What’s the difference between being busy and being productive?
What’s the difference between being busy and being productive?
In today’s fast paced world, we often equate being busy with being productive.
Being busy has become a symbol of productivity, success and even self worth.
But I want to put it out there, If you’re still wearing “busy” a badge of honour – is it possible that the hustle is actually holding you back?
Not to mention, you’re not actually getting that much done as you’ve been conditioned to equate being busy with being valuable, even more so in a high pressure environment or a role where always being “on” is normalised.
From a psychological standpoint, staying busy can serve as a distraction from dealing with uncomfortable thoughts or feelings.
If you slow down it can bring up doubts or anxieties, so you keep yourself occupied doing all of the things – it makes you feel safe.
Staying busy can give you a temporary sense of control over life’s uncertainties which can make you feel like you’re progressing even if you’re not focusing on what actually matters or will move the dial.
Whether you’re managing a team, advancing your career, or balancing multiple priorities, the difference between “busy” and “productive” can make or break your progress.
Here’s how to tell the difference and take action to move away from wearing busy as a badge of honour and shift toward actual productivity.
What’s the difference between being busy and being productive?
Busy people can find themselves getting caught up in the day to day to do lists without taking a moment to step back and lock at the big picture – they tend to be task-oriented.
Productive people spend the time to prioritise their tasks that move them towards their goals by making intentional decisions about what really matters and will actually move the dial.
TAKE ACTION: Take 10 minutes at the start of your day to audit your tasks. Choose 3 that align most with your goals, and drop the rest.
Signs that you’re focusing on “busy” work
CONSTANTLY CHECK YOUR EMAILS OR NOTIFICATIONS:
With every ping you find yourself jumping straight in to check the email or message, spending hours in your inbox or in a group chat without making any meaningful progress.
GETTING THE EASY TASKS DONE FIRST:
Focusing on low priority tasks as they are quick or easy instead of those tasks that require more focus but drive actual results – we’ve all been there!
FOCUSING ON MULTIPLE TASKS, INSTEAD OF A SINGLE FOCUS:
While it feels like multitasking supports you to get more done and be more efficient, it actually takes your attention away from finishing what you need to do which can result in wasting time and potential mistakes.
TAKE ACTION: Start your day by eating the frog. Choose a high impact task that you likely would procrastinate on and tackle it first thing in the morning.
When you do this everyday and make it into a habit you will see your productivity increase tenfold.
Productive people don’t leave their day to chance, they plan with purpose.
They structure their day to prioritise what aligns with their larger goals, creating a clear plan on how to approach their work instead of jumping from task to task.
Supported by creating systems and routines that support a high level of focus.
DAILY GOAL SETTING:
Set clear achievable goals each day, no one wants to get to the end of the day feeling like they haven’t achieved the things they set out to achieve.
TIME BLOCKING:
They minimise their distractions by having specific time slots for high impact activities versus filling it with busy work.
TAKE ACTION: Set a timer in the morning for 5 minutes to write down your top 3 goals for the day, allocate them to blocks in your calendar and track your results over the week.
Busy is often reactive, productive is proactive
Busy people find themselves reacting to external pressures, those last minute requests dropping in or emails; where productive individuals will proactively set their agenda.
This ensures that you prioritise what you actually need to accomplish rather than getting pulled into what others need from them and getting sidetracked.
TAKE ACTION: Protect your time, it’s a finite resource so use it for what matters most. You need to practise saying “no” when possible to any requests that don’t serve your goals.
Shift your mindset from “doing more” to “doing what matters”
It’s easy to feel like being truly productive is doing as much as possible when in reality it’s about doing what actually matters.
Focus on the high priority tasks that lead you to tangible results, rather than spreading your energy across low impact tasks which can lead you to burnout, trying to do all of the things.
TAKE ACTION: Identify your 2 top goals at the start of the week, remind yourself of these daily and let them guide your choices on what you work on and when.
When you get caught up in the busyness trap, it can leave you feeling exhausted but unfulfilled whereas when you are productive it will lead you to meaningful results and sustainable success.
Being able to distinguish between busy and productive will allow you to make intentional choices, take back control of your time, reduce stress and achieve more.
Implement one of the above strategies today and each small change will compound over time and will lead you to big results.
