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But even more critical was the realization early in my career that success comes not just from hard work and careful planning—though those are both important. Success depends in large part on a proper mind-set: focusing on the results you plan to achieve, rather than the number of hours you work. The results are what matter most to your employer, clients, and colleagues.
Let’s begin with what I mean by “personal productivity.” I mean the quantity and quality of your results in achieving your own objectives.
in order to be productive, you have to focus on the results you want to achieve, not the time you spend at work.
a crisis is a good catalyst for change.
Many of those professionals like the feeling of doing something; they are not comfortable reflecting on their priorities.
No matter what your career aspirations are, you should begin by thinking carefully about why you are engaging in any activity and what you expect to get out of it.
The next step is to divide your list into three time categories: Career Aims (5+ years), Objectives (3–24 months), and Targets (1 week or less).
Start by thinking about what you want to do, what you’re good at, and what the world needs from you.
If your boss gives special weight to an Objective, you should too—with certain exceptions.
Now go back and compare your allocations of time with your ranked list of Objectives and Targets. What percentage of your time do you spend on activities that help you meet your highest Objectives and Targets? How much time do you spend on lower-ranking items? Are you spending time on activities that didn’t even make it onto your list?
To help align your time allocation with your priorities, put together a to-do list that drives them home. Start by integrating all your Objectives and Targets into one tiered list with the highest-priority items on the top half of the page. For each of those items, write down a precise deadline for completion. On the bottom of the page, keep track of all your lower-priority items and roughly estimate when you would like to finish each one.
those who procrastinate tend to avoid working on important activities in favor of pleasant distractions.
1. To be productive, you need to articulate your goals clearly and prioritize them. 2. You should try hard to match how you spend your time to your top priorities.
