What It Means To Have A Productive Day

You hear people talk about the productive day they’ve had ticking everything on their list, while you’re sitting there with your never-ending to-do list, procrastinating two days day before a deadline. 

The difference between you and them? They know themselves better. They know what zone they need to be in to get things done, they plan what they know is possible, they push past discomfort, they look after their health, and they do a little each day knowing it’s the small steps that get them there. They know action beats procrastination.

So, you want to get there? First, you must understand what it means to be productive. 

Productivity was derived from measuring machine performance, that is, how many units can be produced over a period based on the number of materials or labour used. A measure of what you put in versus what you get out. This measurement shows how efficient the machine is over time. If good quality products are manufactured with very little to no waste and the machine doesn’t have much downtime, that is considered good efficiency i.e. very productive.

Obviously, humans are not machines. But society has coined the term ‘productive’ to describe an efficient day of getting things done, working 10 hour days and ticking things off a list. This has led to crazy expectations and unrealistic standards. Leaving most people wishing for a version of themselves that feels impossible. 

What people don’t know when it comes to machine productivity, is that a machine’s efficiency is linked to its design. Meaning, what a machine can produce is linked to its maximum capability. Machine A can only produce 100 units an hour while machine B can only produce 50 units an hour. If both machines produce 100 and 50 respectively that hour, then they’ve both achieved 100% efficiency. 

What this should tell you, is that you are unique, therefore what you get done in a day and how you get that done is unique and efficient to you. There is no one way to be productive, but there is your way. You know how long it takes to draft an important email, reply to messages, plan a big project or work on a report. You also know what effect those tasks have on your energy. Some drain you more than others, right? 

Use who you are to your advantage and plan your days around the best possible scenarios. Know what you need to get yourself in the zone. Also know, when something takes you longer to do than it normally would, that is when you are unproductive. Know when that is happening and take a step back for rest or switch to less demanding tasks. I personally default to cleaning, decluttering or watching a good movie when that happens. 

Now the one thing that holds most people back from having an efficient day is procrastination. The act of avoidance. When you notice this, check-in and ask yourself what you’re avoiding and why. Then ask: is avoiding this task adding value to my life or making me more miserable? Then start a timer for 5 minutes and begin.

Having productive days every day is great, but where do you draw the line so that your health doesn’t come at the expense of getting things done? You know that productivity stems from machine performance so, if you apply that to a human, it’s pretty similar. Machines need materials, labour and maintenance to operate allowing it to produce finished units. Humans need food, sleep, rest, oxygen, knowledge and love allowing us to walk, talk, laugh, work, dance, pray and live. Notice how work is just one of the things for a productive day?

If you want your days to be more productive, don’t make the mistake of thinking the small things in your day are not adding value. That book you love reading. Looking after your child. Cooking for your family. Cooking the rice while cooking the curry to save time. Going to gym. All productive. All part of a meaningful life. 

Don’t chase productivity at the cost of a rushed life. Be efficient with the time you have, beat procrastination with action and do what you can. If you do what you can every day, you’ll be consistent at that every day. And your body will thank you.