Do more
5 Steps to Meaningful Productivity
Do more

5 Steps to Meaningful Productivity

Vision Goals Productivity

I choose to work on my dreams. Knowing what’s important and then working on it consistently is the ultimate fulfillment hack for me. This article is the framework of productivity – the system, which helps me to come up with and finish meaningful tasks.

  • define Vision to know why
  • set Goals to measure progress
  • execute Actions to learn
  • Adjust everything to establish system
  • learn how Emotions work to succeed

I choose to work on my dreams. Knowing what’s important and then working on it consistently is the ultimate fulfillment hack for me. This article is the framework of productivity – the system, which helps me to come up with and finish meaningful tasks.

  • define Vision to know why
  • set Goals to measure progress
  • execute Actions to learn
  • Adjust everything to establish system
  • learn how Emotions work to succeed

Vision

Vision is my most intimate imagination of the ideal me in the future. Me as a person who I want to grow into and my dream team around me. When imagining my Vision coming true, my body is shriveling in excitement, pride and empowerment. Vision is the pulling force acting as counterpart to a comfort seeking mind. I don’t need other motivation when I know I am working to become a dream-me, tapping into my potential.

  • I need a vision to know my “why”
  • doing anything without a clear intention led ultimately to my dissatisfaction
  • I need to know who I want to become – my desired identity
  • verbs > nouns, describe activities and habits I want to know myself for, rather than status (how I want my relationships, experiences, activities, feelings, accomplishments)
  • without purpose, every activity I undertake merely wastes my time and life; it becomes aimless busyness, taking shortcuts to the end

Productivity doesn’t mean getting more things done. Productivity is getting important things done consistently.

James Clear

Systems > Goals

  • goals are measurment tool and task provider
  • set goals on all timescales (day, week, month, …, deathbed)
  • if stuck, set one goal – for today
  • consistency stems from the quality of the systems, not the grandeur of goals
  • my system will emerge from taking action and adjusting accordingly

Action

  • once I know my why, the how becomes less relevant
  • taking action is the quickest way to learn what otherwise gets stuck in overthinking
  • action > clarity, action leads to clarity
  • the mind is the ultimate problem solver, given the right pressure, it will find a way
  • create a sense of urgency by self-imposed pressure: deadlines, scarcity and accountability partners
  • do the most important task first each day, start now
  • do not negotiate with the inner voice, it is programmed to make you survive, not to make you happy

Adjustment

  • adjust my vision, goals, behavior and environment based on what I learned from doing
  • adjustment is necessary, as I am not the same person I was yesterday
  • make sure I spend my time on the most relevant task every day
  • prioritize important over urgent, important usually doesn’t feel urgent
  • schedule regular evaluation time

Emotions

  • emotions are the core parameter determining human behavior
  • procrastination, as well as workoholism, are driven by the desire to escape emotional discomfort
  • productivity problem = emotion management problem
  • to improve, I look for my escape mechanisms and their underlying emotional causes
  • emotion management is simple but hard, if it was easy, everybody would do it
  • when I dedicate my time to doing what’s important, I feel amazing, everything in my life improves as a result, I radiate satisfaction

Next step – do it now! (takes 7 mins)

  • take 2 minutes to consider: Are my daily actions votes for satisfaction on my deathbed?
  • what action will bring me closer to my vision today? spend next 5 minutes doing the thing
  • read this again tomorrow (add action time at will)
  1. relaxing, doing nothing, enjoying looking into the distance, partying — when done with intention, these activities might be purposeful
  2. do it now, don't ask how
  3. weekly for vision and goals, daily for behavior and environment
  4. I dont do it, because I dont feel like doing it
  5. porn, gaming, scrolling, youtube, junkfood, nicotine,...

Read Next

How to Create a Vision - Coming Soon

Cookie-Settings

We use necessary cookies to make our website work and are installed automatically. They enable security, accessibility and network management. As we want to improve your experience with our website, we would like to set functional, analytical and social media cookies which measure how you use our site and enable more personalized content, and provide social media features. Therefore we share information about your use of our website with our partners. They may combine this information with other data that you have provided to them or that they have collected as part of your use of the services. Some of our partner services are located in the USA, which is regarded by the European Court of Justice as a country without an adequate level of data protection. There is a possibility and risk that your personal data will be processed by US authorities for control and surveillance, leaving you without effective remedies against it. With you clicking on “Accept all cookies”, you agree that cookies on our website can be used by us as well as third party providers (also in the USA) and that data can be transferred (Art 49. GDPR) unless other suitable guarantees are exceptionally not available. Your consent is voluntary and can be revoked at any time. You can configure cookies under settings.

Detailed information can be found in our Privacy Statement – Cookies.