17. Focus on Being Productive, not Busy

What is the difference between being busy and being productive?

Being productive means you are getting quality work done that helps you get closer to reaching goals or finishing important tasks.

Being busy, on the other hand, means not allowing yourself a lot of free time because you are constantly trying to work on too many things, whether they are productive or not.

Many people who are busy and always feel busy often lack the skill of productivity and the thought process behind it. They do not use any of the many productivity tools and techniques to help them stay better focused, or outsource tasks.

Tools such as Cold Turkey, for example, that will block any social media platforms for a certain amount of time. Or techniques such as the Pomodoro Technique where you set a timer for 25 minutes and solely focus during that time on one single task.

Or platforms such as Upwork or Fiverr where you can outsource tasks that someone else can do better than you. All this so that you can dedicate your time on the tasks you are good at.

There is a lot more to the skill of productivity than most people realize. I get tons and tons of work done every day because anything I do, I do efficiently. And that’s because I’ve gotten good at being productive, not just busy.

I work on the most crucial tasks that will move me forward the most towards my goals, using tools and techniques to help optimize my focus. And I outsource many tasks by working with multiple freelancers.

That is what productivity is about: to use your time smartly and effectively.

If there is any skill I would encourage you to get better at and one that will have a dramatic impact on your career and even your personal life, it would be productivity, so do learn more about it.

In fact, I have created a course on productivity, which I invite you to check out if you are looking to be more productive instead of merely busy.

I gladly offer you a massive discount in appreciation for reading this article and for being a person interested in growth.