The Difference Between Being Busy vs. Being Productive

Focus on being productive instead of busy - Tim Ferriss

1. Know the difference between urgent and important

  • Don't jump at every assignment you get
  • Not all urgent work is important so ask your supervisor to prioritize the work

2. Cut your daily To-Do List in half

  • Over-scheduling your day means more stress with less quality work done
  • Prioritize your daily to do list starting with the most important work
  • Find your best time of the day: are you a night or a morning person? Based on that, plan your schedule around your productivity spikes

3. Schedule 2-hour working sessions during your day

  • Research shows that productivity drops after about 2 hours of work
  • Schedule intervals of time when you can focus on a specific project with actionable to-do milestones you need to accomplish.
  • You will get more work done if you schedule short breaks to recharge.

4. Multitasking is not always productive

  • Multitasking can make you lose focus
  • Productive people focus on one task at a time

Productivity = Impact, not more work