How Top Performers Boost Productivity and Results

Struggling with focus is a part of being a human.

I come bearing good news: you're not doomed because your time management skills aren't good. It doesn't surprise me that your struggling because being focused is more challenging than ever.

Everything is clamoring for your attention: e-mails, slack messages, text messages, spam calls, app notifications, social media habits, Netflix quality content, bosses, colleagues, kids, spouses, I am pretty sure I could name another 10, but that would be belaboring the point.

However, just because outside things out of your control are coming after your attention, doesn't mean you must entertain them.  Your productivity relies on your willingness to reject what is comfortable and embrace what is difficult. Said differently,

Your feelings don't determine your productivity; your actions do.

To have a fulfilling career, you must be productive. If you don't produce, you won't be happy. The best way to be productive consistently is to understand the productivity formula.

The Productivity Formula

Paul Meyer said it well, "Productivity is never an accident." He is right, and it also has a formula. There is a pattern that world-class leaders and high performers leverage around productivity, whether they know it or not.

Skills

A skill is choosing and performing the proper technique at the right time with the minimum amount of effort. The stronger a skill, the better and faster you can complete a task. The weaker the skills, the slower and less effective you can complete a task.

For the sake of this column, we will assume your skillset is developed enough that if and when you are focused, have urgency, and act, your skills won't hold you back.

Focus

Most people don't have a talent problem; they have a focus problem. Focus is paying attention to something important. Think of it like a pair of binoculars. It's clear when you lock in on the target, and your attention follows. Focus is what separates action from distraction. Focus is the habit of habits.

As someone with ADHD (which is a superpower), focusing on the most important things has always been a challenge. Then, after teaching thousands of professionals and coaching hundreds of leaders to help improve their performance, I realized focus wasn't just an issue for me; it was an issue for many others.

High performers recognize that their focus isn't an infinite resource, so they are meticulous about knowing what is primary and what is secondary.

To boost your productivity, know what is major and minor. Then, focus on the major things.

Urgency

Urgency is when you need to move quickly because you have a chance to do something meaningful. It's when you see an opportunity and jump on it immediately. That's what high performers and successful people do. As the great Jim Rohn used to say:

Successful people aren't just hard workers; they are quick workers too.

It has never been more vital that you have an urgency to make things happen faster. Your colleagues, team members, and boss want things finished in less time because it's the one resource we can't get back.

Actions

It's impossible to be productive without taking action. Picasso said, "Action is the foundational key to all success." Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer developed the "The Progress Principle" from their research. The Progress Principle suggests that the most important factor for motivation and productivity is making meaningful progress in work. The only way to make meaningful progress is to take action.

The only way to make meaningful progress is to take action.

Remember, your feelings don't determine your productivity, your actions do.

If you are like me and want to boost your productivity, here are two proven methods.

1. Decide Daily on the Non-Negotiables

Time management comes down to one big idea: figuring out what is most important and getting started immediately. Completing major items, or what I call the "Today's Non-Negotiables" in the 64-Day Excellence Planner, will double or triple your productivity every day.

Non-negotiables are the things you will do today that will move you closer to achieving your goals. The simple act of writing them down every day will keep you focused. You can see an example below.

2. Be Ruthless with Your Environment

Ava Sinclair wrote, "Your environment significantly impacts your productivity." A messy desk, an uninspiring office, or having your phone close are great examples of an environment that doesn't enhance productivity.

I am relentless in passing along the insight I learn to my kids. One of my favorite principles to help them stay focused is "Be ruthless with your environment."

Be ruthless with your environment.

Now is the time to be ruthless in creating an environment that helps you be productive by acting on those non-negotiables.

Closing

Struggling with focus and time management is a part of being a human. However, just because it's hard doesn't mean you can't get better. Keep the productivity formula visible in your workspace:

Productivity = Skills x Focus x Urgency X Actions

Lastly, remember that your feelings don't determine your productivity; your actions do.