Pro·duc·tiv·i·ty: the effectiveness of productive effort, especially in industry, as measured in terms of the rate of output per unit of input.

i.e. getting shit done.

Productivity can be your best friend or your worst enemy. When there's plenty of it in your life, you feel like a straight up boss who can handle anything. But when you're lacking it... it's the worst. It can have you feeling like you're putting in SO much work with no results to show for it.

Because here's the truth: busy does not equate to productive. BUSY DOES NOT EQUATE TO PRODUCTIVE (I had to say it louder for the people in the back). 

So don't be fooled by people who claim to always be busy working. Instead, focus on making sure YOUR investments of your time, money, and efforts are paying off with actual returns. We're aiming for actual productivity, not just wasted work. Here are 3 easy and practical ways to focus your efforts and increase your productivity:

1. Eliminate distractions. All of them.

This one is probably the hardest. I know that I hate working in complete silence, personally. I need some type of sound coming from somewhere. BUT that is the single, easiest way to get distracted. (Seriously, I just stopped in the middle of writing this and spent 10 mins watching a Youtube video - all because I didn't take my own advice). 

When you're ready to get to work, the first thing you should do is turn off the tv. Instead, select a podcast or motivational music to work to. Those are often a way to keep you alert without sidetracking your efforts (although, be careful with the podcasts; if those become too distracting, eliminate them too). 

Turn off the distractions and turn on your focus.

2. Pre-plan as much as possible

I find that planning before I get started on a task often helps me to execute it much quicker than if I went in blind and tried to start completely from scratch.

Case in point: whenever I write a blog post, I often draft up a rough outline in my notebook first. I try to come up with the title and the "talking points" at least. I also try to flesh out my bullet points as much as possible so when it's time to sit down and type, all I have to do is build upon what I've already started because I've already outlined my foundation.

3. Reduce the multi-tasking

I know this one seems counterproductive. When you multi-task it feels like you're getting so much done right? AND at the same time! Kudos to you! 

BUT what that method often leads to is a bunch of unfinished work that you're attempting to complete at the same time. Instead of multi-tasking, try focusing on one task at a time and seeing it through to completion. Then move on to the next task until you've gotten them all done in order of their ranking priority. 

The ability to multi-task is something I often pride myself on, but I do see a difference when I concentrate on tasks individually. The tasks not only get completed faster but the attention to detail is often greater. That's because efforts are trained on a singular job instead of being spread out over several I'm trying to achieve at the same time.