Everyone wants to be productive – we read books, watch seminars and try to learn from our mistakes; it takes a lot.
But did you know that being productive is as much about what we don’t do, as it is about what we do? Here are six things productive people never do:
1. Do the same thing and expect different results
Productive people are adaptable and self-aware – they’re willing to try something new once they realise a particular course of action hasn’t worked.
So, whether it’s a job search, personal relationship, or a phobia you’re trying to rectify, don’t go back to something you know has been unproductive and expect different results.
2. Engage in activities that don’t celebrate the real you
Sometimes we find ourselves in situations that are entirely foreign to who we are – a telling sign is when we ask ourselves the question – “Why on earth am I doing this?”.
Productive people refrain from activities that don’t celebrate their individuality or requires them to be someone they’re not.
3. Changing other people
This saying rings true: “you can take a horse to the river, but you can’t force it to drink”. Bottom line: it is a futile effort to change people (especially those who don’t welcome change).
As soon as you understand this fact, you give them the freedom to be who they are (or want to become) and relieve yourself of the emotional and physical burden.
4. Pleasing other people
Successful individuals realise that to be triumphant, they will have to make unpopular decisions. They know that it is a waste of limited resources to try and please everyone.
5. Select short-term luxury over long-term goals
Successful people are big picture thinkers that understand the concept of delayed gratification. They push past instant comfort to attain future benefits.
6. Think they don’t need the help of others
Smart people understand that no man is an island (they can’t always be self-sufficient), as such, they sometimes need and seek out the assistance of others.
