productive. I also help them collect, assess/analyze, leverage their time and manage their stuff.  I call it the CALM System.  If you would like help learning some high value productivity actions, that can bring more calm into your life I can help you do that! Schedule your 30-minute complimentary Productive Planning For Success Strategy Session now.

It’s a sad fact that a lot of business owners and entrepreneurs jeopardize their success.

Honestly, it’s not hard to do. What with all of the things that have to happen to first start a business, then be successful at it.

Recently I wrote an article that I published on Medium. It was a pretty popular article. So many people highlighted parts of it and commented on it. One man wrote:

“What I came to notice, though, in my own search for improving (or establishing at all) productivity is that prioritizing my tasks and planning for the day A) rarely works out; and B) can quickly overwhelm me. The former, I guess, is rooted strongly in being a freelancer. But the latter I think is something a lot of people can maybe relate to.”

And what he said got me to thinking.

To Be Productive, You Have To Be Yourself.

See, if you are truly to be productive you have to be yourself. I can tell you to do this or that but if it doesn’t fit for you, you won’t be successful with it. And I want you to be successful. I want you to be super successful!

So while my article gave the how to be productive and while many people liked it and are trying it, what if it doesn’t work for you?

Well first, go read it to see if it won’t work for you. And if you find it won’t, then we’re in business! If it does, then, we’re in business! The beauty is you will be aware of how to be you! Either way you’ll be productive.

Get Results, Your Way.

No, we aren’t talking Burger King. Well, yes, actually we are.

You can have your productivity YOUR way! And that said, in order to do that you still need to take some steps.

1. Decide what it is you want for results. While I’m all for being in a flow and just going about taking actions, if you aren’t taking specific actions on a specific goal, forget about it. You will never get anywhere. And you do want to get somewhere don’t you? Yes, I know you do!
2. Determine what you need to do to get your results. Like the photo in this article, if you are here, there and everywhere you’ll get nowhere. Clearly determine your action steps that you will take to reach your end results.
3. Make a list of all your actions. This is valuable because you can pick and choose from your list and do things as you feel appropriate and that fits into your energy for the day. It gives you the opportunity to be you and just go with the flow yet still be productive.
4. Create a timeline. By being clear about by when you want to have your results you will be able to have a feeling of free flowing yet you’ll be moving things along at a pace that feels good to you and with an anchor that will help keep you on target.

Tips For Not Jeopardizing Your Productivity.

Now that you know what it is you want, how you’ll get it and know how and when it will happen, there are a couple of things to keep in mind:

• Allow for white space in your day. My reader mentioned that planning rarely works out and he’s correct (for the most part). Things do happen. And things do work out. When you give yourself space during your day, rather than jam pack it thinking you will be productive but rarely are, you give yourself freedom to be in the flow of whatever happens to happen during your day.
• Give yourself permission to be who you are and work how you work. A lot of people will read my article and go I need to do that in order to be productive (and I’m not going to say no that isn’t true, because it is true for a lot of people) but if you are like my reader and are a go with the flow person, then give yourself permission to do that.

Remember it’s how you look at productivity that will have you being productive. Kind of like the saying “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder”.

You Are Your Best Expert.

Let’s face it, YOU are your best expert. I can give you all the advice, suggestions, tips, tools, etc. in the world yet if they don’t fit you they are useless. If you are having a hard time being you, another article I wrote can help you with that. You can read it here.

My suggestion to you (if you are willing to take it =-) is to allow yourself to be you. Work the way you know feels good to you. As long as you are getting things done, are being productive for how you define productivity and are seeing results, there isn’t anything wrong with what you are doing.

If however, you feel your go with the flow ways are not benefiting you and you feel you aren’t getting the results you want because of it, learning a few high value productivity actions will always help you.

If you would like help learning some high value productivity actions, I can help you do that! Schedule your 30-minute complimentary Productive Planning For Success Strategy Session now.

The good news is that it isn’t hard and it doesn’t take long to learn to be productive, it just takes the desire to learn to do it.

You are 100% responsible for your results.

I say this a lot. And it’s so true. Yet, there are a lot of people out there who do not take responsibility for what they want and blame others because they don’t have it.

I hope that isn’t you. Though if it is and you are resonating with what you just read, have no fear. As of this moment, you can change it. You can have your life be different and you can truly be the boss of you.

Be YOUR Difference.

If you are willing to take on the mindset of “If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me”, here is what I would like you to know:

“The victim mindset dilutes the human potential. By not accepting personal responsibility for our circumstances, we greatly reduce our power to change them.” –Steve Maraboli

Did you see the part about WE greatly reduce OUR power? You have the power to make changes in your life.

• What changes would you like to make that you may have been thinking it’s up to someone else to do?
• Where may you be wanting to do something, yet have been feeling like it’s someone else’s fault that you haven’t been able to do it?
• How are you letting someone else be the director of your life?

You are your greatest champion, your greatest supporter, your greatest cheerleader and the greatest leader of you!

Create Your Absolute List.

What do you want in your life that you don’t have now?

Create a list of what you absolutely want to have in your life. Take a look at your list and ask yourself what your top 3 items on it are. Put this list in a prominent place in your life, these will be your target goals. Without a target to focus on, you’ll never have any direction and you will never get there.

These will be the goals that you will work on, take regular actions on and move forward on regularly to see results.

Eyes on the Prize.

In order to be the difference and reach the successes that you want in your business and in your life you must stay on target. Having laid out that target by creating your absolute list, you now have a starting spot. Here are some things to help you stay on target:

1. Create an action items list. This list will contain everything you will do to reach your goal.
2. Create your timeline. This will be your beginning and end dates and the actions you will do in the middle that move your toward your end result.
3. Bring in support. This can be anyone who you think will help you, family, friends, a professional, etc.
4. Be accountable. Lay out how will you hold yourself accountable for staying on target and taking actions.
5. Build in checkpoints. Create points for you to check-in on your progress and results.
6. Review and Reassess. Take time to review what you are doing, have done, still need to do. Reassess where you are and what you want.
7. Course Correct. If you find you need to course correct, do it. The goal is for you to stay on a target that you want to stay on.

You Are Solely Responsible For Your Results.

In a previous blog, I told you that if you aren’t 100% happy with were you are in your life and in your business, your thoughts may be to blame. And while that is still true, it may be you haven’t had a target or you haven’t stayed on target and so you haven’t been responsible for your results.

This will help you not only be responsible for your results, but have you in the drivers seat so that you can have the power to change your circumstances in your life and in your business!

If you’d like some help creating your target goals and a plan on how to reach them, I’d love to help. Schedule your 30-minute complimentary Productive Planning For Success Strategy Session now.