Last week, we discussed Michael Hyatt’s Top 10 Productivity Hacks. I hope you have already implemented a few of these strategies, if not all, into your daily routine. If you have, I am sure you have experienced greater productivity and are adding margin to your day.
I wanted to re-emphasize one of the main points Hyatt made in his article:
“To me, it’s not so much about more productivity; it’s about creating more margin for the things that are truly important.”
The major pitfall people encounter when increasing productivity is simply adding on more work to their day:
“I think there are some people who just want to be more productive so they can do more, but their workload never shrinks. They’re taking work home with them because they’re still trying to be productive.”
Don’t fall into this trap. I am constantly reminded of how precious time is as I watch two of my young colleagues and their families. To each of them work–life balance is essential. They each work hard to ensure they are able to spend time with their families and young children. Emily has a 2-year-old and a newborn, while Bethany has an 11-month-old. They are each regularly devoting time to what is important—which serves as an important reminder to me to do the same.
The time they have now with their young children is precious. They might not always realize it, but, as someone who has experienced parenthood, I know how quickly the time passes and how each moment quickly fades into the next.
Too often we can get priorities mixed up and miss out on what is truly important. Don’t fall prey to the “rat race” exclaiming the fastest and most devoted person gets the prize. Make sure the prize is worth winning before devoting time and energy to the race.
What are you running to? What is important in your life? What do you value most? Take some time to answer these questions. Once you know the answers, you will be able to align your time accordingly and truly experience success.
