Productivity Is Useless if You Don’t Direct It Towards Important Goals

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or even days, to think of an answer. Consider areas like relationships, family, career, daily activities, lifestyle, and skills. Write down realistic answers to the question. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to be ambitious too.</p><p id="f28f">Get an image in your mind of what your life can look like in the future. Imagine what waking up on a typical day is like and how it feels to live the life of your imaginary future. This image will guide you and <a href="https://www.psychmechanics.com/visualization-benefits-and-its-impact/">motivate</a> you as long as you hold on to it.</p><p id="818c">Even when you have the answer, revisit the question regularly to check if your priorities and goals have changed. A lot can happen between now and the future.</p><h1 id="9a3b">Build a ladder to your goals</h1><p id="7cef">When you have a distant goal that you can see, how do you get there? Well, if your goals were on top of a high wall, you’d build a ladder. Since your goals are abstract, you’ll have to settle for a metaphorical ladder.</p><p id="01be">A ladder starts with a step you can easily reach. Only when you’ve climbed that step can you easily reach the next one. Skipping a step or two on a ladder is possible, but any more than that, and you’ll fall back down.</p><p id="c6dc">Start your metaphorical ladder by writing smaller goals that will get you close

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r to your long-term goals. What steps can you take now to help you reach those big goals? For example, a step in a career direction could be to research other successful people in the field you’re aiming for.</p><p id="ffa3">You will also have to adjust your ladder along the way. You probably don’t know every step to success from the get-go. There’ll be obstacles on your climb, and you might have to go around them.</p><p id="1351">For now, focus on the steps you can see. Write the skills you need to learn and the actions you must take. You should end up with clear short-term and long-term goals in each area of life that’s important to you.</p><h1 id="f74e">Once you have a ladder, it’s time to climb fast</h1><p id="ca25">After going through the previous steps, you can be productive in a way that matters. Apply your productivity towards the short-term goals that will let you climb to your long-term goals.</p><p id="e9a2">Not only will you be able to achieve more, but you’ll be aware of how each step takes you closer to the life you imagined. This sense of purpose will make you even more <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenkotler/2014/10/16/goal-setting-101-one-of-our-best-performance-boosters-de-mystified/">productive</a> and <a href="https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/autonomy-mastery-purpose.htm">motivated</a>.</p></article></body>

What’s the point of moving fast if you’re going in the wrong direction?

You’ll find tons of advice on productivity if you scroll through Medium. I’ve even written some articles on it myself. It can be easy to apply a few productivity hacks and get more done.

But are you producing results that are important to your long-term goals?

For productivity to be worthwhile, you need to direct it to your needs. You could be the most productive chef in the world and make thousands of omelets in a day. But, if no one wants an omelet, why are you making them in the first place?

What’s important to you?

Have you ever asked yourself where you want to end up in 20 years? It’s not an easy question to answer. But, if you don’t find an answer, you’re walking blindly into your future.

You should give yourself some hours, or even days, to think of an answer. Consider areas like relationships, family, career, daily activities, lifestyle, and skills. Write down realistic answers to the question. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to be ambitious too.

Get an image in your mind of what your life can look like in the future. Imagine what waking up on a typical day is like and how it feels to live the life of your imaginary future. This image will guide you and motivate you as long as you hold on to it.

Even when you have the answer, revisit the question regularly to check if your priorities and goals have changed. A lot can happen between now and the future.

Build a ladder to your goals

When you have a distant goal that you can see, how do you get there? Well, if your goals were on top of a high wall, you’d build a ladder. Since your goals are abstract, you’ll have to settle for a metaphorical ladder.

A ladder starts with a step you can easily reach. Only when you’ve climbed that step can you easily reach the next one. Skipping a step or two on a ladder is possible, but any more than that, and you’ll fall back down.

Start your metaphorical ladder by writing smaller goals that will get you closer to your long-term goals. What steps can you take now to help you reach those big goals? For example, a step in a career direction could be to research other successful people in the field you’re aiming for.

You will also have to adjust your ladder along the way. You probably don’t know every step to success from the get-go. There’ll be obstacles on your climb, and you might have to go around them.

For now, focus on the steps you can see. Write the skills you need to learn and the actions you must take. You should end up with clear short-term and long-term goals in each area of life that’s important to you.

Once you have a ladder, it’s time to climb fast

After going through the previous steps, you can be productive in a way that matters. Apply your productivity towards the short-term goals that will let you climb to your long-term goals.

Not only will you be able to achieve more, but you’ll be aware of how each step takes you closer to the life you imagined. This sense of purpose will make you even more productive and motivated.