What is the Ultimate Goal of Productivity?

And it isn’t about the NUMBERS!

Over the last few months, I have been writing a series of posts about productivity improvements I was forced to make in order to keep up with my day job. However, it wasn’t only about staying caught up at work, it was also about creating more margin for my family life and my deep desire to grow my writing.

This message has been organically growing. What started out as simple tips and tricks in one blog post is blossoming into a new reality for myself and for others in the workplace and here on Medium.

Over this time, I have received an incredible amount of feedback from writers, friends, coworkers and others who have been reading these posts and applying my them to their lives.

What I am finding is how productivity is becoming more than just work, but life, and how it relates to our lives on a daily basis. It has been changing the way I see the world and want to help others.

So, What is Productivity?

Here is the definition which I think none of us really are living by:

“The quality, state, or fact of being able to generate, create, enhance,or bring forth goods and services” — Dictionary.com

And here is a simpler version from, which I think we can relate to:

“Productivity is simply a way to measure efficiency.” — Tony Robbins

When we think about productivity, I think most of the time we are thinking about input numbers plus work equals output numbers. What we put in which creates what we put out.

Is it really about measuring our efficiency of creation of goods and services?

I’m convinced we need to focus on productivity as a means to a much more powerful end. It isn’t about how much or how efficient we are at creating or producing. My experience and feedback from others are telling me something different.

It is more about margin. Not the numbers.

Why The Key to Productivity is Margin

“Productivity is simply creating efficiency to provide more margin.”

I am sure someone will want to take me to the cleaners over the previous statement. What I am finding is how much my margin time is changing my work time. If I am successful at home, I become more successful at work.

I think it is very important to create a “value of investing in your own margin” as Michael Hyatt would say. If we value our time away from work, we will understand how important our productivity is to us at work.

If the ultimate goal of productivity was to make more and do it more efficiently there is no ‘why’ to doing it. Why would we want to make more and do it more efficiently?

Make more money? Sure, but if can’t enjoy it away from work, what is the point?

Climb the corporate ladder? Maybe, but when we do this, we find it is very lonely at the top.

Prepare ourselves for retirement? I guess, but what will be left of the rest of our lives by the time we reach retirement?

No, productivity isn’t about more and efficiency. At least not for most of us. It is about what happens away from work. And when we think about our lives outside of work, it can push us to figure out ways to be more productive at work.

How do we become more Productive?

Over the last few months, I have been writing these posts on productivity. They range in very practical tools like automating your email, scheduling tasks, and reducing your task list. To understanding different concepts like the 80/20 Rule, how motivation and inspiration can help you, and creating routines make you more productive.

The link above is where this all began, it was the first post of my search for productivity. Maybe that post will light a fire in you about your work and why you want to be more productive.

What can you do today?

My one practical tip for today is to take a look at your current work life. Is it much like mine was? Stressful, exhausting, and hopeless or is it something else? Take a quick inventory or your work life.

And in the responses below, share one area you wish you were more efficient or productive.