Five Behaviors to Let Go for a More Productive New Year

As the calendar changes from one year to the next, we are inevitably bombarded with information about successfully setting goals, establishing better habits and becoming “more” of who we want to be. Often, the focus is on tasks or habits to add to an already packed schedule. The refrain of “work out more often” “make more sales calls per week” or “eat more vegetables” is proceeded by motivation that can soon wane over the course of the year. What if we turned this thinking on its head? What if we opted to increase our productivity or improve ourselves through elimination? The list below are habits which, if stopped today guarantee increased productivity in 2019.

Stop being so “BUSY”  The language of busyness is a sickness and nothing less. Americans wear it as a badge of honor. Often, our response to the question of “how are you?” is to report the litany of items outstanding on our To Do list. People often think busyness equates to success. The appeal of telling the world that you are busy is a way of saying that your time or service is in demand. But when you hear someone say they are busy, often, there is a frantic edge in their voice. Think about that for a moment. If you are operating from a point in which you are almost frantic, how effectively are you able to perform? For those of us who work in client facing roles, there is a fine line between being busy enough to maintain credibility without looking so overwhelmed that we are unable to provide optimal service. Eliminating the language of busyness, such as statements like “so much going on…” “drinking from a fire hose..” and other similar statements of overwhelm can actually have a positive impact on your mindset and your client interactions. What tasks are causing you to be so busy? Could some of these be delegated or eliminated altogether?

Stop filling every second of your day   In a related concept, when you pack your calendar, you eliminate the possibility of the serendipitous event. For many years, I have attended annual industry conferences. In my younger days, I pressured myself to fill the calendar with numerous back to back meetings in order to “make the most” of my time at the conference. Often, I would run into an old friend or colleague while sprinting from one meeting to the next but have only a second for a quick hello/goodbye. Things were not much different when I got back to the office. My schedule was packed with lunches, conference calls and internal meetings. When you are running from meeting to meeting or project to project, you miss the informal idea exchange that occurs when you stop to visit with a co-worker on a project or specific challenge. Consciously open up pockets of time where you engage in informal dialogue with your co-workers. You might be surprised how this downtime could turn into your most productive.

Stop Chasing Every New Trend  Every industry faces ongoing change. Even in just four or five short years, most industries have been disrupted by technology in ways that were not foreseen. With the constant barrage of the next new thing, it is hard not to feel overwhelmed. Staying up on disruptive technologies and industry trends is as much a part of maintaining your professional edge as being proficient in your skills. So why resist embracing the change?  The answer is simple, trends and new technologies come and go. The impact of some trends, when viewed through the lens of a few years, can often be minimal. When surveying the ever expanding list of industry changes and trends, select the two or three that you believe have or will have the most impact on your day to day business. Then go all in on honing your knowledge and expertise on these trends. Let everything else stay in the periphery.

Stop eating at your desk   The midday break seems like such a great idea yet so many of us view it as a time to get ahead on a work project or catch up on personal tasks that have piled up, or worse, blank out while scanning social media at your desk. But the lunch break could be so much more. If you are not in sales or business development, the concept of scheduling a business lunch might seem unnecessary or even uncomfortable. But developing relationships with other professionals in your field is a key component in career development. There is no substitute for the exchange of thoughts and ideas that happens when two people come together in person.  These relationships are like a currency that stays with you as you move through your career.

Stop Being Invisible  Many of us join professional organizations only to stay on the periphery when it comes to getting involved. The time commitment required to be active in professional organizations can sometimes seem directly competitive with your paying job. And it is easy to see which one will win out oftentimes. So you go to the occasional luncheon program or an annual conference and feel like you have gotten full benefit. Another perspective, however, would be to limit your participation to only organizations where you are ready to really show up and be active. This means you might decide to drop one or two (or more!) memberships. It means you might have to block some time in your week to work on projects related to the organization. But the fulfillment that will come from really being involved with a smaller number of organizations far outweighs the perceived benefit of being marginally involved in several groups.

In 2019, I challenge you review this list and other habits you might have and eliminate those that are reducing your productivity.