Are you productive or just busy?
Originally published on 17 August 2022
I love being busy. What I love more though is being productive. There is a difference. We all know those people who are constantly busy at work, but we hardly ever see the results of that busyness. Those busy people are often the people who also seem overwhelmed and stressed because their to-do lists are ever-growing and never-ending.
For most of this year, I thought I was being very productive. My days always seemed to be filled up and I had a very long to-do list. When my mentor asked me what I had been doing over the last few months, I fumbled with some answers back which made me realise that I had been very good at keeping myself busy but in all honesty, I was not very productive. As I mentioned in my last post, there were some blunt conversations. I am now trying to get back to my usual level of productivity. It is all about systems and working smart, not hard.
The difference between productivity and busyness
People who were always truly productive in their jobs became more productive at work during the pandemic when they became remote. Those who could no longer hide behind the façade of busyness in the office struggled and didn’t know what to do with themselves. Office spaces allowed for people to be busy but not always productive. I have been reflecting on this quite a bit and why some people are really struggling with the concept of remote or hybrid work. We all did it quite successfully for almost two years and yet there is resistance by some to this future way of working. It isn’t necessarily just the connection with colleagues and the office culture that they miss, it is that they confuse the concepts of being busy and being productive. It is the type of person who insists on setting up a meeting when it really could have been an email.
When we first went into lockdown, I was a bit lost as to what to do with myself all day. The office walls had kept me busy from 7:30 am - 5 pm every day and now I found that I was finishing the work I needed to get done for the week by 11 am on a Monday. I then felt I had to justify the rest of the hours of my workweek. I would keep busy by calling workmates or setting up unnecessary meetings.
Once I got used to the reality of being locked down, things changed. This newfound time without the office walls to keep me busy unleashed time to think creatively about some work projects that would never have gotten off the ground when I was stuck in the office. I got to work more collaboratively across various units. The five-hour-long meetings that I used to sit in on virtually once a week allowed me to be present and listen in, contribute when necessary, but still do laundry, ironing, or clean my kitchen. I also had time for myself. I replaced my morning drive to work with 15mins of reading and the drive back in traffic with some time painting or doing something around the house that I had put off doing for ages. I was now being productive in both my work and life.
Going back to the office disrupted my productivity. I felt like I had to look busy for half the day until I could go home and be productive. The minute I had the opportunity to change my contract to work from home, I did. It is why I have chosen to work for myself so that I can continue to work remotely.
Working smart, not hard
As I re-enter my work life again, I am trying to get back that level of productivity that I had under lockdown. I felt like superwoman back then. Granted I wasn’t running my own business and didn’t have Long Covid to contend with so things are slightly different, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t have the same level of productivity.
The reason I was able to be so productive during this lockdown time was that I developed systems.
Systems are about working smart, not hard. It is like your gym routine, running route, or yoga practice. In the beginning, it is hard. You find your body uses up more energy working it out. As you get the system going, you’re starting to work smart and not hard. You’re burning off less energy. You’re less busy. It takes you less time to finish that 5km or you can lift that 10kg dumbbell easier. So, you can start adding more things to your routine or start running a bit further.
It is the same with systems. Once you have them in place, you will be more productive and find you have more time to do things with your day. This could be work-related or just time for yourself. You will be less busy, overwhelmed, and stressed. Also, that to-do list will stop looking impossible.
A system you could use for increasing your productivity that seems to have had a surge in popularity lately (I’m seeing it all over the place at the moment) is the Pomodoro technique. Basically, it is selecting a task or tasks and working in four short bursts of time, with a short break in between each period and taking a longer break at the end. It helps you stay focused and track how long it takes you to complete a task. You can adjust the timings to work for you as long as you keep the basic principles. Like with all things, don’t put pressure on yourself if you slip up and don’t stick to it exactly. Some tasks might require that extra half hour or day. It’s a learning experience too.
Get busy being productive
If you’re finding that you’re constantly busy but not getting things done, then ask yourself if you need a system to be more productive. Block off that time in your calendar for focus time. Take that break between tasks to clear your head so you can focus again. Or keep separate to-do lists, one for the week as a whole and one that is manageable and specific for that day. Systems make life easier. You have to find what works for you though. So get busy testing out what does and doesn’t, and then start implementing.
Alex the Generalist
