Being busy and being productive are two completely different things; yet we live in a society that values “busyness” more than “business”. I'm sure that sounds like an obvious statement to some of you, but as you read through the next few paragraphs you'll find out why things are not always as obvious as they seem.
For example, did you know that professional goalkeepers have the best chance of defending against penalty kicks if they stay at the center of the goal posts without diving when the striker goes to kick the ball? A study published by the New York Times in 12th December 2008 shows that goalkeepers can easily stop the ball if they remain calm before the ball is kicked (with 33% likelihood of getting the ball).
However, 94% of goalkeepers normally choose to dive in advance although there is less likelihood of catching the ball in doing that (actually there's only 12.5% likelihood of getting the ball when you dive for it).
But why do the goalies prefer to dive anyway? Well, clearly it looks and feels better to dive and miss the ball than to stand calmly and watch the ball fly into the goal.
That is exactly what the society has taught us – that it is wrong to look idle and it is much better to look busy even when whatever we are doing is not necessarily productive.
When it comes to our lives however, your true worth is not measured by the effort you put into a task but by the quality of the results you deliver.
So are you engaging in "busyness" or "business"? Check out the following comparison and tell us what you think about yourself (as an entrepreneur, student, father, mother, son or daughter) via the comments section.
(1)How You Allocate Your Priorities
Busy people have a long list of priorities. They start the day early; with lots of energy; hoping to accomplish all priorities. But because the human mind is naturally less effectively when it is forced to multi-task, these people normally end up more tired and more frustrated by the time the day comes to an end.
If you ask them to point out any one concrete thing that they have accomplished during their so-called busy day, they really can't come up with any.
Productive people on the other hand only have a few priorities. They focus on those until they are perfectly done and delivered in good time. At the end of the day, they still have lot's of energy and zeal to keep going and even to plan for the next day.
Tip
If you have more than 15 priorities per day – then you don’t have priorities, you have a mess! Choose a maximum of 5 priorities per day, sit down and give them your best while taking short breaks in between tasks.
(2)How You Prepare For Action
Busy people quickly jump into action. And because, they want to like they are working very hard, they loathe the idea of sitting pretty and planning or researching to gain clarity of the task ahead. Productive people on the other hand don’t jump into action.
They spend some “idle time” as they first seek clarifications on matters of importance thereby minimizing chances of making an error at the action stage.
Tip
Your brain needs some time to prepare for the task(s) ahead. If you want to be more productive, it is advisable to spend some time to understand the nitty-gritty of the task at hand and the expectations around its completion.
(3)How You Talk
While busy people spend most of their time talking about how busy they are, productive people let their results do the talking. Productive people do not talk about their next project – they are 100% focused working on it right now!
Tip
Enough said – get busy working or get busy talking.
(4)How You Manage Others
Busy people measure productivity by counting the number of hours one has been at work. Productive people on the other hand focus on results. They know it is possible to spend the whole day at work and deliver nothing; and that it is also possible to only work for half a day and deliver the results that would take 7 "busy" men 7 days to match up to.
Tip
Remember what matters is not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog.
Bottom Line
As an entrepreneur or company manager, you can easily tell if you're the busy type if you tend to get frustrated when you see some of your workers looking relaxed or like they are enjoying some free time during work hours. A productive manager on the other hand is one who loves seeing others enjoy their work – thereby creating an environment of excellence and maximum productivity.
Busy people are a frustrated lot. They spend most of their life hoping that someone will value them for their effort – unfortunately, in today’s world, you’re only measured by the kind of results you deliver.
So, are you a “busyness-man” or a “businessman”? Use the comment box below to share your good thoughts with the world.
Image Credits: WattPad
