ProductivityLife | 3 Min Read
#44 - Productivity is Money
Productivity is king when it comes to the knowledge-working economies of the modern world. No longer is just working more hours the solution...
Hey Friends 👋
This week while I've been on holiday, I've been reading more of my current book, "The Productivity Project" by Chris Bailey. And, in particular, one line and concept stood out to me.
"Today, time is no longer money. Productivity is money."
Chris expands more on this in his book but in essence, in the knowledge-based industry we now live in, it's no longer the amount of something we produce in an allotted amount of time that matters but rather how effective we are with our time to achieve our goals and tasks.
Unlike in the 1800s during the industrial revolution, workers are no longer measured by the number of widgets or items they can produce in their X-hour work day.
In knowledge-based industries like development and technology, it's not (or, shouldn't) be about how many lines of code or commits you can make in a day. But, rather how efficiently you can solve the problem at hand.
It's a subtle shift but a powerful one. It's not about if a person works 10 hours, 40 hours, or 100 hours per week because unlike the times gone by, an increase in hours does not necessarily mean more output. In today's world, someone can work 10 hours and achieve more than someone in 40 hours because they know how to maximize their efficiency to achieve more.
So, now the question becomes, not "should I work longer to achieve more" but rather "how can I achieve more in the time I already have (or less)".
With our new question in mind, here are two tips/questions to help us achieve more in the same amount of time.
- When are you most productive? Morning, afternoon, evening? Are you able to restructure your day to put your most important work in that slot?
- Identify your most important tasks and protect time in your calendar for them to ensure they get done (ideally in the slot from 1)
No longer does more time equal more output so let's learn how to get more output out of less time and spend more time on the things that matter most to us.
In closing, I just want to say a big inspiration for this edition was "The Productivity Project" by Chris Bailey so if you haven't already checked it out, I highly recommend it.
Thanks for reading as always.
Coner x
Actionable Takeaway 🏃♀️
Use these two tips/questions to help you achieve more without committing more time.
- When are you most productive? Morning, afternoon, evening? Are you able to restructure your day to put your most important work in that slot?
- Identify your most important tasks and protect time in your calendar for them to ensure they get done (ideally in the slot from 1)
Thought, Question, Challenge 🤔
- Thought: It's not about the number of widgets we produce but rather the quality of widgets and how they help the overall machine complete its goal.
- Question: Do you have any high-energy, low-value tasks? Can you remove them to free up more time for higher-value tasks?
- Challenge: This week, try restructuring your day (if possible) to work around your most productive time of day. See if you achieve more when working at your prime time.
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