Productivity isn't just a goal - it's essential for business success.

Who doesn't want to be more productive, right?

You already understand the payoff: Progress, prosperity, pleasure, and peace of mind, just to name a few.

But there's more.

Being productive can boost your mood, energize your day, and even help you sleep better at night. Getting things done and making great progress is a soft pillow.

So, what holds us back? Why isn't every day a win?

Let’s explore the biggest barriers to productivity and uncover two powerful solutions to help you consistently achieve what matters most.

Barriers to Productivity

Here are four things that bog me down the most. Perhaps you can relate…

1. Having too much to do. In his best selling book: Procrastinate on Purpose, author Rory Vaden calls this ‘Priority Dilution’, and it is a real productivity killer!

2. Confusion: Being uncertain or uncommitted on where to start. Often, this is caused by having too much to do (see #1 above), failing to plan, not wanting to make a mistake, or not wanting to waste time doing the wrong thing. Instead, I waste time doing something else… (which is the wrong thing)

3. Lacking resources or ability. Dozens of examples here, but waiting for information or a call from someone whose input is needed. Not knowing how to work an app, or having to use an app that’s not working. Does this happen to anyone but me???

4. Distraction and interruptions. If we could burn distractions and interruptions in our cars we wouldn’t need electricity or fossil fuel. Like flies at a picnic, these two can ruin our day. The funny part is that most of the distractions we face today are self-inflicted. We’ve created, subscribed, and then given them open access to our time and money. Think smart phones, wireless accounts - (So we can be interrupted anywhere), Slack and endless social media apps.

It gets worse

• Being neck-deep in a sea of ‘too much to do’ is overwhelming.

• Uncertainty and confusion on where to start is exhausting. Every task starts to look bigger than it really is - which leads to a sense of futility.

• Not having what you need to achieve what you want is the definition of frustration.

• And distractions can stack-up like a traffic jamb to halt your progress altogether.

Here is the reality.

There are very few natural forces, if any, that drive productivity. Yet there are many, if not unlimited forces that naturally hinder, or even prevent it.

With all of that headwind, how can we reliably achieve our best intentions?

Here are two solutions:

Two of the best solutions I’ve ever come across are quite simple.

Not always easy to do, but simple and easy to remember. And, the more you do them, the easier they become.

Solution 1

The first is most often attributed to Warren Buffet. A fairly successful fellow who has been quite productive in his lifetime. Here is his simple 2-step formula:

1. "Make a list of the most important things you need or want to accomplish.

2. Tear off the top three, and throw the rest of the list away!"

We call these “The Big 3”. Today, this week, this month, and even this year.

While this sounds amusing and perhaps extreme, try it…

The reason it works is that you are eliminating all but your top three priorities.

By narrowing your focus you remove the distraction of a huge list that leads to overwhelm. Which means you are far more likely to move the chains on what matters most.

While doing this is a virtuous habit, another habit that is extremely helpful is to set some sort of hourly reminder or alarm. A chirp on your watch or a buzz from your cell phone.

When you receive it, check if what you are doing at that moment is making progress on one of your big three.

Until you build the skills to remain focused on your Big 3, this can act as sort of an autopilot, enabling you to get back on track every hour and not let the day get away being blown off-course or chasing squirrels.

If you are more easily distracted, or work in a more distracting environment, try setting your reminders more often, (or invest in a shock collar).

Solution 2

The second solution comes from another successful business leader, Gary Keller, Co-founder of Keller Williams Realty. He takes Warren’s advice two steps further…

In his quest for progress and productivity, Keller found that the best approach was to figure out “The ONE Thing” that, when accomplished, would make everything else easier or unnecessary.

In his book on the subject, (which I consider a must read), he offers a progression of thoughtful questions that identify what The ONE Thing is for each of us. Today, this week, this month, this year, or this decade. Professionally or personally.

While “Knowing is not Doing”, knowing your ONE Thing is extremely compelling. You cannot steer toward your top priority for the day, or your life, if you haven’t identified it.

Summary

It comes down to Priority, Systems & Habit.

1. Knowing or deciding, in advance, what’s first, second, and third.

2. Adopting an approach and creating systems that reduce distraction and enable focus.

3. Then follow them steadfastly.

These three steps are the shortest path to what matters most.

Action Item - Your Challenge

Take one day (today if you are reading this early; tomorrow if you’re not), and use one of these two approaches to make substantial progress, or complete the most important thing on your list.

See how you feel.

Once you have achieved that, strive to do it again - say, 3 times in the next week.

Need some motivation? What would your life be like if you had accomplished your top priority just 3x per week, each week for the past year - or even the past month?

If you're down with this challenge, email or DM me directly: “I’m in!” and I will send you a helpful tip and some encouragement each day for a week to help you with Priority, and Systems to build a Habit of being productive…

Accomplishing what matters most.

Let’s DO this!

Tim Rhode is the author of the best selling book and coaching program: Changing Lanes for Business, helping business leaders and teams with a simple approach to solve problems, make rapid progress, and achieve their biggest goals.

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