Think about how often you’ve asked someone, “How are things?”, “How have you been?” and their reply is “busy mate, heaps going on” OR “Not a lot, just busy with work”.
Given that in any business there’s usually a long list of things to do, and that life generally has become an endless stream of activities and commitments, it’s unsurprising that people feel BUSY.
It’s difficult to think poorly of someone who proclaims themselves ‘busy’, after all busy people can’t be lazy can they?
Well I’m going to put my neck out here and make a bold statement that I’m sure many will take exception to…
Busyness is a form of Laziness!
There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that busyness and productivity have little correlation. In fact it seems to be that the least ‘busy’ are the most productive.
How can this be?
It literally hurts peoples brains to think deeply, clarify and simplify. I’ve witnessed it over and over again in workshops, coaching and trainings I’ve run with hundreds of business owners – our brains get tired quickly doing this type of work so we tend to avoid it.
Being busy is cognitively less difficult than planning, prioritising, brainstorming, or evaluating, all of which are all required to optimise productivity and therefore results.
Quite often, busy people are usually so busy clambering to get ahead that they don’t even “check the ladder is against the right wall”.
If you’re not taking time to sharpen the saw and find a better way of achieving your goals, then you’re being lazy!
Putting in long hours and plenty of work to meet your commitments and continuing to do things how they’ve always been done is being lazy!
Instead of continuing to bludgeon away using sheer volume of hours to accomplish results, instead do a little heavy lifting with your brain to find a better way, or create a system that you can automate or delegate. Work hard once, not over and over.
If you want to be more productive rather than just ‘busy’, here’s 4 ways to boost your productivity:
- Think hard less often and then follow the plan. Instead of doing lots of superficial thinking often, set time aside to think deeply at intervals. My clients get together 3 times a year and spend a full day planning the next 3-4 months, so that they can then focus on implementing robust plans and strategies the rest of the time.
- Control your agenda. Structure your calendar and diary to ensure focus on your key activity drivers and don’t allow any trespass on this time. This will keep you pro-active rather than reactive.
- Use a planning system like the Freedom Planner that keeps you on task with what’s important and not a slave to what’s urgent.
- Ensure your team knows the plan and that you clarify frequently, including focusing on KPI’s that drive results.
Be Productive not Busy!
————–
I help owners of service businesses structure their businesses to grow seven figure profits, working 30 hours or less a week, 40 weeks a year.
If you’re making 6 figure profits (or low 7) and want to grow to seven figures but are already working more hours than you care, I’ll show you how to use a Freedom Framework to grow your bottom line and achieve more whilst working less.
By using the right structure and playing to your own individual strengths, you can design your business to operate and grow, without trapping yourself in the process.
More Growth, More Freedom, Better Business!
Follow me at https://www.facebook.com/betterbusinessfreedom