How to party! Oh wait… no they know how to get stuff done and get it done right! Whether they are actually doing the actual work themselves is another point. Productivity is all about getting stuff done in the most efficient and timely manner possible without negatively impacting the overall system.
What is the system and why does it matter? The system is you, your family, your job, your sanity, your environment, the world, and the future ahead of us. When you choose to use your most precious resources (time, money, care, etc) to get important stuff done, then you’re providing unbelievable value and the world will eventually come to appreciate it.
In this article, a gracious reader and champion for life-change was kind enough to do a little question and answer interview survey with me. I don’t claim to be the best interviewer in the world, but I do promise some good, raw, and honest answers from normal people like you and me. I do my best to NOT filter these answers, except for the bad words and hateful speech (which of course doesn’t happen often).
With that little blurb out of the way, let’s dive right into the content!
Today’s Topic: Productivity in Life
‘R’ = Richard N. Stephenson (me!)
‘I’ = Interviewee (anonymous by request unless otherwise noted)
[This interview is inspired and fueled by research done for my book: Quick Content Formula.]
R: Describe what productivity means to you.
I: Productivity means to make something happen that would not have happened without input for me. Productivity can means simply accomplishing a goal such as crafting an items from start to finish. Although productivity is mostly read in regards to manufacturers making new and innovative equipment, on a personal level the term can mean simply making a garment from a pattern, for an example.
R: Describe how productivity would be useful to people looking to change their lives/careers.
I: If a person is productive and can prove that they were productive in a previous job, they are more likely to be able to put that drive towards a new career. Productivity leads to motivation and aspiration to do better and potential employers are looking for that. Furthermore, employers are looking for people that will be able to finish a job in a timely manner. Deadlines are extremely important to meet and if you are not productive it would be difficult to get a foot in the door with a new job.
R: Give an example of productivity being used that has inspired you (from either internet/mainstream media examples or personal examples).
I: Productivity in the gym is where I reap the most inspiration from. When I am productive during a workout, and I see the results, it only inspires me more to continue going, working on my image, and in turn also boosting my confidence. Seeing others also working hard in the gym (conversely, seeing those who do not try at all in the gym) gives me motivation to be like them (or in the case of those who don’t work hard, try NOT to be like them). It is true that the mainstream media has put a skewed image of what an ‘ideal’ healthy body should look like, but I am proud to work my way towards achieving what most people attribute to be healthy or even sexy.
R: How do you think a better understanding of productivity would help other people in their personal or professional life?
I: If people understood that productivity doesn’t always have to do with quantity, then they can understand the value of their time and how what they do affects other people. If someone spends a lot of time working on just one little thing, they might feel like they are being productive, but at the end of the day, there are 5 or 6 other things they COULD have done that would have been more valuable.
R: Give an example of how productivity has helped you professionally or personally.
I: Productivity has helped me professionally because I am an online writer. I have added a myriad of website to my writing experience which has increased my online revenue. Personally, the platform of getting ideas on line has been a major stress reliever and to get paid for the production has been gratifying.
R: Describe at least one way you think productivity could cause trouble or hurt someone in their personal or professional life.
I: A lack of productivity is detrimental to your professional life. If your superiors see your productivity is lack luster, it’s practically game over. You’re either getting written up and told to improve immediately, or you’re being let go from your current job. In personal life, a lack of productivity isn’t good either. You let yourself get behind on your daily household chores, and before you know it they’re severely piled up and you have an entire list of things that needs to be done. So you either take a day that could have been used for something else to complete that list, or let it grow in size. I don’t feel like their is a problem with being too productive in both personal or professional life. The more productive you are, the better.
R: Give an example of how productivity has hurt you or caused you trouble in the past.
I: Productivity has caused me trouble in the past because I have produced an abundant of article on relationships. The Wall Street Journal wrote that these articles were not factual and the writing site closed my account. Even though I had millions of readers, the writing site staff must have read that WSJ article and classified the articles as substandard even with millions of readers enjoying the content.
R: How do you think productivity could help you in a professional setting? Why is that?
I: Productivity is definitely something that bosses take into consideration whenever they look at the work that their employees are doing. They want to make sure that you are providing a lot of high quality work in a short amount of time so that they can benefit the company. For this reason, things like raises, promotions and other incentives are usually, at least partially, based upon a person’s productivity.
R: Give an example of how productivity could be useful at work. Why do you think this?
I: Productivity means putting forth a great deal of work in a short amount of time. Many manufacturing businesses find this especially important because the more they are able to create, the more they are able to sell and thus the more money they are able to make. Of course, high quality is equally as important because you can be very productive but if you don’t have a high quality product people are going to buy from someone else.
R: How do you think productivity could help you at home? Why is that?
I: You spend less time traveling. You will spend less on gas and toll money or even child care services. This will free up your mind from worrying about money or paying for those items. When you work from home you are more likely to worker harder and longer because you feel more relaxed and there are less disruptions unless you have children at home.
R: Give an example of how productivity could be useful at home or in family life. Why do you think this?
I: If a person is quite productive when it comes to taking care of the daily tasks of living (such as doing chores, keeping up on home improvement, etc.), it helps them in a number of ways. For one, feeling that you’re being productive and useful tends to bring a feeling of well-being and happiness to a person. In addition, if you’re more productive at home rather than leaving projects until the last minute, you’ll have more time for your family and the things that are important to you. Productivity in the home leads to an overall more positive home life for all involved.
R: How do you think productivity could help you in a personal relationship? Why is that?
I: Productivity could help in a personal relationship because of idea of getting accomplishments heightens one self esteem. Personal relationship is more than relating to another person, it is getting things accomplished such as building a family unit or even just going on a vacation. Productivity is all about getting things accomplished that the two people in the relationship would like to have done that would benefit the both of them.
R: Give an example of how productivity could be useful in a personal relationship. Why do you think this?
I: You should always be developing and forwarding your personal relationships. As we grow older in age, our relationships should also grow with us. What I mean by this is that we are never the same person we were yesterday, thus we cannot simply keep our relationships the same as the day before because we are changing everyday. Although the changes in us may not always be drastic (actually they are only very subtle when compared on a day to day basis) but we must always be open to change, and the best way to do that is to be productive with how we manage our relationships. We must take charge and make sure that our feelings our not ambiguous, so that we don’t waste time in the future trying to fix something that could have been avoided earlier (such as your significant other letting you know that they don’t want kids, but you do etc.), being proactive and productive will save you a lot of time and even emotional damage.
R: Describe at least one thing you would like to learn more about productivity.
I: I would like to learn how to relate productivity with time management. Time management is just as important as productivity because the latter increases if one’s time is managed. Research needs to get performed about the relationship between productivity and time management with the notion that one off sets the other.
R: Give your number one piece of advice for someone looking to learn more about productivity.
I: If you don’t know where to start – start with what is right in front of you. That way something is getting done. Every day you should try to be at least a little closer to your goal. Every little bit counts and makes you feel better. The better you feel the more motivated (and productive) you are.
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That’s it for now! I hope you enjoyed this interview conversation and found at least one useful bit of information you can immediately begin to apply in your life.
Also, if you’d like to figure out how to make a lot of great content for your own blog, website, school work, or email newsletters, then you might enjoy the Quick Content Formula. This is my own personal (and favorite!) method of creating highly engaging, fun, and useful information at a very quick pace. It’s a great way to beat that blinking cursor and write more awesome stuff. Click here to check it out.
Please share your thoughts, experiences, or your own interview answers and let’s share some real life wisdom, okay?