We have all stepped into 2017! It’s January and a lot of us want to be more productive this year. There are so many frameworks, methods, and tools you can use when it comes to productivity. Let me share with you 4 P’s that cut across any of your preference.
Organizational sustainability is one of my passions, and productivity fits right in. How can an organization be sustainable if its members are not productive? I’ve gone through various trainings that have helped me be productive in my work (ministry or outside), two of my favorites being Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and an expound on Habit 3 (Time Management).
I want to start sharing with you what I have learned throughout the years. I’ve shared these with my colleagues in the beginning of 2016, and I’m hoping that it helps you as much as they say it helped them.
Here are the 4 P’s of productivity that you can apply regardless of the framework, method, or tool that you are using. I’ll be diving into each of these 4 P’s on separate posts:
1. Purpose
You have to know why you’re doing what you’re doing. It’s impossible to be (consistently and sustainably) productive without a purpose to hold on to. It’s normal to wake up each morning and drag yourself to work, but when you know your purpose, you’re going to go anyway, and you’re going to give it your 100%.
Purpose dictates priority. Whether it’s a project, an event, a speaking engagement, or life itself, when you know your purpose, your priorities will be clear.
Read more about Purpose here.
2. Prayer
This actually bleeds into every step of the way, and I believe you can only get a strong sense of purpose through prayer. You have to set aside a time to pray every day, and it is in those times when you get a clear sense of direction for the day, for your season, and maybe even for your life.
I’m also talking about praying while on the run, while doing your job. How many times have I forgotten to do a lot of crucial things if not for those moments I take a quick pause to ask God if I forgot anything and Him reminding me! There were also so many times when there was so much to do in so little time, but after I have quickly paused and prayed, priorities became clear and things got done.
Read more about Prayer here.
3. Planning
The more time you spend planning, the less time you spend executing. Execution is another thing and that takes time, too, but the less time you spend planning, the more the likelihood of rework, firefighting, spending beyond your budget… and all these take so much more time and energy than you have to.
I’ll share with you some practical tips on using planners, both for handwritten and digital ones.
Read my first tip on Planning here.
4. Persistence
The dictionary defines persistence as the “firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.” You’re not going to feel enthusiastic about planning or using that planner every day. There will be days you just won’t feel like it and just want to go with the day’s flow until you clock out of work. But in spite of this, we have to be firm in applying purpose, prayer, and planning daily (the last one on workdays) for optimum productivity in the workplace.
I still can’t get over our recent trip. It’s part of what I’m so grateful for in 2016. It’s just such a blessing, and one that came in perfect timing since I’m not sure when I can actually travel like that again knowing I’ll give birth in two months’ time. Two months! It feels like it was just a week ago since I learned that I was pregnant (and farther into pregnancy than I thought)! By the way, if you’re pregnant or know someone who is, you may want to check this out.
