Over the years, I have learned some secrets to being more productive. I must take proper action. It does not matter what we know if we do not put it into practice. Jesus reflected this in the story of the wise and foolish builders. The foolish builder heard what Jesus said; he had the knowledge, but he did not take proper action according to the knowledge. The wise builder heard the teachings of Jesus, and then he put them into practice by taking proper action according to the information. The foolish builder’s house crashed, and the wise builder’s house stood strong.
Productivity has not always been easy for me. I have had to learn along the way. My first breakthrough in understanding how to be more productive was realizing that time management is a myth. Time cannot be managed. I cannot decide that 3:00 P.M. does not work for me where it is; I need to move it to earlier or later in the day. Time cannot be moved or adjusted, therefore, it cannot be managed, but I can manage my priorities. If I try to manage my time, I will fail, but if I properly manage my priorities, then I can be more productive.
Tips I have learned to be more productive:
- I forget about saving, managing, or organizing my time. Instead, I focus on managing my priorities.
- My favorite time of year is March because of March Madness college basketball tournaments. I love following each team’s progression through the brackets. (Especially the Kentucky Wildcats!) There is something about using a bracket system to find out which team is number one that grabs my attention.
I do the same thing with my priorities. I work my yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily priorities through a double elimination tournament bracket system so I can better discover my number one priority. This has helped me be more productive because it helps me focus on what is most important at that time. Plus, it is just plain fun!
- Getting the right amount of sleep helps me be more productive. Sleep is highly underrated when it comes to what helps us be more productive. How much sleep we need may be different for each one of us, but it is vital that we understand how much sleep we need and consistently get that amount if we want to live at our highest potential.
- Waking up early. I know that for some, you may be more productive at night and if that is the case, then I encourage you to work in your productive zone. For me, I am most productive early in the morning. The earlier I wake, the more productive I am, typically. This is assuming I went to bed early enough to get the right amount of sleep. Find your strength zone and do most of your work during that time, if at all possible.
- Focused enthusiasm! When I can stay enthusiastically focused, I can accomplish more than I ever thought possible. Find out what you love to do and then enthusiastically pursue that adventure. In my opinion, the number one way to be your most productive self is to have focused enthusiasm!
What helps you be more productive?
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Tommy Lanham is an award-winning speaker, personality strategist, and world-changer. He was a regional finalist for the Toastmasters International Speech Contest in 2019, making him one of the top 100 speakers in the world! Tommy Lanham is the epitome of enthusiasm. It oozes out of him. He’s obsessed.
At 12, he was a sixth-grade flunky. At 22, he was kicked out of college because of a .8 GPA. (You read that right—a.8 GPA.) After 6 years, he completed his undergrad degree with an unimpressive 2.3 GPA.
Then something happened. Tommy discovered the power of goal-setting, personality strategy, and an enthusiasm mindset.
Tommy calls these “The 8 Decisions.” He has developed these key decisions over 25 years of successfully coaching, training, and motivating people to reach their God-given potential.
Tommy is on a mission to break out of the monotony of the mundane and mediocre so you can break through to your ENTHUSIASM Zone.
When I am in the zone of enthusiasm I can get a great deal done.
Me, too!!