Procrastination and Productivity
The reality is that a thin line is what separates the delay in the finishing of a work assignment, or even the fulfillment of a life dream, and the design and the execution of systematic strategies, using efficient tools, cherishing every second and with the aim of generating fructiferous results.
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On the other hand, the information and communication the technologies (ICT), which includes the Internet, the cellphones, PC’s and laptops, are, like many things in life, tools that require an ethic and measurable balance. The leisure can opaque the professional advantages of the virtual world.
Quarterbacking our lives
Above all, the ICTs have been transforming every aspect of human life.
But specifically for our topic, we can affirm that the technology has been improving the way people individually organize their lives thanks to the diffusion of free virtual pieces of knowledge of different eras through the net and the access to mobile apps and other useful communication platforms.
Indeed, some basic yet effective techniques, such as writing a daily planning provided by Ben Franklin, the ‘5-minute start rule’ created by the Instagram’s CEO, Kevin Stroom, and other methods —like the app Planner Pro or Schedule Planner, for example— are accessible to most of the Android and iOS users so they can control and upgrade their daily objectives.
A common issue
Eventually, the procrastination has affected even to the most influential and successful and busiest personalities of the world history. Fortunately, some of them left some public hints to dodge the obstacle.
One of the most famous planning advice was given by the polyvalent man that was the first American diplomat. Also, was a former member of the Committee of the Five of the EEUU; designed the lightning rod and other transcendental inventions listed on the article Top 10 Benjamin Franklin Accomplishments, by the website www.topinspired.com.
“For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.” ― Benjamin Franklin.
To start with, according to the founder of the University of Pennsylvania, the writing of a daily routine —in the morning preferably— could be helpful in the depurative process of the superfluous parts, as to prioritize the most urgent ones. Visualizing the to-do things can be more practical and proximal than just applying the mind.
The individuals, by applying this method, can memorize their routines, focus on particular quotidian tasks or weekly goals, and decrease the context influence on the life decisions. The energy rationalization is important for achieving productivity.
Not to mention that you can also download apps like Organization and Management by PERC Learning Portal; Evernote by Evernote Corporation; and Mindly (mind mapping) by dripgrind, to support your organization process.
Secondly, Kevin Systrom, the Instagram’s CEO uses another anti-procrastination method: the 5-minute ‘life-hack‘, according to the news website Axios.
“If you don’t want to do something, make a deal with yourself to do at least five minutes of it. After five minutes, you’ll end up doing the whole thing.”
-Kevin Systrom, Instagram’s CEO.
The loss of productivity, above all, is caused by an inadequate focus on a task. Ask yourself about what really inspires you, but also what can you do to help your context —family, workplace, even your sentimental relationship—. In other words, you must discipline your mind and deliver yourself into a unique and inspirational plan that can satisfy social desires or needs. But that can also provide you the economical, spiritual or social recompenses that you aspire.
Set an everyday routine and make a deal with yourself 5 minutes of at least two tasks. May seem too little, but the idea, according to Systrom, is to push yourself to start your obligations. The main intention is to see how it goes with just a few assignments the first days. The second week, add one more.
To put it briefly: think about the powerlifters, they follow specific programs to progressively overload their bodies with more weights, sets, and reps, with the only condition that the lift must be performed with good form. The routines, according to Stronglifts 5×5 or Starting Strength, consist of 5 main lifts. With these exercises, the athletes can move more weight because of the compound nature of the lifts —involves more muscles—.
In an analog way, your mental system has to get used, in the first place, to the “main lifts” (your more important obligations). Then, to work consistently and progressively with higher weights —in this case, more tasks—. And last but not least, always keeping in mind to maintain a good form, (in this topic, a “good form” will be the synonym for the quality of the job done). You will not add more tasks to your daily routine if you fail a test, for example.
Productive Brands
By the same token, an optimal productivity is a crucial concept to obtain an exemplary sales administration. But to encourage “the quality, state, or fact of being able to generate, create, enhance, or bring forth goods and services” (definition by www.dictionary.com), the managers must know a few principles.
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According to the psychologist Victor H. Vroom, there are three factors that can determine the individual motivation to produce:
- The individual expectations and goals (such as the remuneration, social acceptance, etc).
- The association perceived between the high productivity and the consecution of goals. What the person earns for its effort.
- The perspective of its impact on the company; the connection between expectations and recompense.
Consequently, the companies must be clear with their internal audiences about the individual contribution of every worker. Even the smallest parts of an organization deserve a decent work placement, proportional incentives to work harder, payment and good treatment. The transparency and humanization of the company is something that the social networks have given to the CEOs, and have helped to adhere the organogram.
An active dialogue extends the opportunities for building the engagement between parts, an advantage that every company should have in a competitive, globalized and unpredictable market. So back up your operation and start your virtual positioning; be right there for your stakeholders since day 1.
Productive Companies
The wealthiest companies —productive— companies have strong cultures.
The primary stages of a company habitually are centered on creating the corporate identity. This includes a solid an unique culture constituted by a few but strong ethical principles (core purpose and values), as for “ambitious yet measurable goals” that can motivate every member of the company, according to the marketing specialists James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras on Building Your Company’s Vision.
The productivity, many times, depends on how cohesive and comfortable feel every piece that constitutes the organization.
As a final point, the Internet has shortened the route for corporate planning, a key factor on the productivity success, which involves:
- The identification of a target audience; the selection of the communicational goals and the design of a powerful message for the stakeholders.
- Also, the determination of the different virtual applications for informational diffusion that will be used and the obtainment of feedback.
One of the professional advantages of the social networks is that has turned into a demographic investigation tool, technically and economically affordable, with massive range and less invasive. Also, the companies don’t depend anymore on intermediaries for building their reputations, thanks to these virtual methods.
