Be Productive

Our lives are like a puzzle that’s made up of pieces or nuggets that come from our past. Some of those nuggets have resentment in them and others have likeable moments. Whatever the case, it’s easy to get mixed up and live unproductive  lives wishing it would all come together and get along. Leo Rosten said it this way, "The purpose of life is not to be happy - but to (really) matter, to be productive, to be useful, to make a difference because you have lived." In short, our lives should be producing something that's bigger than us that will benefit others after we are gone.

3 Points to Productivity

1.    Uncover – Often we are unable to see the total impact of our unproductive habits on the day-to-day grind. To uncover them we might need solitude, somewhere away from the normal routine.  It might not be going away to a “no man’s land”, but possibly a mental detachment from the ordinary flow.

Uncover by analyzing what you think and do. Make a list of everything that you are involved in. Be critical about what you uncover, by asking yourself, on every point, what is promoting my goals and what is not? Allow your findings to motivate you to develop productive habits to replace the unproductive ones.

2.    Drop – Our unproductive habits come from our enjoyment of the short term benefits. To really drop an unproductive habit we must be fully ready both mentally and emotionally. The more invested and committed we are the more apt we are to stay on course.

Find new emotional connections (habits) that build good feelings and productivity. Allow these new habits to replace the old unproductive habits. Make a full commitment to DROP the old, then start on the action steps to implement the new. When I personally deal with dropping old habits, I’ve noticed that I can't rest from doing the new habit. If I stop, I lose what I've picked up. I fight daily to remain on top. After years of being on top I noticed that issue had subsided some but still a very viable temptation that’s on the look out to make me unproductive. Be on guard!

3.    Support – We can’t be productive by ourselves. We need support and accountability to continue having positive outcomes. Our support should give guidance and encouragement over obstacles and challenges.

Learn who has your best interest in mind and who will be able to be honest with your progress and challenges. Keep them close. Your association is who you will start to assimilate. Associate around productivity!

Summary – Uncover your actions, drop the ones that are weighing you down, and get the support to continue to make what you do productive. Guide your thoughts because they become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your destiny, which in turn becomes your reality. Think productive! Be productive!

---