Have you ever had one of those workdays (or maybe one of those work weeks) where you simply cannot focus on the task at hand? You re-read the same paragraph three times but can’t remember what it’s about. You sit at your computer for an hour and only get five sentences typed out. You zone out in your morning meeting so many times your coworkers ask if you’re ill. For whatever reason, your mind just keeps wandering, and your productivity levels are laughable.
You want—and need—to get more work done, so you try to buckle down and work longer hours, putting even more energy and effort into what needs to be done. But instead of becoming more productive, you just plateau, or even become less productive. Why is this?
Author Stewart J. Friedman believes he may have the answer. In a recent article for Harvard Business Review, Friedman posed this question: “What if the secret to performing better at work, and feeling more satisfied, isn’t to put more effort and energy into work but less?”
If your first thought after reading that was, “that’s ridiculous,” you’re not alone. It seems completely counterintuitive to put less effort into something you want to improve. But Friedman went on to say, “My research has shown just that: By focusing more on the areas of life you care most about, even if those aren’t work, you’ll perform better at your job.”
After reading Friedman’s article in its entirety and reflecting on scenarios in my own life, I had to admit that he might be on to something. To really simplify the concept, think of it in term of priorities. As the old saying goes, too often the “urgent” wins over the “important.” If that’s happening in your life—if the things you value the most are not receiving a corresponding amount of focus and attention—your passion, commitment, and productivity can suffer in all areas.
I think for many people, work leans more toward the category of “urgent” than “important.” Work is something they must do to pay the bills, but if it weren’t a matter of money, many people would spend more time focusing on what they really value as important, such as their family, community, and personal health.
As Friedman argues—and supports with research—it makes sense to re-balance your priorities, giving more focus to those areas you care about most, in order to improve your performance at work and across the board. He lists several benefits and reasons why this strategy works:
- “Clearer focus on results that really matter to the people around you.
- Less wasted effort on activities that aren’t that important.
- Reduced psychological interference across domains as a result of being less distracted, because you’re taking care of critical needs in those other parts.
- A virtuous cycle of benefits from one part of your life spilling over to other parts; for example, greater confidence, less crankiness, and a stronger sense of control.”
I know from personal experience that at least two or three of those reasons are absolutely true. For example, I put a high priority on my health, and particularly on daily exercise. But sometimes other “urgent” priorities pop up and get in the way of my exercise routine. When that happens, it isn’t long before I notice a negative impact on whatever I’m doing.
But if I set aside that “urgent” task for a couple hours and go to the gym, it is amazing the immediate and dramatic difference in my performance and overall satisfaction once I return to that task! By simply allowing myself to focus on what is more important to me, I significantly boost my productivity and sense of fulfillment (not to mention enjoying the other health benefits associated with exercise).
If that’s true for me in that one area, why not true for you in the areas you value most? Read Friedman’s article. Experiment with the things he suggests, and enjoy the results!
