Hey Busy Bee…How Productive ARE You in That Little Hive of Yours?
“Productivity isn’t about how busy or efficient you are — it’s about how much you accomplish.”
– Chris Bailey, The Productivity Project
And take it from a die-hard busy bee: the difference between being busy and actually accomplishing what you set out to — in a day, a week, a lifetime — can be significant.
Oh, the things I can get done in a day! It would make a real bee’s head spin
For me, the problem isn’t getting stuff done — oh no.
My problem is getting the right stuff done at the right time…for me.
Thankfully, my magic bookstore — Munro’s Books in Victoria, BC — manifested, yet again, the perfect book at the perfect time: The Productivity Project; Accomplishing More By Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy, by Chris Bailey.
Now I must confess (like any busy bee worth her salt), it was the COLOUR of the book that caught my rapidly-roving eye: a stunning turquoise with the word ‘Productivity’ in large white letters.
Yes, that’s right: I judged a book by its cover.
But since I obviously buzz through even bookstores (sigh), if a pretty blue is what catches my eye — and proceeds to change the way I work — then who am I to complain?
And boy oh boy, am I ever getting a lot out of The Productivity Project. In fact, I would say the book has helped me transform my work day — both what I accomplish as well as the quality of the work.
“What separates the most productive people from everyone else is that they make course corrections every week to gradually get better at everything they do.”
– Chris Bailey, The Productivity Project
By making a few small changes over the past few weeks, I have accomplished more — in less time — than I had in the previous few months.
“Productivity isn’t about doing more, faster — it’s about doing the right things, deliberately and with intention.”
– Chris Bailey, The Productivity Project
If you’re pondering your productivity, near the beginning of the book, author Chris Bailey delivers this zinger of a sentence you may find of use:
“I think the best way to measure productivity is to ask yourself a very simple question at the end of every day: Did I get done what I intended to?”
– Chris Bailey, The Productivity Project
A simple question, yes — but not a very pleasant one, if the answer is no…again.
Because frankly, it does get rather tiresome — literally — to work harder and harder and still not be able to answer YES to this question at the end of the day: Did I get done what I intended to?
For me, when the answer was no, as it often was, I had to ask myself: why NOT?
Was I not prioritizing and setting clear goals for the day? Or was it because…