Busy people vs. productive people

There’s a difference between busy people and productive people.

Busy people wish they had more time, and they often complain about how busy they are. They multitask, go to every meeting, say yes to everything, and respond immediately to requests from others. They tend to focus on doing things before considering the effectiveness of doing those things. Most of all, busy people mistake being busy for being productive.

On the other hand, productive people single-task and say no a lot. They don’t go to every meeting, and they don’t complain about how busy they are. They are focused on doing things that align with their mission. They consider the effectiveness of their actions. And they take time each day to reflect on how they can improve. Productive people are focused on creating value.

Being busy is easy. What’s hard is having the focus to be productive.

How might you be less busy and more productive? What would you need to change? What becomes possible when you’re being more productive? What are the benefits?